Just over a decade since the company's inception, Vocus executives made their entree onto the NASDAQ last week by ringing the ceremonial opening bell to
commemorate their initial public offering with the marketplace. As of December 7, 2005, the web-based software provider for corporate communications and PR practitioners is a
publicly traded company with an opening stock price of $9.00 per share (at the time of press, the stock was at approximately $12.87).
"Opening NASDAQ is a tremendous honor and an opportunity to commemorate our business listing on NASDAQ," says Rick Rudman, president and CEO of Vocus.
Gary McNeil, VP of marketing, advises PR execs in his shoes - that is, representing a company preparing to go public - to always abide by the very specific guidelines laid out
by the market: for example, to observe the mandatory quiet period leading up to the company's debut and "to make sure that any news that is shared is done so publicly, not
individually" after the quiet period ends, says McNeil. Because the procedure for filing for an IPO is very detailed and time-consuming, research and careful observation of the
prerequisites is essential for any PR manager facing a stock market debut.
Contact: Gary McNeil, 301-683-6918, [email protected]