The chief executive of Peter Warren Automotive says the group aims to build long-term value but was gratified by a stellar debut on the ASX, where the shares reached 22 per cent above the issue price in early trading.

Mark Weaver said it was an exciting day for the automotive group, which has a workforce of 1750 people. About 20 per cent of its staff have become shareholders and were taking a keen interest in the first-day ASX movements.