The chairman and CEO of Westbrook-based Idexx Laboratories, Jonathan Ayers, rang the closing bell at NASDAQ in New York City on Tuesday, marking the first time that a Maine company has closed trading at the stock exchange.
Idexx is celebrating 30 years in business this year, and the company has grown considerably since that time. The company employs 6,300 people worldwide, with 2,100 in Maine. This past summer, Idexx unvieled its completed $35 million expansion in Westbrook known as the World Campus.
In a press release Tuesday, Ayers expressed pride in the company’s growth in Maine.
“Ringing the NASDAQ closing bell is the culmination of 30 years of innovation at Idexx in Westbrook, Maine,” said Ayers. “We are proud to be from Maine and are committed to continuing to grow the company and give back to the state, by creating good jobs and investing in our communities.”
Idexx is known as a global leader in producing diagnostic information and products for veterinarians and other pet health-care professionals. According to the release, the company is having one of its best years on record, with revenue of over $1.1 billion for the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2014, an 11 percent increase over the prior year period.
Also in the release are comments from Maine Gov. Paul LePage, and U.S. Sen. Angus King, who laud Idexx for its three decades of innovation and job creation in the state.
“Maine is proud that Idexx is the first company in our state to ring the NASDAQ closing bell,” LePage said. “We thank Idexx for its commitment to Maine, and we welcome its significant investment in our state.”
“This is a historic and proud moment for Idexx and for Maine,” King said.
In his statement, Ayers said that when he rings the bell he’ll be thinking of veterinarians worldwide who have had faith in Idexx and their products.
“When we’re ringing the bell at NASDAQ, I’ll be thinking of all the veterinarians whose faith in Idexx solutions has enabled us to get where we are today, as well as my 2,100 co-workers in Maine who’ve made our success story possible,” he said.
Jonathan Ayers, the chairman and CEO of Idexx Laboratories in Westbrook, made history Tuesday as representing the first company to close trading at NASDAQ in New York City. Send questions/comments to the editors.
