By Kim Yoo-chul
Staff Reporter
TriGem Computer will make its long-awaited stock market comeback by the end of July next year after the company reaped an operating profit of 800 million won in the first quarter of this year for the first time in three years.
``We will seek an initial public offering again as we are positive about being capitalized at 86.8 billion won,’’ the company’s Chief Executive Kim Young-min said in a press conference held at a Seoul hotel Monday.
``The first profit in nearly four years will enable the company to post 19 billion won in operating profits on sales of 380 billion won by the end of the year,’’ Kim added.
The South Korean computer maker was de-listed from the main stock market on Oct. 25, 2007. In the same month of that year, Celrun acquired a 46.07 percent stake in the country’s third-biggest PC maker, which was then under court receivership. The company graduated from court protection after two-and-a-half years in January this year.
To achieve such an ambitious yearly target, TriGem plans to increase its local PC market share to 20 percent from the current 12 percent by releasing key flagship desktop and laptop models.
``Recently, we forged a partnership with Staples, a U.S.-based stationery maker, to supply some 5,000 of our distinctive products,’’ he added.
To meet rising demand for digital convergence-related products, the company will add portal devices for TV sets and portable media players equipped with 2.8-inch active-matrix organic light-emitting diode panels to its portfolio.
However, critics say the company needs more time to move away from its traditional ``cheaper’’ image.