SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13D
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. 33)
Thomas Industries Inc.
(Name of Issuer)
Common Stock, $1.00 Par Value Per Share
(Title of Class of Securities)
884424109
(CUSIP Number)
James E. McKee
Gabelli Asset Management Inc.
One Corporate Center
Rye, New York 10580-1435
(914) 921-5294
(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized to Receive Notices and
Communications)
April 22, 2004
(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 that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this
schedule because of Section 240.13d-1(e), 240.13d-1(f)
or 240.13d-1(g), check the following box.
CUSIP No. 884425109
1
NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS
I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)
Gabelli Funds, LLC
I.D. NO. 13-4044523
2
CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
(a)
(b)
3
SEC USE ONLY
4
SOURCE OF FUNDS (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
00-Funds of investment advisory clients
5
CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2 (d) OR 2 (e)
6
CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
New York
NUMBER OF
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY
OWNED
BY EACH
REPORTING
PERSON
WITH
7
SOLE VOTING POWER
573,000 (Item 5)
8
SHARED VOTING POWER
NONE
9
SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
573,000 (Item 5)
10
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
NONE
11
AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
573,000 (Item 5)
12
CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
(SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
13
PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
3.31%
14
TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
IA
CUSIP No. 884425109
1
NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS
I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)
GAMCO Investors, Inc.
I.D. NO. 13-4044521
2
CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
(a)
(b)
3
SEC USE ONLY
4
SOURCE OF FUNDS (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
00-Funds of investment advisory clients
5
CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2 (d) OR 2 (e)
6
CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
New York
NUMBER OF
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY
OWNED
BY EACH
REPORTING
PERSON
WITH
7
SOLE VOTING POWER
2,772,929 (Item 5)
8
SHARED VOTING POWER
NONE
9
SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
2,863,729 (Item 5)
10
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
NONE
11
AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
2,863,729 (Item 5)
12
CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
(SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
13
PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
16.53%
14
TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
IA, CO
CUSIP No. 884425109
1
NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS
I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)
MJG Associates, Inc.
I.D. NO. 06-1304269
2
CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
(a)
(b)
3
SEC USE ONLY
4
SOURCE OF FUNDS (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
00-Client Funds
5
CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2 (d) OR 2 (e)
6
CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Connecticut
NUMBER OF
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY
OWNED
BY EACH
REPORTING
PERSON
WITH
7
SOLE VOTING POWER
15,900 (Item 5)
8
SHARED VOTING POWER
NONE
9
SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
15,900 (Item 5)
10
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
NONE
11
AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
15,900 (ITEM 5)
12
CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
(SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
13
PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
0.09%
14
TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
CO
CUSIP No. 884425109
1
NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS
I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)
Gabelli Group Capital Partners, Inc.
I.D. NO. 13-3056041
2
CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
(a)
(b)
3
SEC USE ONLY
4
Source of funds (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
None
5
CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2 (d) OR 2 (e)
6
CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
New York
NUMBER OF
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY
OWNED
BY EACH
REPORTING
PERSON
WITH
7
SOLE VOTING POWER
None
8
SHARED VOTING POWER
NONE
9
SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
NONE
10
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
NONE
11
AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
NONE
12
CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
(SEE INSTRUCTIONS) X
13
PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
NONE
14
TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
HC, CO
CUSIP No. 884425109
1
NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS
I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)
Gabelli Asset Management Inc.
I.D. NO. 13-4007862
2
CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
(a)
(b)
3
SEC USE ONLY
4
Source of funds (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
None
5
CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2 (d) OR 2 (e)
6
CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
New York
NUMBER OF
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY
OWNED
BY EACH
REPORTING
PERSON
WITH
7
SOLE VOTING POWER
None (Item 5)
8
SHARED VOTING POWER
NONE
9
SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
None (Item 5)
10
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
NONE
11
AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
None (Item 5)
12
CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
(SEE INSTRUCTIONS) X
13
PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
0.00%
14
TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
HC, CO
CUSIP No. 884425109
1
NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS
I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)
Mario J. Gabelli
2
CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
(a)
(b)
3
SEC USE ONLY
4
Source of funds (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
None
5
CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED
PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2 (d) OR 2 (e)
6
CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
USA
NUMBER OF
SHARES
BENEFICIALLY
OWNED
BY EACH
REPORTING
PERSON
WITH
7
SOLE VOTING POWER
None
8
SHARED VOTING POWER
NONE
9
SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
NONE
10
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
NONE
11
AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
NONE
12
CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
(SEE INSTRUCTIONS) X
13
PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
0.00%
14
TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
IN
Item 1. Security and Issuer
This Amendment No. 33 to Schedule 13D on the Common Stock of Thomas
Industries Inc. (the "Issuer") is being filed on behalf of the undersigned to
amend the Schedule 13D, as amended (the "Schedule 13D") which was originally
filed on March 23, 1993. Unless otherwise indicated, all capitalized terms
used herein but not defined herein shall have the same meanings as set forth in
the Schedule 13D.
Item 2. Identity and Background
This statement is being filed by Mario J. Gabelli ("Mario Gabelli")
and various entities which he directly or indirectly controls or for which he
acts as chief investment officer. These entities, except for Lynch Corporation
("Lynch") and Lynch Interactive Corporation ("Interactive"), engage in various
aspects of the securities business, primarily as investment adviser to various
institutional and individual clients, including registered investment companies
and pension plans, and as general partner of various private investment
partnerships. Certain of these entities may also make investments for their
own accounts.
The foregoing persons in the aggregate often own beneficially more
than 5% of a class of a particular issuer. Although several of the foregoing
persons are treated as institutional investors for purposes of reporting their
beneficial ownership on the short-form Schedule 13G, the holdings of those who
do not qualify as institutional investors may exceed the 1% threshold presented
for filing on Schedule 13G or implementation of their investment philosophy may
from time to time require action which could be viewed as not completely
passive. In order to avoid any question as to whether their beneficial
ownership is being reported on the proper form and in order to provide greater
investment flexibility and administrative uniformity, these persons have
decided to file their beneficial ownership reports on the more detailed
Schedule 13D form rather than on the short-form Schedule 13G and thereby to
provide more expansive disclosure than may be necessary.
(a), (b) and (c) - This statement is being filed by one or more of
the following persons: Gabelli Group Capital Partners, Inc. ("Gabelli
Partners"), Gabelli Asset Management Inc. ("GBL"), Gabelli Funds, LLC ("Gabelli
Funds"), GAMCO Investors, Inc. ("GAMCO"), Gabelli Advisers, Inc. ("Gabelli
Advisers"), Gabelli Securities, Inc. ("GSI"), Gabelli & Company, Inc. ("Gabelli
& Company"), Gabelli & Company, Inc. Profit Sharing Plan (the "Plan"), MJG
Associates, Inc. ("MJG Associates"), Gabelli Foundation, Inc. ("Foundation"),
Mario Gabelli, Lynch, and Interactive. Those of the foregoing persons signing
this Schedule 13D are hereafter referred to as the "Reporting Persons".
Gabelli Partners makes investments for its own account and is the
parent company of GBL. GBL, a public company listed on the New York Stock
Exchange, is the parent company for a variety of companies engaged in the
securities business, including those named below.
GAMCO, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GBL, is an investment adviser
registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended ("Advisers
Act"). GAMCO is an investment manager providing discretionary managed account
services for employee benefit plans, private investors, endowments, foundations
and others.
GSI, a majority-owned subsidiary of GBL, acts as a general partner
or investment manager to limited partnerships and offshore investment companies
and as a part of its business may purchase or sell securities for its own
account. It is the immediate parent of Gabelli & Company. GSI is the
Investment Manager of Gabelli Associates Fund, Gabelli Associates Fund II,
Gabelli Associates Limited, ALCE Partners, L.P., and Gabelli Multimedia
Partners, L.P. GSI and Marc Gabelli own 45% and 55%, respectively, of Gabelli
Securities International Limited ("GSIL"). GSIL provides investment advisory
services to offshore funds and accounts. GSIL is an investment advisor of
Gabelli International Gold Fund Limited, Gabelli European Partners, Ltd., and
Gabelli Global Partners, Ltd.
Gabelli & Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GSI, is a broker-
dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("1934
Act"), which as a part of its business regularly purchases and sells securities
for its own account.
Gabelli Funds, a wholly owned subsidiary of GBL, is a limited
liability company. Gabelli Funds is an investment adviser registered under the
Advisers Act which presently provides discretionary managed account services
for The Gabelli Equity Trust Inc., The Gabelli Asset Fund, The Gabelli Growth
Fund, The Gabelli Convertible and Income Securities Fund, Inc., The Gabelli
Value Fund Inc., The Gabelli Small Cap Growth Fund, The Gabelli Equity Income
Fund, The Gabelli ABC Fund, The Gabelli Global Telecommunications Fund, Gabelli
Gold Fund, Inc., The Gabelli Global Multimedia Trust Inc., The Gabelli Global
Convertible Securities Fund, Gabelli Capital Asset Fund, Gabelli International
Growth Fund, Inc., The Gabelli Global Growth Fund, The Gabelli Utility Trust,
The Gabelli Global Opportunity Fund, The Gabelli Utilities Fund, The Gabelli
Blue Chip Value Fund, The Gabelli Mathers Fund, The Gabelli Woodland Small Cap
Value Fund, The Comstock Capital Value Fund, The Comstock Strategy Fund, and
The Gabelli Dividend and Income Trust (collectively, the "Funds"), which are
registered investment companies.
Gabelli Advisers, a subsidiary of GBL, is an investment adviser
which provides discretionary advisory services to The Gabelli Westwood Mighty
Mitessm Fund.
The Plan, a qualified employee profit sharing plan, covers
substantially all employees of GBL and its affiliates.
MJG Associates provides advisory services to private investment
partnerships and offshore funds. Mario Gabelli is the sole shareholder,
director and employee of MJG Associates. MJG Associates is the Investment
Manager of Gabelli International Limited, Gabelli International II Limited,
Gabelli Performance Partnership, and Gabelli Fund, LDC.
The Foundation is a private foundation. Mario Gabelli is the
President, a Trustee and the Investment
Manager of the Foundation.
Lynch is a public company traded on the American Stock Exchange
engaged in manufacturing. Interactive is a public company listed on the
American Stock Exchange and is a holding company with operating subsidiaries
engaged primarily in the rural telephone industry. Lynch and Interactive
actively pursue new business ventures and acquisitions. Lynch and Interactive
make investments in marketable securities to preserve capital and maintain
liquidity for financing their business activities and acquisitions and are not
engaged in the business of investing, reinvesting, or trading in securities.
Mario J. Gabelli is a director, officer and a substantial shareholder of Lynch
and Interactive.
Mario Gabelli is the majority stockholder and Chairman of the Board
of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Gabelli Partners and GBL, and the
Chief Investment Officer for each of the Reporting Persons. Gabelli Partners
is the majority shareholder of GBL. GBL, in turn, is the sole stockholder of
GAMCO. GBL is also the majority stockholder of GSI and the largest shareholder
of Gabelli Advisers. Gabelli & Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GSI.
The Reporting Persons do not admit that they constitute a group.
Gabelli Partners, GBL, GAMCO, and Gabelli & Company are New York
corporations and GSI and Gabelli Advisers are Delaware corporations, each
having its principal business office at One Corporate Center, Rye, New York
10580. Gabelli Funds is a New York limited liability company having its
principal business office at One Corporate Center, Rye, New York 10580. MJG
Associates is a Connecticut corporation having its principal business office at
140 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830. The Foundation is a Nevada
corporation having its principal offices at 165 West Liberty Street, Reno,
Nevada 89501. Lynch is an Indiana corporation having its principal business
office at 50 Kennedy Plaza, Suite 1250, Providence, Rhode Island 02903.
Interactive is a Delaware corporation having its principal place of business at
One Corporate Center, Rye, New York 10580.
For information required by instruction C to Schedule 13D with
respect to the executive officers and directors of the foregoing entities and
other related persons (collectively, "Covered Persons"), reference is made to
Schedule I annexed hereto and incorporated herein by reference.
(f) - Reference is made to Schedule I hereto.
Item 3. Source and Amount of Funds or Other Consideration
Item 3 to Schedule 13D is amended, in pertinent part, as follows:
GAMCO used approximately $1,588,598 of funds that were provided
through the accounts of certain of their investment advisory clients (and, in
the case of some of such accounts at GAMCO, may be through borrowings from
client margin accounts) in order to purchase the additional Securities for such
clients, since the most recent filing on Schedule 13D.
Item 4. Purpose of Transaction
Item 4 to Schedule 13D is amended, in pertinent part, as follows:
On April 22, 2004, GAMCO sent a letter to the Issuer urging its
Board of Directors to eliminate the Issuer's poison pill in light of the
shareholders' support for GAMCO's proposal at the Issuer's annual meeting. In
the letter, GAMCO also said that if the Issuer's Board of Directors does not
eliminate the poison pill, next year GAMCO will consider voting for any
opposition slate of directors who support the elimination of the poison pill.
A copy of GAMCO's letter is attached hereto as Exhibit A. On April 22, 2004,
GAMCO also issued a press release urging the Issuer to redeem its poison pill
in light of the support for GAMCO's shareholder proposal at the Issuer's annual
meeting. A copy of GAMCO's press release is attached hereto as Exhibit B.
Item 5. Interest In Securities Of The Issuer
Item 5 to Schedule 13D is amended, in pertinent part, as follows:
(a) The aggregate number of Securities to which this Schedule 13D
relates is 3,452,629 shares, representing 19.93% of the 17,327,686 shares
outstanding as reported on the Issuer's most recent Form 10-K for the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2003. The Reporting Persons beneficially own those
Securities as follows:
Name
Shares of
Common Stock
% of Class of
Common
Gabelli Funds
573,000
3.31%
GAMCO
2,863,729
16.53%
MJG Associates
15,900
0.09%
Mario Gabelli
0
0.00%
Mario Gabelli is deemed to have beneficial ownership of the
Securities owned beneficially by each of the foregoing persons. GSI is deemed
to have beneficial ownership of the Securities beneficially owned by Gabelli &
Company. GBL and Gabelli Partners are deemed to have beneficial ownership of
the Securities owned beneficially by each of the foregoing persons other than
Mario Gabelli and the Foundation.
(b) Each of the Reporting Persons and Covered Persons has the sole
power to vote or direct the vote and sole power to dispose or to direct the
disposition of the Securities reported for it, either for its own benefit or
for the benefit of its investment clients or its partners, as the case may be,
except that (i) GAMCO does not have the authority to vote 90,800 of the
reported shares, (ii) Gabelli Funds has sole dispositive and voting power with
respect to the shares of the Issuer held by the Funds so long as the aggregate
voting interest of all joint filers does not exceed 25% of their total voting
interest in the Issuer and, in that event, the Proxy Voting Committee of each
Fund shall respectively vote that Fund's shares, (iii) at any time, the Proxy
Voting Committee of each such Fund may take and exercise in its sole discretion
the entire voting power with respect to the shares held by such fund under
special circumstances such as regulatory considerations, and (iv) the power of
Mario Gabelli, GBL, and Gabelli Partners is indirect with respect to Securities
beneficially owned directly by other Reporting Persons.
(c) Information with respect to all transactions in the Securities
which were effected during the past sixty days or since the most recent filing
on Schedule 13D, whichever is less, by each of the Reporting Persons and
Covered Persons is set forth on Schedule II annexed hereto and incorporated
herein by reference.
(e) Not applicable.
Item 7. Material to be Filed as an Exhibit
Exhibit A: Letter sent on April 22, 2004, from GAMCO to the
Issuer's Chief Financial Officer and Secretary.
Exhibit B: GAMCO Press Release issued on April 22, 2004.
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.
Dated: April 22, 2004
MARIO J. GABELLI
MJG ASSOCIATES, INC.
By:/s/ James E. McKee
James E. McKee
Attorney-in-Fact
GABELLI FUNDS, LLC
GABELLI GROUP CAPITAL PARTNERS, INC.
GABELLI ASSET MANAGEMENT INC.
By:/s/ James E. McKee
James E. McKee
Secretary
GAMCO INVESTORS, INC.
By:/s/ Douglas R. Jamieson
Douglas R. Jamieson
Executive Vice President
SCHEDULE I
Information with Respect to Executive
Officers and Directors of the Undersigned
Schedule I to Schedule 13D is amended, in pertinent part, as
follows:
The following sets forth as to each of the executive officers and
directors of the undersigned: his name; his business address; his
present principal occupation or employment and the name, principal
business and address of any corporation or other organization in
which such employment is conducted. Unless otherwise specified,
the principal employer of each such individual is Gabelli Group
Capital Partners, Inc., Gabelli Asset Management Inc., Gabelli
Funds, LLC, Gabelli & Company, Inc., or GAMCO Investors, Inc., the
business address of each of which is One Corporate Center, Rye, New
York 10580, and each such individual identified below is a citizen
of the United States. To the knowledge of the undersigned, during
the last five years, no such person has been convicted in a
criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations or similar
misdemeanors), and no such person was a party to a civil proceeding
of a judicial or administrative body of competent jurisdiction as a
result of which he 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 law or finding
any violation with respect to such laws except as reported in Item
2(d) of this Schedule 13D.
Gabelli Group Capital Partners, Inc.
Directors:
Vincent J. Amabile
Business Consultant
Mario J. Gabelli
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment
Officer of Gabelli Group Capital Partners, Inc.,
Gabelli Asset Management Inc., and GAMCO
Investors, Inc.; Director/Trustee of all
registered investment companies advised by Gabelli
Funds, LLC; Chief Executive Officer of Lynch
Interactive Corporation; Vice Chairman of Lynch
Corporation.
Charles C. Baum
Chairman and Director of The Morgan Group, Inc.;
Secretary & Treasurer
United Holdings Co., Inc.
2545 Wilkens Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21223
Arnold M. Reichman
Business Consultant
Marc J. Gabelli
President
Matthew R. Gabelli
Vice President - Trading
Gabelli & Company, Inc.
One Corporate Center
Rye, New York 10580
Officers:
Mario J. Gabelli
Marc J. Gabelli
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Investment Officer
President
Henry Kiernan
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
James E. McKee
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Gabelli Asset Management
Inc.
Directors:
Raymond C. Avansino,
Jr.
Chairman
E.L. Wiegand Foundation
165 West Liberty Street
Reno, NV 89501
Mario J. Gabelli
John D.
Gabelli
See above
Senior Vice President
Paul B. Guenther
Chairman
New York Philharmonic
10 Lincoln Center Plaza
New York, NY 10023
John C. Ferrara
Business Consultant
Dr. Eamon M. Kelly
Professor
Payson Center for International
Development Technology Transfer
Tulane University
300 Gibson Hall
6823 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70118
Karl Otto Pohl (1)
Frederic V.
Salerno
Vincent S.
Tese
Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie.
Bockenheimer Landstrasse 20
D-6000 FRANKFURT AM MAIN
Germany
See below
Lawyer, Investment Adviser and Cable Television
Executive
c/o Bear Stearns & Company, Inc.
245 Park Avenue, 19th Floor
New York, NY 10167
Officers:
Mario J. Gabelli
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Investment Officer
Michael R. Anastasio,
Jr.
Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer
James E. McKee
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
GAMCO Investors, Inc.
Directors:
Douglas R. Jamieson
Joseph R. Rindler,
Jr.
Regina M. Pitaro
F. William Scholz, II
William S. Selby
Officers:
Mario J. Gabelli
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment
Officer
Joseph R. Rindler,
Jr.
Chairman
Douglas R. Jamieson
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating
Officer
James E. McKee
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Gabelli Funds, LLC
Officers:
Mario J. Gabelli
Chief Investment Officer
Bruce N. Alpert
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating
Officer
James E. McKee
Secretary
Gabelli Advisers, Inc.
Directors:
Bruce N. Alpert
John D. Gabelli
Joseph R. Rindler.
Jr.
Officers:
Bruce N. Alpert
Chief Operating Officer
James E. McKee
Secretary
Gabelli Securities, Inc.
Directors:
Robert W. Blake
President of W. R. Blake & Sons, Inc.
196-20 Northern Boulevard
Flushing, NY 11358
Douglas G. DeVivo
General Partner of ALCE Partners, L.P.
One First Street, Suite 16
Los Altos, CA 94022
Joseph R. Rindler,
Jr.
See above
Officers:
Michael R. Anastasio
Thomas H. Mahoney
James E. McKee
Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer
Vice President
Secretary
Gabelli & Company, Inc.
Directors:
James G. Webster, III
Chairman & Interim President
Irene Smolicz
Senior Trader
Gabelli & Company, Inc.
Officers:
James G. Webster, III
Chairman & Interim President
Bruce N. Alpert
Vice President - Mutual Funds
James E. McKee
Secretary
Lynch Corporation,
50 Kennedy Plaza, Suite 1250, Providence, RI 02903
Directors:
Mario J. Gabelli
See above - Gabelli Group Capital Partners, Inc.
Marc J. Gabelli
E. Val Cerutti
See above - Gabelli Group Capital Partners, Inc.
Business Consultant, Cerutti Consultants
227 McLain Street
Mount Kisco, NY 10540
Avrum Gray
Ralph R. Papitto
Richard E. McGrail
Raymond H. Keller
Anthony R.
Pustorino
Gbar Limited Partnership
440 South LaSalle, Suite 2900
Chicago, IL 60605
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
President and Chief Operations Officer
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Professor Emeritus
Pace University
1 Martine Avenue
White Plains, NY 10606
Officers:
Ralph R. Papitto
See above
Mario J. Gabelli
Vice Chairman
Richard E. McGrail
See above
Raymond H. Keller
See above
Lynch Interactive Corporation,
401 Theodore Fremd Avenue Rye, NY 10580
Directors:
Paul J. Evanson
President
Allegheny Energy, Inc.
10435 Downsville Pike
Hagerstown, MD 21740
Mario J. Gabelli
Marc J. Gabelli
See above - Gabelli Group Capital Partners, Inc.
See above - Gabelli Group Capital Partners, Inc.
Salvatore Muoio
Principal
S. Muoio & Co., LLC
Suite 406
509 Madison Ave.
New York, NY 10022
Daniel Lee
Morris Berkowitz
John C. Ferrara
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc.
3800 Howard Hughes Parkway, Suite 1800
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
Consultant
Lynch Interactive Corporation
401 Theodore Fremd Ave.
Rye, NY 10580
See above
David C. Mitchell
Business Consultant
c/o Lynch Interactive Corporation
401 Theodore Fremd Ave.
Rye, NY 10580
Officers:
Mario J. Gabelli
Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Robert E. Dolan
Chief Financial Officer
John Fikre
Vice President - Corporate Development, General
Counsel, and Secretary
(1) Citizen of Germany
Exhibit A:
April 22, 2004
Mr. Phillip J. Stuecker
Chief Financial Officer and Secretary
Thomas Industries Inc.
4360 Brownsboro Road
Louisville, KY 40207
Dear Mr. Stuecker:
We at GAMCO Investors, Inc. remain convinced that the elimination of
poison pills is an important element of a positive approach to shareholder
governance. In this context, we believe that the management and Board of
Directors of Thomas Industries cannot ignore the voice of its shareholders. As
you know, our resolution supporting the elimination of Thomas Industries'
poison pill was approved by 63% of the shareholders voting at your annual
meeting held today.
In light of the shareholders' mandate, we are providing you with an early
notice of our plans for the next proxy season. If the Board of Directors does
not eliminate Thomas Industries' poison pill, next year we will consider voting
for any opposition slate of directors who support the elimination of the poison
pill.
Congress and the SEC have been actively working on a number of fronts to
restore investor confidence. The SEC has announced that it is considering
modifying its proxy rules to give long-term shareholders access to a company's
proxy materials to nominate directors where a company does not act on the
results of the proxy process. It is time to hold companies accountable for
their actions and restore the checks and balances in corporate boardrooms and
executive suites. This is not the time for companies to build moats around
themselves with poison pills and ignore the voice of their shareholders.
We trust that you will share this letter and our concerns with your
senior executives and Board of Directors. If you have any questions regarding
this matter, I can be reached at (914) 921-5294.
Sincerely,
James E. McKee
Vice President, General
Counsel and Secretary
JEM/jm
Exhibit B:
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Douglas R. Jamieson
Chief Operating Officer
(914) 921-5020
For further information visit our
Website at: www.gabelli.com
Victory! Gabelli's Poison Pill Proposal Wins
Strong Shareholder Support
Rye, New York, April 22, 2004 - Gabelli Asset Management Company is
pleased to announce that its resolution supporting the elimination of Thomas
Industries Inc.'s "poison pill" was approved by 63% of the shareholders voting
at its annual meeting held today.
"We are delighted that we are victorious this year in our endeavors to
eliminate the poison pill. An identical proposal last year received support
from only 18% of the votes cast. This year the shareholders have spoken.
Gabelli has long advocated corporate governance initiatives against poison
pills and stock option plans. Poison pills clearly upset the proper balance of
power between shareholders and management as they allow the board to arrogate
to itself the power to determine what is a fair price that a potential buyer
must pay to acquire a company.
We hope that Thomas Industries' Board of Directors will listen to the
firm voice of its shareholders after this windfall," said a representative of
Gabelli.
Gabelli Asset Management Company, a subsidiary of Gabelli Asset
Management Inc. (GBL:NYSE), provides investment management services to
institutional and high net worth investors. Gabelli Asset Management Inc. has
approximately $28 billion in assets under management.