II‐VI Incorporated (Nasdaq: IIVI), a global leader in engineered materials and optoelectronic components, today celebrated its 50th anniversary by ringing the opening bell at the Nasdaq stock exchange at Times Square in New York City.

In his remarks to Nasdaq, Dr. Vincent D. Mattera, Jr., CEO of II-VI Incorporated, said, “II-VI was founded on June 22, 1971, with a dream to meet evolving needs in the optics and electronics markets. Since then, there have been countless heroes in our history who have made that dream a reality, including employees and retirees around the world.

“I am thrilled to be here today with Dr. Carl Johnson, the co-founder and first CEO of II-VI, and Fran Kramer, our Chairman and second CEO, along with members of our Board of Directors and of our Executive Team, whose contributions to our culture are reflected in our values of Integrity, Collaboration, Accountability, Respect, and Enthusiasm.

“Technology revolutions including those enabling new ecosystems for the electrification of transportation, high-speed communications, and computing networks at the foundation of smart cities, smart cars, smart factories, electric vehicles, and telemedicine, among others, are emerging at an exponential pace. These and other exciting applications intersect with our capabilities and vision of a world transformed through innovative materials vital to a better life today and the sustainability of future generations.

“During the first 50 years, we surely made some bold moves. But, turning the page now to the future, we will continue to work every day to build a great company that offers customers breakthrough solutions in order to transform life, business, and the world. We will continue to regard our employees as core to our company and offer them an exciting workplace that’s inclusive, supportive, and diverse so that everyone can achieve their full potential. And we will continue to target attractive returns for our investors while making the world safer, healthier, closer, and, more efficient — among the highest callings of this age.”

A livestream of the Nasdaq opening bell ceremony for II-VI can be viewed here: https://livestream.com/accounts/27896496/events/9678174