<PAGE>
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Schedule 13D
Under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. __)*
Avery Communications, Inc.
(Name of Issuer)
Common Stock, $.01 par value
(Title of Class of Securities)
053605 10 1
(CUSIP Number)
Patrick J. Haynes, III, 190 South LaSalle Street, Suite 1710
Chicago, Illinois 60603 (312) 419-0077
(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized to
Receive Notices and Communications)
August 1, 2000
(Date of Event Which Requires the Filing of this Statement)
If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report
the acquisition that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this
schedule because of (S)(S)240.13d-l(e), 240.13d-l(f) or 240.13d-l(g), check the
following box. [X]
*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).
1
<PAGE>
SCHEDULE 13D
CUSIP NO. 053605 10 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS
1 I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (entities only).
Thurston Group, Inc. 36-2807091
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT
TO ITEMS 2(d) or 2(e) [_]
5
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
6
Delaware
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOLE VOTING POWER
7
NUMBER OF
1,085,917
SHARES -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY 8
OWNED BY 7,126,894
-----------------------------------------------------------
EACH SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
9
REPORTING
1,085,917
PERSON -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
WITH 10
0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
11
8,212,811
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
12
(See Instructions)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
13
48.9%
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (See Instructions)
14
CO
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2
<PAGE>
SCHEDULE 13D
CUSIP NO. 053605 10 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS
1 I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (entities only).
Waveland, LLC 36-4068458
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT
TO ITEMS 2(d) or 2(e) [_]
5
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
6
Delaware
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOLE VOTING POWER
7
NUMBER OF
566,286
SHARES -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY 8
OWNED BY 0
-----------------------------------------------------------
EACH SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
9
REPORTING
566,286
PERSON -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
WITH 10
0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
11
566,286
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
12
(See Instructions)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
13
6.1%
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (See Instructions)
14
00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3
<PAGE>
SCHEDULE 13D
CUSIP NO. 053605 10 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS
1 I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (entities only).
Patrick J. Haynes, III
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOLE VOTING POWER
7
NUMBER OF
0
SHARES -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY 8
OWNED BY 9,615,771
-----------------------------------------------------------
EACH SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
9
REPORTING
0
PERSON -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
WITH 10
1,652,203
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
11
9,615,771
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
12
(See Instructions)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
13
55.8%
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (See Instructions)
14
IN
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4
<PAGE>
CUSIP No. 053605 10 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Item 1. Security and Issuer
The class of equity securities to which this Statement relates is the
Common Stock, $0.01 par value (the "Common Stock"), of Avery Communications,
Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Issuer"). The principal executive offices of
the Issuer are located at 190 South LaSalle Street, Suite 1710, Chicago,
Illinois 60603.
Item 2. Identity and Background
This Statement is being filed as a joint filing pursuant to Rule 13d-
l(k)(1) by Thurston Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Thurston Group"),
Waveland, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company ("Waveland"), and Patrick J.
Haynes, III ("Haynes III"). The address of the principal office of the Thurston
Group is 190 South LaSalle Street, Suite 1710, Chicago, Illinois 60603. The
principal business of the Thurston Group is private merchant banking. The
principal business of Waveland is private merchant banking. The address of the
principal office of Waveland is 190 South LaSalle Street, Suite 1710, Chicago,
Illinois 60603. The business address of Haynes III is 190 South LaSalle Street,
Suite 1710, Chicago, Illinois 60603. The principal occupation of Haynes III is
Senior Managing Director of the Thurston Group. Haynes III is a citizen of the
United States. Haynes III controls Thurston Group and Waveland. Neither Haynes
III, Waveland nor the Thurston Group have been convicted, during the last five
years, in a criminal proceeding nor have any of them been a party to a civil
proceeding of a judicial or administrative body of competent jurisdiction and as
a result of such a proceeding was or is subject to a judgment, decree or final
order enjoining future violations of, or prohibiting or mandating activities
subject to, Federal or State securities laws or finding any violation with
respect to such laws.
Item 3. Source and Amount of Funds or Other Consideration
On July 31, 2000, pursuant to the terms of the Primal Solutions, Inc.
Preliminary Distribution Agreement (the "Distribution Agreement") entered into
by and among the Issuer, Primal Solutions, Inc., a Delaware corporation
("Primal"), John Faltys ("Faltys"), Joseph R. Simrell ("Simrell"), David Haynes
("Haynes"), Mark J. Nielsen ("Nielsen"), Arun Anand ("Anand"), Murari
Choplappadi ("Choplappadi"), Sanjay Gupta ("Gupta", collectively, with Faltys,
Simrell, Haynes, Nielsen, Anand and Choplappadi, the "Old Primal
Stockholders"), Thurston Group, Haynes III and Scot M. McCormick, Thurston Group
received a proxy from the Old Primal Stockholders to vote all of their shares of
Series G Preferred Stock of the Issuer (which currently totals 7,126,894
shares), which vote together as one class with the Common Stock and which are
convertible at any time, initially on a one to one basis, into shares of Common
Stock of the Issuer.
Item 4. Purpose of Transaction
The acquisition of the proxies from the Old Primal Stockholders is part of
a larger transaction contemplated in the Distribution Agreement. Pursuant to
the Distribution Agreement, the equity securities of Primal will be spun-off to
the Issuer's shareholders. Primal merged into a wholly owned subsidiary of the
Issuer on September 30, 1999 (the "1999 Merger"). The Distribution Agreement
calls for the Old Primal Stockholders to give irrevocable proxies to vote all of
their shares of Series G Preferred Stock to the Thurston Group and for the
Thurston Group, Haynes III and Waveland to give to the Old Primal Stockholders
irrevocable proxies to vote all the shares of Primal Common Stock they will
receive and/or control after the spin-off. This exchange of proxies is meant to
separate the control of the Issuer and Primal and return, as closely as
possible, to the situation that existed before the 1999 Merger.
Item 5. Interest in Securities of the Issuer
Thurston Group beneficially owns a total of 8,212,811 shares of the
Issuer's shares of Common Stock. Thurston Group has the sole power to dispose
of 1,085,917 shares of the issued and outstanding Common Stock of the Issuer.
Thurston Group has the sole power to vote 1,085,917 shares of the issued and
outstanding Common Stock of the Issuer and shared power to vote 7,126,894 shares
of the Issuer's issued and outstanding Series G Preferred Stock. The Old Primal
Stockholders have the right to receive dividends and proceeds from the sale of
the Series G Preferred Stock.
Haynes III has the shared power to vote 9,615,771 shares of the Common
Stock and Series G Preferred Stock of the Issuer and the shared power to dispose
of 1,652,203 shares of the Common Stock of the Issuer.
5
<PAGE>
CUSIP No. 053605 10 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Waveland has the sole power to vote and dispose of 566,286 shares of the
Common Stock of the Issuer.
Item 6. Contract, Arrangements, Understandings or Relationships With Respect
to Securities of the Issuer.
Haynes III has effective control, through ownership, over the Thurston
Group and Waveland and thus indirectly can direct the voting of their shares of
the Common Stock of the Issuer. The Thurston Group has an irrevocable proxy to
vote the shares of the Series G Preferred Stock of the Issuer held by the Old
Primal Stockholders which are convertible at any time into shares of the
Issuer's Common Stock. In the event that a Distribution Failure Event occurs or
the Distribution, as both are defined in the Distribution Agreement, does not
occur, the proxy from the Old Primal Stockholders to the Thurston Group will be
terminated.
Item 7. Material to be Filed as Exhibits
The Distribution Agreement and the exhibits thereto will be filed as
exhibits with the Form 8-K to be filed by the Issuer on or before August 15,
2000. The Distribution Agreement and the exhibits thereto are incorporated by
reference herein.
A Joint Filing Agreement between Haynes III, Thurston Group and Waveland
is attached hereto as Exhibit A.
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 August 9, 2000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THURSTON GROUP, INC.
Signature
/s/ Patrick J. Haynes, III
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name/Title Patrick J. Haynes, III, President
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date August 9, 2000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WAVELAND, LLC
Signature
/s/ Patrick J. Haynes, III
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name/Title Patrick J. Haynes, III, Manager
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date August 9, 2000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Signature
/s/ Patrick J. Haynes, III
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name/Title Patrick J. Haynes, III
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT A
(Joint Filing Agreement)
7
<PAGE>
SCHEDULE 13D
JOINT FILING AGREEMENT
This Agreement is dated as of August 9, 2000, by and between Patrick J.
Haynes, III ("Haynes III"), Thurston Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation
("Thurston Group"), and Waveland, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company
("Waveland").
WHEREAS, pursuant to paragraph (k)(1) of Rule 13d-1 promulgated under
Section 13d(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Act"),
the parties hereto have decided to satisfy their filing obligations under the
Act by a single joint filing.
NOW, THEREFORE, the undersigned do hereby agree as follows:
1. The Schedule 13D ("Schedule 13D") with respect to Avery
Communications, Inc., a Delaware corporation, to which this Agreement is
attached as Exhibit A is filed on behalf of Haynes III, Thurston Group, and
Waveland. Haynes III and Waveland hereby authorize Thurston Group to file the
Schedule 13D on their behalf.
2. Each of Haynes III, Thurston Group and Waveland is responsible for the
completeness and accuracy of the information concerning such person or entity
contained therein; provided that each person or entity is not responsible for
the completeness or accuracy of the information concerning any other person or
entity making such filing.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned hereunto set their hands as of the date
first written above.
/s/ Patrick J. Haynes, III
-------------------------------------------------
Patrick J. Haynes, III
THURSTON GROUP, INC.
By: /s/ Patrick J. Haynes, III
-------------------------------------------------
Name: Patrick J. Haynes, III
Title: President
WAVELAND, LLC
By: /s/ Patrick J. Haynes, III
-------------------------------------------------
Name: Patrick J. Haynes, III
Title: Manager
8
