Fender Musical Instruments, a leading provider of guitars, amplifiers and accessories, registered with the SEC on Thursday for a $200 million US IPO. The Scottsdale, AZ-based company, founded in 1946, booked $701 million in sales in 2011, up $83 million (13%) from 2010; however, up to $26 million of this increase is attributable to a backlog, which resulted from the shutdown of the company's main paint supplier in 2010.
Fender plans to list on the NASDAQ, under the symbol FNDR. Private equity firm Weston Presidio owns 43% of shares prior to the offering. J.P. Morgan and William Blair are the lead underwriters on the deal.
