 The plan was to use the cash from the sale of shares to fund an expansion program in order to become more of a regional chain.The company even filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in late 1998 for an IPO, but the next year the plan was withdrawn when the expected price per share was not as high as had been hoped for by the company.By 2000, revenue had increased to $161 million from 17 stores, making G.I.