Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What: Shares of specialty 3D printer ExOne Co. (XONE) closed up nearly 8.5% on slightly higher than average volume, possibly driven by a company release stating that all five of its North American 3D printing service centers are now certified for ISO 9001:2008.
So what: Specifically, two of ExOne's North American 3D printing service centers -- North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, and Troy, Michigan -- joined the ranks of its already-certified North American service centers. ISO 9001:2008 certification means that ExOne's quality management systems are compliant to the specific requirements of the International Organization of Standardization, or ISO, which more than 1 million companies adhere to.
From a customer perspective, ISO certification ensures that a customer will receive a consistently high-quality experience and product. From ExOne's perspective, ISO certification can be used as an additional selling point to prospective customers, showing that the company strives for excellence.
According to COO Tim Pierce, ISO certification demonstrates that ExOne's binder jetting 3D printing technology "consistently meets our customers' expectations and product quality standards for industrial usage."
Now what: Although ExOne's stock had a rough 2014 in terms of performance, the company continues to make strides in improving its quality standards that could help it attract new revenue-generating opportunities for its binder jetting technology. It looks like the market may have applauded that effort today.
