NEW YORK—In a record-setting public offering, which was 20 times oversubscribed, according to executives at the exchange and the company, National Vision Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:EYE) started trading on Oct. 26, as its executives, private equity partners, friends and colleagues rang the bell at the NASDAQ Exchange here.

The anticipated offering price range was $18 to $20 per share. However, late on Oct. 25 the company sold its offering of 15.8 million shares at $22 per share, raising $347.6 million. The proceeds will be used to pay down second-lien term loans, according to a National Vision announcement.

On the first day of trading, the stock, under the ticker symbol ‘EYE,’ opened at $28.50 per share and traded as high as $29.10 by midday.

National Vision’s public offering reinforces the company’s vision to expand its presence in the value eyewear and eyecare sector and to expand access in the category.

Discussing the milestone, after thanking the executive team and colleagues who had contributed to the achievement, National Vision CEO Reade Fahs told Vision Monday, “We will continue to invest and grow. Optical retailing is a really great place to be—we see it as a kind of great example of ‘Retail 2.0’—it’s both a service and a product, uniquely well-suited for the future.”