Over 75 years since it first opened its doors, United Record Pressing, America’s oldest record manufacturer, is experiencing a fresh wave of interest in vinyl as the format once considered obsolete is now a growing staple in the music industry. Established in 1949 in Nashville, the company has survived the rise and fall of formats from 8-tracks to streaming services. Today, United Record Pressing’s new factory is six times larger than its original facility and accommodates a thriving business, turning out up to 80,000 records daily.
Mark Michaels, who bought the company in 2007, recalls that vinyl was nearly dead at the time, with most orders going to rap artists and DJs, often for promotional use. Michaels initially bought the business more for its heritage than its potential for growth. “You walked into this building and you just felt 50, 60 years of history and the importance of what it stood for,” said Michaels, the company’s CEO and chair. Despite his modest expectations, the vinyl resurgence has not only sustained the business but led to rapid growth, expanding the factory’s workforce to 125 employees.
United Record Pressing’s legacy spans generations. Founded by Bullet Records in the late 1940s, the company initially operated as Southern Plastics Inc., creating jukebox-ready 7-inch singles. It soon established itself in the industry, pressing singles for Motown Records in the early 1960s, with clients including The Supremes and Smokey Robinson. The old factory even featured an upstairs apartment, known as the “Motown Suite,” which served as a safe place for Black artists and music executives to stay during segregation. In 1963, United made history by pressing the first U.S. single by The Beatles, Please Please Me.
Despite its enduring role in music history, the company had to adapt as records waned in popularity. In the 1980s, vinyl was eclipsed by CDs, but records retained niche appeal for DJs and hip-hop artists who valued them for scratching. When Michaels took over in 2007, vinyl was still largely viewed as a relic. Yet, by the 2010s, vinyl started to regain popularity, with independent artists seeking physical formats to distribute their music. As big-box retailers got on board, the vinyl market steadily grew, and United Record Pressing found itself back in high demand.
In 2023, the Recording Industry Association of America reported a 10% rise in U.S. vinyl sales, reaching $1.4 billion. For the second consecutive year, vinyl outsold CDs, accounting for 71% of revenue from non-digital formats. This resurgence has challenged pressing plants across the U.S., where many rely on refurbished presses from the 1960s and 1970s and a limited workforce with specialised knowledge.
United’s operations today blend old and new technology. Much of the factory floor features retrofitted machinery that looks and sounds like it did in vinyl’s early days, while the process has also been modernised with new, quieter, and more efficient machines. Mastering rooms use throwback audio equipment with wood panelling to test records, while some of the pressing technology incorporates innovations initially developed for CDs and DVDs, adapted to handle vinyl.
Vinyl’s resurgence is largely attributed to its tactile, nostalgic quality, offering a different experience from streaming. “It’s art,” Michaels said. “Streaming is a wonderful way to discover music, but vinyl offers something tactile, something you can hold and engage with.” This sentiment is echoed by Tyler Bryant, United Record Pressing’s quality control lead. “I don’t like being stuck to just one genre,” said Bryant, who spends his shifts sampling an eclectic mix of albums, from Harry Styles to Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carterand indie artists. “I appreciate the variety.”
A few miles from United’s bustling factory, the original 1962 plant is being preserved and restored, overseen by architects and construction crews. Michaels envisions this historic building as a space that honours United’s legacy and impact on the music industry. “My vision is not completely crystallised yet, but the mandate is, it’s some of the most important space in all of music,” Michaels said. “It needs to be celebrated. It needs to be something that people can engage with.”
With vinyl sales showing no sign of decline, United Record Pressing remains a key player in a revival that brings vintage music culture into the 21st century. As the company continues to innovate while respecting its storied past, it serves as a reminder that old-school formats can still thrive in a digital world.
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