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.
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
RDO EQUIPMENT COMPANY
(Name of Issuer)
Class A - Common Stock, Par Value $.01 per Share
(Title of Class of Securities)
749413100
(CUSIP Number)
John D. Spears
350 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10022
(212) 916-0600
(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Persons
Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)
MARCH 31, 2000
(Date of Event which Required Filing of this Statement)
<PAGE>
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
theAct, but shall be subject to all the provisions of the Act (however, see
the Notes).
<PAGE>
CUSIP No. 749413100
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
TBC has sole voting power with respect
to 522,028 shares held in certain TBC
accounts (as hereinafter defined).
Additionally, certain of the Members of
TBC may be deemed to have sole power to
vote certain shares as more fully set
forth herein.
Number of Shares -------------------------------------------------------
Beneficially (8) Shared Voting Power
Owned by Each 0 shares
Reporting Person
With: -------------------------------------------------------
(9) Sole Dispositive Power
0 shares, except that certain of the
members of TBC may be deemed to have
sole power to vote certain shares as more
fully set forth herein.
-------------------------------------------------------
(10) Shared Dispositive Power
528,048 shares held in accounts of TBC
(as hereinafter defined).
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(11) Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person
528,048 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)
9.21%
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(14) Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions)
BD, IA & 00
<PAGE>
CUSIP No. 749413100
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(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
100,000 shares, except that the
the general partners in TBK,
solely by reason of their positions
as such, may be deemed to have
shared power to vote these shares.
Number of Shares -----------------------------------------------------
Beneficially (8) Shared Voting Power
Owned by Each 0 shares
Reporting Person
With: -----------------------------------------------------
(9) Sole Dispositive Power
100,000 shares, except that the
general partners in TBK, solely
by reason of their positions as such,
may be deemed to have shared
power to vote these shares.
-----------------------------------------------------
(10) Shared Dispositive Power
0 shares
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(11) Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person
100,000 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)
1.74%
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(14) Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions)
PN
<PAGE>
PRELIMINARY NOTE
The persons filing this Amendment No. 4 are (i) Tweedy, Browne Company
LLC ("TBC"), a Delaware limited liability company and (ii) TBK Partners, L.P.
("TBK"), a Delaware limited partnership. This Amendment No. 4 amends a
Statement on Schedule 13D filed by TBC and TBK dated July 21, 1998 (the
"Statement"). The filing of this Amendment No. 4 should not be deemed an
admission that TBC and TBK comprise a group within the meaning of Section
13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Act").
This Amendment No. 4 relates to the Class A- Common Stock, $.01 par
value (the "Common Stock"), of RDO Equipment Company (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
located at 2829 South University Drive, Fargo, North Dakota 58103.
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 sole or shared voting power.
Other than as set forth below, to the best knowledge of TBC and TBK,
there has been no material change in the information set forth 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 may be deemed to be the beneficial
owner of an aggregate of 528,048 shares of Common Stock, which constitutes
approximately 9.21% of the 5,731,008 shares of Common Stock which TBC
believes to be the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. The
TBC Shares are held in the TBC Accounts.
As of the date hereof, TBK beneficially owns directly 100,000 shares
of Common Stock, which constitutes approximately 1.74% of the 5,731,008
shares of Common Stock which TBK believes to be the total number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding.
Also included in the TBC shares are 250 shares of Common Stock held in a
certain TBC Account for a charitable foundation of which Christopher H. Browne
is a trustee. Mr. Browne is a member of TBC and is also a general partner in
TBK.
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. The
aggregate number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which TBC and TBK
could be deemed to be the beneficial owner as of the date hereof, is 628,048
shares, which constitutes approximately 10.95% of the 5,731,008 shares of
Common Stock, which the filing persons believe to be the total number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding, but nothing contained herein shall be
construed as an admission that TBC is the beneficial owner of any of the TBC
Shares.
The aggregate number of shares and percentage of Common Stock with
respect to which each of the Members may be deemed to be the beneficial owner
by reason of his being a Member of TBC and a general partner in TBK and
is 628,048 shares, which constitutes approximately 10.95% of the 5,731,008
shares of Common Stock outstanding. The aggregate number of shares and
percentage of Common Stock with respect to which Thomas P. Knapp may be deemed
to be a beneficial owner by reason of his being a general partner of TBK is
100,000 shares of Common Stock which constitutes approximately 1.74% of the
5,731,008 shares of Common Stock outstanding. However, nothing contained
herein shall be construed as an admission that any of the General Partners or
Thomas P. Knapp is the beneficial owner of any shares of Common Stock, except
as set forth herein as expressly and admittedly being beneficially owned by a
particular General Partner or Thomas P. Knapp.
Each of TBC and TBK disclaims beneficial ownership of
Common Stock held by the other. Except as described herein, to the best
knowledge of TBC and TBK, no person who may be deemed to comprise a group with
any of TBC and TBK, or any other person named in Item 2 of the Statement,
beneficially owns any shares of Common Stock.
(b) TBC has investment discretion with respect to 528,048 shares of
Common Stock held by the TBC Accounts and has sole power to dispose or direct
the disposition of all of such shares. Of these shares of Common Stock, TBC
has sole power to vote or to direct the voting of 522,028 shares of Common
Stock held in certain TBC Accounts.
Each of the Members of TBC, solely by reason of their positions as
such, may be deemed to have (i) shared power to dispose of or to direct the
disposition of all of the shares of Common Stock held in the TBC Accounts; and
(ii) shared power to vote or direct the vote of 522,028 shares of Common
Stock held in certain TBC Accounts.
TBK has the sole power to vote or direct the voting of and dispose or
direct the disposition of the TBK Shares. Each of the General Partners and
Thomas P. Knapp, solely by reason of their positions as general partners, may
be deemed to have shared power to vote or direct the vote of and to dispose or
direct the disposition of the TBK Shares.
( c) No transactions in Common Stock were effected by TBK during the
sixty day period ended as of the date hereof. Transactions in Common Stock
effected by TBC during the sixty-day period ended as of the date hereof are
set forth below:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
REPORTING NO. OF SHARES NO. OF SHARES PRICE
PERSON DATE PURCHASED SOLD PER SHARE
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
TBC Accounts
02/07/00 830 $5 5/16
02/09/00 150 $6
02/15/00 320 $5 5/8
02/17/00 3,240 $5 5/8
02/18/00 1,385 $5.3305
02/23/00 1,000 $5 7/16
02/24/00 750 $5 5/16
02/25/00 585 $5 1/4
02/28/00 420 $5 1/8
03/02/00 3,200 $4.8008
03/08/00 170 $5 1/4
03/13/00 280 $5 9/16
03/14/00 745 $5.5625
03/17/00 1,216 $5 1/2
03/23/00 3,415 $5 5/16
03/24/00 800 $5 1/4
03/28/00 215 $5 3/8
03/31/00 9,825 $5 5/16
04/04/00 100 $5.43700
</TABLE>
(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.
(e) Not applicable.
<PAGE>
SIGNATURE
Each of Tweedy, Browne Company LLC and TBK Partners, L.P. and
after reasonable inquiry and to the best of its knowledge and belief,
hereby certify 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
Dated: April 12, 2000
