 The TCW Group, which was founded in 1971, was originally known as Trust Company of the West and is the parent of TCW/Crescent Mezzanine one of the leading mezzanine capital firms in the US.The TCW Group operated as a subsidiary of Société Générale Asset Management until it was sold to Carlyle Group.Africa is also a major area of interest for the bank, with the 2002 purchase of Eqdom in Morocco (the market leader in consumer lending) and in Tunisia.