Vishay / BC Components is one of the world's largest manufacturers of discrete semiconductors and passive components such as thermistors, MOV and MLV varistors, capacitors, resistors, MLCC and trimmer potentiometers. Vishay components are used in various types of electronic equipment in the industrial, computer, automotive, consumer, telecommunications, military, aerospace and medical markets. Vishay was founded in 1962. At that time, it mainly manufactured and sold foil resistors, which were invented by Dr. Felix Zandman, executive chairman of the board and company founder. The company began operations with foil resistors and foil resistance strain gauges as its initial product line. In 1985, growing from a newly established company into a leading global manufacturer of these original products, Vishay began a series of strategic acquisitions to make itself a manufacturer of a wide range of electronic components. Vishay's acquisition includes some of the top manufacturers, such as Siliconix, Telefunken, Infineon's infrared component business, General Semiconductor, Dale, Draloric, Sprague, Vitramon, and BCcomponents (formerly Passive Components Business Units of Philips Electronics and Beyschlag). Vishay / BC Components' global footprint includes manufacturing facilities in China, five other Asian countries, Europe and the Americas, and sales offices worldwide.