[1] Tiu patriarch Carlos started the family business in the 1970s becoming a distributor of Japanese light bulbs and fixtures.

[2] Carlson Group manufactured Toshiba lamps at its factory in Cavite until the plant's closure in 2006 due to economic reasons.

[3] Japanese products are reputed for its quality but the Tius accessed that it may be too expensive for a lower-income demographic.

[1][2] Akari was introduced in 2002 and was promoted as an energy saving lamp (ESL) brand.

[2] As of 2007, 95 percent of Akari's products are sourced from mainland China while the rest are from Thailand and Taiwan.