Alachua County and Wall Street are far apart, both geographically and economically, yet Wall Street plays an important role for some key local companies.
Three firms that produce biomedical products are listed on NASDAQ — RTI Surgical Inc., Exactech Inc. and AxoGen Inc. CTD Holdings Inc. is listed as over-the-counter. In addition, Applied Genetic Technologies Corp. is gearing up to go public.
Business in the Heart of Florida has compiled information about these companies and their significance as potential investments.
Why Go Public?
“Near the end of the recession, public funds were more available, and the valuation of public companies was higher. The public markets provided the best value and liquidity for our investors.” – Karen Zaderej, president and CEO, AxoGen, Inc.
“It provided funding for our capital-intensive orthopedic business as well as name recognition within the industry and a currency for future funding.” – Jody Phillips, CFO, Exactech Inc.
“We went public originally because we needed capital for R&D and building new facilities.” – Jenny Highlander, director of corporate communications, RTI Surgical Inc.
“It resulted in the ability of the company to obtain inventory and move our programs forward. It capitalized the company, basically.” – Jeffrey Tate, president, CTD Holdings, Inc.