Founded in 1981 and formerly known as TTK Home Appliances (Huizhou), one of the first 13 joint ventures in China, TCL Corporation grew from a company that produced a line of tapes into a business that manufactures telephones, TVs, mobile phones, refrigerators, washers, air conditioners, small appliances and LCD panels, among a wide array of electronic products. The group now employs 75,000 spread across 23 research laboratories and 21 manufacturing facilities, with sales organizations in more than 80 countries and regions and a presence in more than 160 countries and regions worldwide.