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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13D
(Amendment No. 4 )*
of
Tweedy, Browne Company LLC
SCHEDULE 13D
(Amendment No. 4 )*
of
TBK Partners, L.P.
SCHEDULE 13D
(Amendment No. 4 )*
of
Vanderbilt Partners, L.P.
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
EKCO GROUP, INC.
(Name of Issuer)
Common Stock, Par Value $0.01 PER SHARE
(Title of Class of Securities)
282636109
(CUSIP Number)
John D. Spears
52 Vanderbilt Avenue
New York, New York 10017
(212) 916-0600
(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Persons
Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)
SEPTEMBER 8, 1999
(Date of Event which Required Filing of this Statement)
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If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report
the acquisition which is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this
schedule because of Rule 13d-1(b)(3) or (4), check the following box [ ].
Check the following box if a fee is paid with the statement [ ]. (A fee is not
required only if the reporting person: (1) has a previous statement on file
reporting beneficial ownership of more than five percent of the class of
securities described in Item 1; and (2) has filed no amendment subsequent
thereto reporting beneficial ownership of five percent or less of such class.)
(See Rule 13d-7.)
* The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.
The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act,
but shall be subject to all the provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).
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CUSIP No. 282636109 SCHEDULE 13D Page 3 of 9 Pages
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS
I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS
Tweedy, Browne Company LLC ("TBC")
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
(a) [ ]
(b) [X]
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. SEC USE ONLY
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. SOURCE OF FUNDS (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
00
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. CHECK IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO
ITEMS (2)(d) OR 2(e) [ ]
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Delaware
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. SOLE VOTING POWER
0 shares
NUMBER OF -------------------------------------------------------
SHARES 8. SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY
OWNED BY 0 shares
EACH -------------------------------------------------------
REPORTING 9. SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
PERSON
WITH: 0 shares
-------------------------------------------------------
10. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
0 shares
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
0 shares
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
(SEE INSTRUCTIONS) [X]
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
0%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14. TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
BD, IA & 00
================================================================================
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CUSIP No. 282636109 SCHEDULE 13D Page 4 of 9 Pages
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS
I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS
TBK Partners, L.P. ("TBK")
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
(a) [ ]
(b) [X]
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. SEC USE ONLY
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. SOURCE OF FUNDS (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
WC and BK
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. CHECK IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO
ITEMS (2)(d) OR 2(e) [ ]
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Delaware
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. SOLE VOTING POWER
0 shares
NUMBER OF -------------------------------------------------------
SHARES 8. SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY
OWNED BY 0 shares
EACH -------------------------------------------------------
REPORTING 9. SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
PERSON
WITH: 0 shares
-------------------------------------------------------
10. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
0 shares
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
0 shares
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
(SEE INSTRUCTIONS) [ ]
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
0%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14. TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
PN
================================================================================
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CUSIP No. 282636109 SCHEDULE 13D Page 5 of 9 Pages
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS
I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS
Vanderbilt Partners, L.P. ("Vanderbilt")
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
(a) [ ]
(b) [X]
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. SEC USE ONLY
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. SOURCE OF FUNDS (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
WC and BK
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. CHECK IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO
ITEMS (2)(d) OR 2(e) [ ]
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Delaware
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. SOLE VOTING POWER
0 shares
NUMBER OF -------------------------------------------------------
SHARES 8. SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY
OWNED BY 0 Shares
EACH -------------------------------------------------------
REPORTING 9. SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
PERSON
WITH: 0 shares
-------------------------------------------------------
10. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
0 shares
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
0 shares
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
(SEE INSTRUCTIONS) [ ]
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
0%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14. TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
PN
================================================================================
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PRELIMINARY NOTE
The persons filing this Amendment No. 4 are Tweedy, Browne Company LLC
("TBC"), a Delaware limited liability company, (ii) TBK Partners, L.P. ("TBK"),
a Delaware limited partnership and (iii) Vanderbilt Partners, L.P.
("Vanderbilt") , a Delaware limited partnership. This Amendment No. 4 amends a
Statement on Schedule 13D filed by TBC, TBK and Vanderbilt dated March 4, 1996
(the "Statement"). However, the filing of this Amendment No. 4 should not be
deemed an admission that TBC, TBK and Vanderbilt comprise a group within the
meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the"Act").
This Amendment No. 4 relates to the Common Stock, $0.01 par value (the
"Common Stock") of Ekco Group, Inc. (the "Company"), which, to the best
knowledge of the persons filing this Amendment No. 4, is a company organized
under the laws of Delaware, with its principal executive offices at 98 Spit
Brook Road, Nashua, New Hampshire 03062.
This Amendment No. 4 contains information regarding shares of Common
Stock that may be deemed to be beneficially owned by TBC. Such shares are held
in the accounts of various customers of TBC, with respect to which it has
obtained or shared voting power.
This Amendment No. 4 is being filed because the filing persons are no
longer subject to the filing requirements of Section 13(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as a result of the disposition of their respective shares
of Common Stock pursuant to a Tender Offer by EG Two Acquisition Company, a
Delaware corporation (the "Purchaser"), a subsidiary of CCPC Acquisition Corp.,
a Delaware corporation (the "Parent"), and an affiliate of Borden, Inc. a New
Jersey corporation ("Bordon"), to purchase all of the outstanding shares of the
Company's Common Stock, par value $.0.01 per share at a purchase price of $7.00
per share.
Other than as set forth below, to the best knowledge of TBC, TBK and
Vanderbilt, there has been no material change in the information set in response
to Items 1,2,3,4, 6 and 7 of the Statement, as amended. Accordingly, those Items
are omitted from this Amendment No. 4.
ITEM 5. INTEREST IN SECURITIES OF THE ISSUER
(a) As of the date hereof, TBC does not beneficially own directly any
shares of the Common Stock.
As a result of the disposition of 76,000 shares of Common Stock
pursuant to the Tender Offer , TBK does not beneficially own directly any shares
of the Common Stock.
As a result of the disposition of 30,900 shares of Common Stock
pursuant to the Tender Offer, Vanderbilt does not beneficially own directly any
shares of Common Stock.
Each of TBC, TBK and Vanderbilt disclaims that it is the beneficial
owner of any of the shares of Common Stock held in the TBC Accounts.
Each of TBC, TBK and Vanderbilt disclaims beneficial ownership of
Common Stock held by the other. Except as described herein, to the best
knowledge of TBC, TBK and Vanderbilt, no person who may be deemed to comprise a
group with any of TBC, TBK, Vanderbilt, or any other person named in Item 2
hereof, beneficially owns any shares of Common Stock.
(c) Pursuant to the terms of the Tender Offer between August 18 and
September 8, 1999, TBC tendered 1,311,985 shares of Common Stock for a purchase
price of $7.00 per share. Between August 18 and September 8, 1999, TBK tendered
76,000 shares of Common Stock pursuant to the terms of the Tender Offer as set
forth above. Between August 18 and September 8, 1999, Vanderbilt tendered 30,900
shares of Common Stock pursuant to the terms of the Tender Offer as set forth
above.
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(d) To the best knowledge of TBC, each of the persons maintaining an
account with TBC has the right to receive or the power to direct the receipt of
dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale of, the shares of Common Stock
held in said person's TBC Account.
To the best knowledge of TBK, no person other than TBK has the right to
receive or the power to direct the receipt of dividends from, or the proceeds
from the sale of, the TBK Shares, except that the General Partners and Thomas P.
Knapp may be deemed to have such rights and powers solely by reason of being
general partners in TBK.
To the best knowledge of Vanderbilt, no person other than Vanderbilt
has the right to receive or the power to direct the receipt of dividends from,
or the proceeds from the sale of, the Vanderbilt Shares, except that the General
Partners in Vanderbilt may be deemed to have such rights and powers solely by
reason of being general partners in Vanderbilt.
(e) TBC, TBK and Vanderbilt ceased to be the beneficial owner of more
than 5% of Common Stock on September 8, 1999.
SIGNATURE
Each of Tweedy, Browne Company LLC, TBK Partners, L.P. and Vanderbilt
Partners, L.P., after reasonable inquiry and to the best of its knowledge and
belief, hereby certifies that the information set forth in this Amendment No. 4
is true, complete and correct.
TWEEDY, BROWNE COMPANY LLC
By /s/ Christopher H. Browne
-------------------------------------
Christopher H. Browne
Member
TBK PARTNERS, L.P.
By /s/ Christopher H. Browne
-------------------------------------
Christopher H. Browne
General Partner
VANDERBILT PARTNERS, L.P.
By /s/ Christopher H. Browne
-------------------------------------
Christopher H. Browne
General Partner
Dated: September 14, 1999
