Planar Systems founded by Jim Hurd, Chris King and John Laney in 1983. Acquires electroluminescent (EL) rights from Tektronix and becomes the first U.S. manufacturer of commercial EL displays. Establishes headquarters and first manufacturing plant in Beaverton, Oregon. In 2015, Planar become a subsidiary of Leyard Optoelectronic Co., Ltd. Leyard was founded in 1995, is headquartered in Beijing, China and is traded on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Leyard is a global leader in the design, production, distribution, and service of digital displays, video walls, and visualization products worldwide.