Planar Systems
Planar Systems, Inc. is an American digital display manufacturing corporation with a facility in Hillsboro, Oregon. Founded in 1983 as a spin-off from Tektronix, it was the first U.S. manufacturer of electroluminescent (EL) digital displays. Planar currently makes a variety of other specialty displays, and has been an independent subsidiary of Leyard Optoelectronic Co. since 2015. The headquarters, leadership team and employees still remain in Hillsboro, Oregon.
Company type
May 23, 1983
Monitors, Display Screen & Projectors
456 (2018)
History[edit]
1980s[edit]
Planar was founded on May 23, 1983[3] 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.[4] In 1986, a division spun off from Planar to work on projection technology and formed InFocus.[5]
1990s[edit]
In 1991, Planar purchased FinLux, a competitor in Espoo, Finland. This location now serves as the company's European headquarters.[6] Planar's executives took the company public in 1993, listing the stock on the NASDAQ boards[7] Planar acquired Tektronix's avionics display business, creating the short-lived Planar Advance in 1994.[8] Standish Industries, a manufacturer of flat panel LCDs in Lake Mills, Wisconsin, was sold to Planar in 1997.[9] This plant was closed in 2002 as worldwide LCD manufacturing shifted to East Asian countries.
Operations[edit]
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.[24] Additional large-format displays are assembled and integrated in Albi, France.[25]
Leyard Merger[edit]
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.[26]