<PAGE>
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13D
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. 4)*
ARTISOFT, INC.
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(Name of Issuer)
Common Stock, par value $.01 per share
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(Title of Class of Securities)
04314L106
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(CUSIP Number)
Gerald R. Forsythe
1075 Noel Avenue
Wheeling, Illinois 60090
(847) 459-4250
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(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person
Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)
Copy to:
Robert A. McWilliams
Freeborn & Peters
311 South Wacker Drive, Suite 3000
Chicago, Illinois 60606-2118
(312) 360-6000
March 23, 1998
-------------------------------------------------------
(Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement)
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: [ ].
Note: Six copies of this statement, including all exhibits, should be filed
with the Commission. See Rule 13d-1(a) for other parties to whom copies are to
be sent.
* 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 other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).
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CUSIP NO. 04314L106 13D
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NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
1 S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
GERALD R. FORSYTHE
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CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
2 (a) [_]
(b) [_]
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SEC USE ONLY
3
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOURCE OF FUNDS (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
4
PF, OO
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CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT
TO ITEMS 2(d) or 2(e) [_]
5
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
6
UNITED STATES
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SOLE VOTING POWER
7
NUMBER OF 512,570
SHARES -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY 8
1,396,558
OWNED BY
-----------------------------------------------------------
EACH SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
9
REPORTING 512,570
PERSON -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
WITH 10
1,396,558
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AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
11
1,909,128
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CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
12 (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
[_]
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
13
13.13%
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TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
14
IN
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================================================================================
CUSIP NO. 04314L106 13D
================================================================================
NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
1 S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
INDECK POWER EQUIPMENT COMPANY
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
2 (a) [_]
(b) [_]
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEC USE ONLY
3
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOURCE OF FUNDS (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
4
WC,OO
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT
TO ITEMS 2(d) or 2(e) [_]
5
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CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
6
ILLINOIS
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SOLE VOTING POWER
7
NUMBER OF 0
SHARES -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY 8
521,438
OWNED BY
-----------------------------------------------------------
EACH SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
9
REPORTING 0
PERSON -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
WITH 10
521,438
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AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
11
521,438
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
12 (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
[_]
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
13
3.6%
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
14
CO
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CUSIP NO. 04314L106 13D
================================================================================
NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
1 S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
INDECK ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (SEE INSTRUCTIONS):
2 (a) [_]
(b) [_]
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEC USE ONLY
3
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOURCE OF FUNDS (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
4
WC,OO
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT
TO ITEMS 2(d) or 2(e) [_]
5
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
6
ILLINOIS
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOLE VOTING POWER
7
NUMBER OF 0
SHARES -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY 8
835,750
OWNED BY
-----------------------------------------------------------
EACH SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
9
REPORTING 0
PERSON -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
WITH 10
835,750
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
11
835,750
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
12 (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
[_]
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
13
5.7%
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
14
CO
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<PAGE>
AMENDMENT NO. 4 TO SCHEDULE 13D
This Amendment No. 4, which is being filed jointly by Gerald R. Forsythe
("Mr. Forsythe"), Indeck Power Equipment Company ("Indeck Power") and Indeck
Energy Services, Inc. ("Indeck Energy") (collectively, the "Reporting Persons"),
supplements and amends the Statement on Schedule 13D relating to the common
stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Common Stock"), of Artisoft, Inc. (the
"Company") originally filed jointly by the Reporting Persons with the Commission
on January 19, 1996, as amended by Amendment No. 1 filed with the Commission on
July 9, 1996, Amendment No. 2 filed with the Commission on November 6, 1996, and
Amendment No. 3 filed with the Commission in September 1988 (as amended, the
"Statement").
The following items of this Statement are hereby supplemented and/or
amended as indicated:
ITEM 4. PURPOSE OF THE TRANSACTION.
The Reporting Persons have acquired the Common Stock beneficially owned by
them for investment purposes, because they believe that the trading prices of
the Common Stock in the public market do not adequately reflect the potential
value of the Company's underlying businesses and assets.
None of the Reporting Persons presently has any plans or proposals which
relate to or would result in (a) the acquisition by any person of additional
securities of the Company or the disposition of any such securities, (b) an
extraordinary corporate transaction, such as a merger, reorganization or
liquidation, involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (c) a sale or
transfer of a material amount of assets of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries, (d) any change in the present management of the Company, (e) any
material change in the present capitalization or dividend policy of the Company,
(f) any other material change in the Company's business or corporate structure,
(g) any other material change in the Company's charter, bylaws or instruments
corresponding thereto or other actions which may impede the acquisition of
control of the Company by any person, (h) causing a class of securities of the
Company to be delisted from a national securities exchange or to cease to be
authorized to be quoted in an inter-dealer quotation system of a registered
national securities association, (i) a class of equity securities of the Company
becoming eligible for termination of registration pursuant to Section 12(g)(4)
of the Act, or (j) any action similar to those enumerated in the foregoing
clauses (a) through (i).
However, as substantial shareholders of the Company, the Reporting Persons
expect and intend to explore and be receptive to opportunities to enhance the
value of the Common Stock owned by the Reporting Persons, including changes to
the composition of the Company's board of directors and/or management and
extraordinary transactions involving the Company. In addition, depending on
market conditions and other factors that the Reporting Persons may deem material
to their respective investment decisions, any of the Reporting Persons may
purchase additional shares of Common Stock or rights to purchase additional
shares of Common Stock in the open market, in privately negotiated transactions
or by any other permissible means and, based on such factors, any
1
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of the Reporting Persons may dispose of any or all of the shares of Common Stock
to which this Statement relates or any other shares of Common Stock that they
may hereafter acquire.
The Reporting Persons may encourage the Company to explore strategic
alternatives to increase shareholder value and, depending on the Company's
response, may consider pursuing such alternatives on their own or with third
parties. The Reporting Persons also may seek to have the Company eliminate its
Rights Agreement (poison pill) and, depending on the Company's response, may
seek a shareholder referendum on the issue. However, the Reporting Persons
currently have no specific plans or proposals with respect to these matters.
ITEM 5. INTEREST IN SECURITIES OF THE ISSUER
(a) The Reporting Persons beneficially own an aggregate of 1,909,128 shares
of Common Stock, representing approximately 13.13% of the outstanding shares of
Common Stock (based on 14,539,113 shares outstanding as reported by the Company
in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 1997).
(b) Mr. Forsythe has the sole power to vote and dispose of 551,940 shares
of Common Stock owned by him personally, except with respect to 39,370 shares
which he and his wife, Jean D. Forsythe, hold as joint tenants; Mr. Forsythe and
Indeck Power share the power to vote and dispose of the 521,438 shares of Common
Stock owned by Indeck Power; and Mr. Forsythe and Indeck Energy share the power
to vote and dispose of the 835,750 shares owned by Indeck Energy.
2
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(c) The Reporting Person acquired, in market transactions, the following
shares of Common Stock during the past 60 days:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
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Date Purchaser Shares Price
---- --------- ------ -----
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<C> <S> <C> <C>
3/23 Forsythe 5,000 2.81
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3/20 Power 4,500 2.81
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3/19 Power 2,000 2.81
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3/18 Power 2,500 2.81
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3/17 Power 2,500 2.81
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3/10 Forsythe 5,000 2.81
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3/9 Power 5,000 2.81
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3/6 Power 5,000 2.81
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2/20 Power 13,000 2.06
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2/18 Power 7,500 2.06
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2/18 Forsythe 7,000 2.06
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2/10 Power 2,500 2.06
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2/3 Forsythe 12,500 2.06
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2/3 Power 8,600 2.06
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2/3 Power 400 2.75
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2/2 Power 9,000 2.06
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2/2 Power 6,869 2.06
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</TABLE>
ITEM 7. MATERIAL TO BE FILED AS EXHIBITS.
Exhibit 7.8 Agreement of Joint Filing among the Reporting Persons
dated April 6, 1998
3
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SIGNATURES
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.
Dated: April 7, 1998
/s/ Gerald R. Forsythe
-----------------------------------------
Gerald R. Forsythe
INDECK POWER EQUIPMENT COMPANY
/s/ Gerald R. Forsythe
-----------------------------------------
By: Gerald R. Forsythe, Chairman and CEO
INDECK ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
/s/ Gerald R. Forsythe
-----------------------------------------
By: Gerald R. Forsythe, Chairman and CEO
4
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EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit Description
7.8 Agreement of Joint Filing among the Reporting Persons dated April 7,
1998
5
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 7.8
AGREEMENT OF JOINT FILING
Gerald R. Forsythe, Indeck Power Equipment Company and Indeck Energy
Services, Inc. hereby agree that the Amendment No. 4 to the Schedule 13D to
which this Agreement is attached as an exhibit may be filed on behalf of each
such person.
Dated: April 7, 1998
/s/ Gerald R. Forsythe
----------------------------------------
Gerald R. Forsythe
INDECK POWER EQUIPMENT COMPANY
/s/ Gerald R. Forsythe
----------------------------------------
By: Gerald R. Forsythe, Chairman and CEO
INDECK ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
/s/ Gerald R. Forsythe
----------------------------------------
By: Gerald R. Forsythe, Chairman and CEO
6
