ZZZ - the abbreviation means 郑州造 ZhèngZhōu Zào "Made in Zhengzhou" the city of production ZhengZhou (郑州 Zhengzhou) and the word 造 Zao - made. Founded in 1966, the Zhengzhou Magnetic Tape Factory is one of the oldest specialized chemical enterprises in China for the production of magnetic recording materials. In 1984, the plant became the first Chinese production facility to introduce Japanese cassette assembly lines (possibly provided by TDK) and production technology. In 1987, the company entered the international market and exported to the Soviet Union, the United States, Hong Kong and Macau. At the end of 1988, the plant was transformed into the Zhongzhou Sanzhi Tape Group Inc., using ZZZ brand audio cassettes as its main product. In 1991, Zhengzhou Magnetic Tape Factory and Hong Kong-based Huixing International Co Ltd. established a joint venture, Zhengzhou Sanzhi Tape Co Ltd., to produce VHS video cassettes.