VIA optronics ($VIAO) made its debut on the NYSE Friday, with an initial public offering priced on the low end of expectations to raise $93 million, but the display technology company still sees a bright future ahead.

"We are right now at a breaking point. We are an emerging market, and we cannot grow that much as we want organically so we have to put some investment in," said Jurgen Eichner, Via optronics CEO. "This is basically what we need the proceeds for."

The initial public offering was priced at $15, but opened at $12. By mid-afternoon shares were trading around $10.

VIA builds sunlight-readable displays with wide temperature ranges and screens with touch and gesture features. Customers of the German-based manufacturer include household names like Dell, HP, Ferrari, and BMW.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the need for screen tech is still widespread and growing, according to the CEO. 

"Our factory was actually shut down in China for one week," Eichner said, regarding first quarter impacts from the coronavirus pandemic that didn't derail the company's targets for the year.

"We are right now fully running again, and on top of that, actually, we have some advantages of that because it boosted the home office, home learning markets," he added.

The manufacturer also apparently had few issues with its supply chain, escaping adverse impacts of global supply networks disrupted by COVID-19 even with production facilities in its native Germany, China, and Japan.

"Our supply chain has not been affected, to be honest. One of the reasons is that we do most of the products actually in-house, so we buy only raw materials and, of course, some display glass from the display manufacturer," said Eichner. "So we've been very lucky."

Share:
More In Business
Report: Big 3 to Pay Striking Workers
The big three car companies for GM and Stellantis have agreed to pay striking workers as they spend time on the picket line, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Stretching Your Dollar: How OneMain Financial is Teaching Kids About Credit
Learning about money is a skill that should be learned at an early age. OneMain Financial is now offering a financial course called 'Credit Worthy' across several high schools across the country, along with some scholarships. Doug Shulman, CEO of OneMain Financial, joined Cheddar News to discuss the importance of learning and understanding credit. "Over half of high school students graduate without knowing the basics about credit," Schulman said. "It really helps establish a great foundation to being an independent adult, to have a healthy and happy life, and some financial security is part of that."
Potential Strike by Las Vegas Workers
Thousands of hospitality workers across 18 casinos in Las Vegas have announced they are set to strike if a new contract agreement is not reached by Friday, November 10.
Load More