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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13G
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. 1 )*
Veritas DGC Inc.
(Name of Issuer)
Common Stock, $.01 par value
(Title of Class of Securities)
253804108
(CUSIP Number)
* 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 the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.
The information required in 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 other provisions of the Act (however see the Notes).
Page 1 of 7 Pages
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CUSIP NO. 253804108 13G Page 2 of 7 Pages
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NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
1 S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON: 36-3820584
Wanger Asset Management, L.P.
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CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
2 (a) [_]
Not Applicable (b) [_]
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SEC USE ONLY
3
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CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
4
Delaware
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SOLE VOTING POWER
5
NUMBER OF None
SHARES -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY 6
400,00
OWNED BY
-----------------------------------------------------------
EACH SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
7
REPORTING None
PERSON -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
WITH 8
400,000
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AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
9
400,000
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CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
10
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PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
11
2.17%
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TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12
IA
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*SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
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CUSIP NO. 253804108 13G Page 3 of 7 Pages
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NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
1 S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
Wanger Asset Management, Ltd.
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CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
2 (a) [_]
Not Applicable (b) [_]
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEC USE ONLY
3
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
4
Delaware
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SOLE VOTING POWER
5
NUMBER OF None
SHARES -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY 6
400,000
OWNED BY
-----------------------------------------------------------
EACH SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
7
REPORTING None
PERSON -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
WITH 8
400,000
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
9
400,000
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
10
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
11
2.17%
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TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12
CO
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*SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
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CUSIP NO. 253804108 13G Page 4 of 7 Pages
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NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
1 S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
Ralph Wanger
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CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
2 (a) [_]
Not Applicable (b) [_]
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SEC USE ONLY
3
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CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
4
U.S.A.
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SOLE VOTING POWER
5
NUMBER OF None
SHARES -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY 6
400,000
OWNED BY
-----------------------------------------------------------
EACH SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
7
REPORTING None
PERSON -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
WITH 8
400,000
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
9
400,000
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
10
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
11
2.17%
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12
IN
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*SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
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Page 5 of 7 Pages
Item 1(a) Name of Issuer: Veritas DGC Inc. (formerly, Digicon Inc.)
Item 1(b) Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:
3701 Kirby Drive, Suite 112
Houston, TX 77098
Item 2(a) Name of Person Filing:
Wanger Asset Management, L.P. ("WAM");
Wanger Asset Management, Ltd., the general partner of WAM
("WAM LTD.");
Ralph Wanger ("Wanger")
Item 2(b) Address of Principal Business Office:
WAM, WAM LTD. and Wanger are all located at:
227 West Monroe Street, Suite 3000
Chicago, Illinois 60606
Item 2(c) Citizenship:
WAM is a Delaware limited partnership.
WAM LTD. is a Delaware corporation.
Wanger is a U.S. citizen.
Item 2(d) Title of Class of Securities: Common Stock, $.01 par value
Item 2(e) CUSIP Number: 253804108
Item 3 Type of Person:
(e) WAM is an Investment Adviser registered under section 203
of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940; WAM LTD. is the
general partner of the Investment Adviser; Wanger is the
principal stockholder of the general partner.
Item 4 Ownership (at December 31, 1996):
(a) Amount owned "beneficially" within the meaning of rule
13d-3: 400,000
(b) Percent of class: 2.17% (based on 18,446,568 shares
outstanding)
(c) Number of shares as to which such person has:
(i) sole power to vote or to direct the vote: None
(ii) shared power to vote or to direct the vote: 400,000
(iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition
of: None
(iv) shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition
of: 400,000
WAM serves as investment adviser to Acorn Investment Trust, Series
Designated Acorn Fund (the "Trust"). Various of WAM's limited
partners and employees are also officers and trustees of the Trust,
but WAM does not consider the Trust to be controlled by such persons.
Although the Trust is not controlled by WAM, pursuant to rule 13d-
3(a) the 400,000 shares beneficially owned by the Trust, with respect
to which the Trust has delegated to WAM shared voting power and
shared dispositive power, are considered to be shares beneficially
owned by WAM by reason of such delegated powers. In addition to the
shares beneficially owned by the Trust, other clients of WAM may own
shares which are not included in the aggregate number of shares
reported herein because WAM does not have or share voting or
investment power over those shares.
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Page 6 of 7 Pages
Item 5 Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:
If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of the
date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the beneficial
owner of more than five percent of the class of securities, check
the following (x).
Item 6 Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person:
The shares reported herein have been acquired on behalf of
discretionary clients of WAM. Persons other than WAM are entitled
to receive all dividends from, and proceeds from the sale of, those
shares.
Item 7 Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired
the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding Company:
Not Applicable
Item 8 Identification and Classification of Members of the Group:
Not Applicable
Item 9 Notice of Dissolution of Group:
Not Applicable
Item 10 Certification:
By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and
belief, the securities referred to above were acquired in the ordinary course of
business and were not acquired for the purpose of and do not have the effect of
changing or influencing the control of the issuer of such securities and were
not acquired in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having
such purpose or effect.
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Page 7 of 7 Pages
Signature
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief,
I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.
Date: February 14, 1997
The undersigned corporation, on the date above written,
agrees and consent to the joint filing on its behalf of
this Schedule 13G in connection with its beneficial
ownership of the security reported herein.
WANGER ASSET MANAGEMENT, LTD.
for itself and as general partner of
WANGER ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P.
By: /s/Bruce H. Lauer
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Bruce H. Lauer
Vice President
The undersigned individual, on the date above written,
agrees and consent to the joint filing on his behalf of
this Schedule 13G in connection with his beneficial
ownership of the security reported herein.
Ralph Wanger
/s/ Ralph Wanger
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