Question: When was the company that owned the "Machine Wars" toys founded?

Context articles: Corgi Toys
John Bloom (businessman)
Ark Diecast
Machine Wars
KB Toys
Mr. Machine
Muttpop
Schaper Toys
ThinkGeek
Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toy line)

Corgi Toys (trademark) is the name of a range of die-cast toy vehicles produced by Mettoy Playcraft Ltd. in the United Kingdom.
 The Mettoy (Metal Toy) company was founded in 1933 by German émigré Philip Ullmann in Northampton, England, where he was later joined by South African-born German Arthur Katz, who had previously worked for Ulmann at his toy company Tipp and Co of Nuremberg.
 They decided to market a range of toy vehicles as competition to Meccano's Dinky Toys model vehicles, which had dominated the British market for many years.
 Corgi Toys were introduced in the UK in July 1956 and were manufactured in Swansea, Wales, for twenty seven years before the company went into liquidation.
 A management buy-out re-formed the company as Corgi Toys Limited in March 1984.
 In 1989, the management sold the Corgi brand to Mattel and the factory was retained under the name of Microlink Industries Ltd.
 In 1995, Corgi regained its independence as a new company, Corgi Classics Limited, and moved to new premises in Leicester.
John Bloom (born 1931) is an English entrepreneur, best known for his role in the "Washing Machine Wars" of 1962-64 when he drastically reduced prices by direct sales that cut out the retailers.
 His company Rolls Razor made great inroads into the market but several manufacturers obtained injunctions to stop them selling at below the fixed retail price.
 His operation was also hit by a long postal strike and the withdrawal of a major backer, forcing the company into liquidation.
 Bloom was a controversial figure whose aggressive techniques shook up a complacent market but who gave new power to the consumer.
 His often-repeated motto ""it's no sin to make a profit"" became the title of his memoirs.
Ark was a Japanese company that produced a series of die-cast metal monster toys sold under the brand name "Arklon."
 It was founded as a sales and marketing subsidiary of famed Japanese toy manufacturer Bullmark.
 After Bullmark's bankruptcy in 1977, Bullmark co-founder Saburo Ishizuki took charge of Ark and turned it into a full-fledged toy manufacturer.
 Ark released a variety of toys during the mid-to-late 1970s, including die-cast, soft vinyl, and inexpensive plastic toys.
 The Arklon toys were imported to the United States by the Marukai Trading Company.
Machine Wars was a short-lived toy series in the Transformers toyline, introduced in 1997.
 The series was initially exclusive to KB Toys and its subsidiaries, although overstock/unsold surplus eventually appeared at other retailers.
K·B Toys (known as Kay Bee Toys until 1997) was a chain of mall-based retail toy stores in the United States.
 Founded in 1922, it operated, at its height, 1300 stores across all 50 states, and went out of business in 2009.
 International retailer Toys "R" Us acquired the remains of K·B Toys, consisting mainly of its website, trademarks, and intellectual property rights.
Mr. Machine is a once-popular children's mechanical toy originally manufactured by the Ideal Toy Company in 1960.
 Mr. Machine was designed by Marvin Glass - the toy designer - known for many popular 1960s & 1970s toys.
 The story goes that Marvin Glass was working so hard at the time, his wife said he was like a machine.
 Soon after her comment, he invented Mr. Machine.
 Mr. Machine was a robot-like mechanical man wearing a top hat.
 The body had a giant windup key at the back.
 When the toy was wound up it would "walk", swinging its arms and repeatedly ringing a bell mounted on its front; and after every few steps emit a mechanical "Ah!"
, as if it were speaking.
 The toy stood about 18 inches tall (roughly 46 cm).
Muttpop is a producer of designer toys founded in 2005 by Robert Silva and Jerry Frissen specializing in artist-created toys.
 Muttpop is known for its "Lucha Libre" inspired toys.
Schaper Toys, or W.H. Schaper Mfg. Co., Inc. as it was originally known, was a game and toy company founded in 1949 by William Herbert Schaper in Robbinsdale, Minnesota.
 "Herb" Schaper published a variety of games but was best known for having created the children's game, "Cootie".
 Through the 1970s and 1980s, the company operated as Schaper Toys, a subsidiary of Kusan Inc.
 In 1986, Schaper Toys was acquired by Tyco Toys.
 "Cootie" was the company's bestseller.
ThinkGeek is an American retailer that caters to computer enthusiasts and "geek culture".
 Described as a "Sharper Image for sysadmins", their merchandise, has also been likened to "toys for adults, novelties designed to appeal to both your inner child and your inner grad student."
 These include clothing, electronic and scientific gadgets, unusual computer peripherals, office toys, pet toys, child toys, and caffeinated drinks and candy.
 ThinkGeek was founded in 1999, is based in Fairfax, Virginia, and is owned by Geeknet, a unit of GameStop.
Originally imported to the West as a "filler" line while "" was in production, "Robots in Disguise" brought the Autobot and Decepticon factions (and thus, the original concept of robots transforming into vehicles and other objects rather than organic-looking animals) back into the general public after five years of "Beast Wars" and "Beast Machines" lines.
 ("Machine Wars", which was exclusive to Kay-Bee Toys branches, was a previous failed attempt at rejuvenating interest in both factions.)
 While it introduced many new figures, majority of the line consisted of repaints from "Generation 1", "Generation 2", "Beast Wars/Beast Machines" and "Machine Wars".