Planar Systems

Planar was founded on May 23, 1983{{cite web | url=https://egov.sos.state.or.us/br/pkg_web_name_srch_inq.show_detl?p_be_rsn=321182&p_srce=BR_INQ&p_print=FALSE | title=Business Registry Business Name Search | publisher=Oregon Secretary of State | accessdate=22 March 2022}} by Jim Hurd, Chris King, John Laney and others as a spin-off from the Solid State Research and Development Group of the Beaverton, Oregon, based Tektronix.[http://www.indiana.edu/~hightech/fpd/papers/ELDs.html A History of Electroluminescent Displays] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430024805/http://www.indiana.edu/~hightech/fpd/papers/ELDs.html |date=2012-04-30 }} J. A. Hart, Indiana University; S.A. Lenway, and T. Murtha, University of Minnesota September 1999 In 1986, a division spun off from Planar to work on projection technology and formed InFocus.[http://blog.oregonlive.com/siliconforest/2009/04/infocus_through_the_years.html InFocus through the years] The Oregonian/OregonLive Silicon Forest Blog April 13, 2009

In 1991, Planar purchased FinLux, a competitor in Espoo, Finland. This location now serves as the company's European headquarters.[https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/18/business/us-project-hobbled-by-japan-s-lead.html?scp=13&sq=&pagewanted=all U.S. Project Hobbled by Japan's Lead] New York Times, December 18, 1990 Section D page 1 Planar's executives took the company public in 1993, listing the stock on the NASDAQ boards"Planar Systems gets in step with area trend to go public". The Oregonian, October 30, 1993 Planar acquired Tektronix's avionics display business, creating the short-lived Planar Advance in 1994."Planar Inc. maps deal, set to soar". The Oregonian, July 15, 1994 Standish Industries, a manufacturer of flat panel LCDs in Lake Mills, Wisconsin, was sold to Planar in 1997."Standish of Lake Mills Sold to LCD Competitor". The Capital Times, August 27, 1997 This plant was closed in 2002 as worldwide LCD manufacturing shifted to East Asian countries.

File:Planar headquarters 1195 Compton.JPG

On April 23, 2002, DOME Imaging Systems was purchased by Planar and became the company's medical business unit.[http://www.photonics.com/Content/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=12674 Planar Systems Acquires DOME Imaging Systems] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604164700/http://www.photonics.com/Content/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=12674 |date=2011-06-04 }} Photonics.com May 1, 2002 Planar acquired Clarity Visual Systems (founded by former InFocus employees) on September 12, 2006, now referred to as the Control Room and Signage business unit.[http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2006/07/17/daily17.html Planar buys Clarity for $46M] Portland Business Journal July 19, 2006 On June 19, 2006,{{Cite press release|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20060719005299/en/Planar-to-Acquire-Clarity-Visual-Systems-Acquisition-Enables-Planars-Entry-into-Command-and-Control-and-Fast-Growing-Digital-Signage-Large-Format-Display-Markets|title = News}} Planar acquired Runco International, a leading brand in the high-end, custom home theater market.[http://www.cepro.com/article/planars_acquisition_of_runco_no_end_to_the_party/ Planar’s Acquisition of Runco: No End to the Party] CEPro, May 24, 2007 On August 6, 2008, Planar sold its medical business unit to NDS Surgical Imaging.[http://portland.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2008/08/04/daily59.html NDS Surgical Imaging buys Dome Imaging] Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal, August 6, 2008

In November 2012, Planar announced the sale of its electroluminescent business to Beneq Oy, a supplier of production and research equipment for thin film coatings. Under the terms of the transaction, consideration consists of a $6.5 million base purchase price, of which $3.9 million was paid in cash at closing and $2.6 million was paid in the form of a promissory note.

{{cite web

| url = https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20121130005314/en/Planar-Announces-Sale-Electroluminescent-EL-Business-Beneq

| title = Planar Announces Sale of Electroluminescent (EL) Business to Beneq (press release)

| date = November 30, 2012

| publisher = Berkshire Hathaway Co

| website = www.businesswire.com

| access-date = April 1, 2018

| author = Kim Brown

| editor = Planar Systems

}} Planar was purchased by Leyard Optoelectronic Co. of China in 2015 for $157 million.{{cite news|last1=Rogoway|first1=Mike|title=Planar closes $157 million sale to Chinese company|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2015/11/planar_closes_157_million_sale.html|access-date=8 December 2015|work=The Oregonian/OregonLive|date=November 27, 2015}} It became a subsidiary after formerly trading on the NASDAQ under the symbol PLNR.

In November 2016, Planar announced that it was to enter a merger agreement with NaturalPoint Inc., which sells infrared point tracking systems for use on CGI movie sets (Optitrack), and home use both for assisted computing (Smartnav) and computer gaming (TrackIR). The merger was finalized in January 2017. NaturalPoint will remain a separate business with its own executive team, customers, and market initiatives.{{Cite news|url=http://www.avinteractive.com/news/business/planar-finalises-merger-agreement-with-naturalpoint-31-01-2017/|title=Planar finalises merger agreement with NaturalPoint|date=2017-01-31|newspaper=AV Magazine {{!}} Pro AV news, analysis and comment from Europe’s leading Audio Visual title|access-date=2017-02-07|language=en-US}}

In 2020, a nearly 32-foot-long, 5-foot-high Planar TVF Series LED video wall was added to Lea County Communication Authority (LCCA)’s Lea County 911 Call Center.{{Cite web|url=https://www.commercialintegrator.com/business_resources/operations/av-news-to-know-aug-21-2020/|title = AV News to Know Aug. 21, 2020: New Products, Cool Projects and People in New Places|date = 21 August 2020}}

Planar completed the latest of three installations at the University of Oregon.{{Cite web|url=https://www.avnetwork.com/news/planar-led-installation-drives-pregame-hype-at-university-of-oregon-arena|title = Planar LED Installation Drives Pregame Hype at University of Oregon Arena|date = 24 September 2020}} The addition of Planar® CarbonLight™ CLI Flex™ pliable LED video wall displays, custom designed into two curved LED installations, at Matthew Knight Arena{{cite web|url=https://marketingapi.planar.com/media/l5tnwhdx/installation-profile-uo-hatfield-dowlin.pdf?_ga=2.162563068.1747872180.1611000150-578027752.1528328332|title=Installation Profile|website=planar.com|access-date=18 July 2023}} follows the companies deployments at the university’s Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in 2013 and Student Recreation Center in 2015.{{cite web|url=https://marketingapi.planar.com/media/vhekfmac/uosrc.pdf?_ga=2.239125571.1747872180.1611000150-578027752.1528328332

|title=Installation Profile|website=planar.com|access-date=18 July 2023}}

The company also expanded its presence at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina by adding an impressive collection of 126 Planar LCD displays and two Planar LED video walls in the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business.{{cite web

|url=https://marketingapi.planar.com/media/zywcryxo/planar-installation-profile-clemson-12-2020.pdf?_ga=2.209291346.1747872180.1611000150-578027752.1528328332 |title=Installation Profile|website=planar.com|year=2020|access-date=18 July 2023}} 200 Planar displays also appear in the university’s four-story Watt Family Innovation Center following an installation in 2016.

On November 10, 2020, Planar expanded their US government division {{cite web |url=https://www.planar.com/news/2020/11/10/planar-announces-expansion-of-us-government-division/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110180126/https://www.planar.com/news/2020/11/10/planar-announces-expansion-of-us-government-division/ |archive-date=2020-11-10 |title=Planar Announces Expansion of U.S. Government Division {{!}} Planar}} to enhance the company’s product security program to further adapt products and processes to best meet the product security needs of customers.

Planar currently assembles and services videowalls, projectors, and other displays in Hillsboro. Planar's EL manufacturing operations were consolidated into Planar's Espoo, Finland facility in 2002.[http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2002/08/12/daily51.html Planar consolidation means 55 layoffs] Portland Business Journal, August 16, 2002 Additional large-format displays are assembled and integrated in Albi, France.

{{cite web

| url = https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/vprr/1001/10013676.pdf

| date = September 24, 2010

| title = Form 10{{hyphen}}K: Annual Report pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (2010)

| publisher = United States Securities and Exchange Commission

| website = www.sec.gov

| access-date = April 1, 2018

}}

On November 27, 2015, Planar closed its sale to become a subsidiary of Leyard Optoelectronic Co., a Chinese LED display product corporation. Headquarters operations for Planar remain in Beaverton, OR following the sale.{{cite web|title=Planar and Leyard Merger Complete|url=http://www.planar.com/news/2015/11/27/planar-and-leyard-merger-complete/|website=Planar Systems|access-date=31 March 2016}}

In addition to its Oregon, U.S. headquarters, Planar has worldwide reach. Its sales offices are located in Europe, North America, and Asia. It has manufacturing facilities in France, North America, and Finland.http://www.markets.co/planar-systems-inc-nasdaqplnr-a-hold-roth-capital/8425/ Planar Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLNR) a Hold: Roth Capital

• Silicon Forest
• List of companies based in Oregon

{{Reflist|2}}

• [http://www.hoovers.com/planar-systems/--ID__16670--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml Hoover's Profile of Planar Systems]
• [http://www.answers.com/topic/planar-systems-inc#Company_History_ans International Directory of Company Histories, Volume 61 (1990)] via Answers.com
• [http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/news/business/companies/planar-systems-inc/ Planar Systems topic at New York Times]

{{FormerORCompanies}}

Category:Electronics companies of the United States

Category:Companies based in Hillsboro, Oregon

Category:Manufacturing companies based in Oregon

Category:Display technology companies

Category:Electronics companies established in 1983

Category:Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq

Category:1983 establishments in Oregon

Category:1993 initial public offerings

Category:2015 mergers and acquisitions

Category:American subsidiaries of foreign companies

Category:Corporate spin-offs