About Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc.
Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc. (``AFOP'') designs, manufactures and markets an extensive line of fiber optic components
that provide increased bandwidth and flexibility to optical networks. These products include MICS(tm) DWDM filter
multiplexers, integrating depolarizers, variable attenuators and fiber optic interconnect and branching devices. Founded in 1995,
AFOP is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif. with global manufacturing and R&D in the U.S. and offshore. For further
information, please call 408/736-6900, or visit AFOP's Web site at afop.com.
WASHINGTON, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc., which makes
fiber optic components for communications equipment manufacturers like Avanex Corp.
(NasdaqNM:AVNX - news) and JDS Uniphase Corp. (NasdaqNM:JDSU - news)
(Toronto:JDU.TO - news), has filed to go public.
Alliance, which is based in Sunnyvale, Calif., is looking to raise about $86 million in an initial
public offering of common stock, it said in a filing on Friday with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
It plans to use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes, including working capital and capital expenditures as well as to
repay $754,000 of debt. Alliance may also use the money for acquisitions.
The actual number of shares and their price range will be revealed later by the company, which has applied for a Nasdaq listing
under the symbol ``AFOP'' (Nasdaq:AFOP - news).
Merrill Lynch will lead manage the IPO, with assistance from U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray, Wit Soundview and SG Cowen.
Alliance, whose components include interconnect systems, couplers and splitters and depolarizers, said communications service
providers are increasingly relying on fiber optic technology to meet the rising demand for capacity in telecommunications
networks.
A telecommunications market research firm estimated that the market for fiber optic components may grow to $22.5 billion in
2003 from $6.6 billion in 1999, Alliance noted. |
