Clearwater medical device company rings Nasdaq opening bell

The Nasdaq exchange shined a spotlight on Apyx Medical Corp. when leaders from the Clearwater medical device manufacturing firm rang the opening bell Thursday morning.

Apyx (NASDAQ: APYX) is the new name for Bovie Medical Corp., effective Jan. 1, and Thursday was the second day of trading on Nasdaq, after a switch from the New York Stock Exchange.

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Apyx is the developer of J-Plasma, a patented surgical product marketed and sold under the Renuvion Cosmetic Technology brand. The company sold its legacy electrosurgical business and the Bovie brand to Symmetry Surgical last year.

“We have a mission to be the most innovative company to design [RF] wave forms that help physicians and their patients in their lives and practices,” Charlie Goodwin, president and CEO, said just before the opening bell ceremony. “We are incredibly excited to be on the exchange where the most innovative and growing companies are, because we are moving to the top. That is what Apyx stands for. It’s to get to the top, to get to the summit, and I’m blessed to have such a wonderful group of people to work with, a team that is going to help get us there.”

Apyx’s appearance coincided with Nasdaq’s “Wellness Week,” and Goodwin addressed that topic during an interview on “Behind the Bell.”

“Wellness is incredibly important to our organization because it is something we play in. There’s exercise, there’s eating right and there’s sleeping right and getting rest, but there’s also taking care of yourself and making sure that whatever it takes for you to feel good about yourself, you do and you seek out,” Goodwin said. “We try to help people with that, to provide the technology for our physicians and surgeons, to provide the finishing touch and give them that little bit extra they are looking for.”

Goodwin’s own wellness regimen includes boxing, he said. He also said he uses his Apple Watch as a reminder for his fitness goals.

Bovie posted total revenue from continuing operations of $10.8 million in the first nine months of 2018, and said it expects total revenue from continuing operations for the full year of 2018 to be in the range of $15.8 million to $16.2 million.

The net loss from continuing operations is projected to be in the range of $9.2 million to $8.8 million, the company said in an earnings release in November.

At mid-day Thursday, Apyx was trading at $6.45 a share, down from Wednesday’s close of $6.69.