Century Record Manufacturing Company

Century Record Manufacturing Company was an American custom-recording and phonograph-record manufacturing business founded in 1958 as a division of Keysor-Century Corporation, a California plastics company headquartered in Saugus. Unlike a conventional consumer-facing record label, Century primarily provided manufacturing, custom recording, pressing, and related production services. Its business was oriented toward organizations that needed recordings made and manufactured for their own use or distribution rather than toward building a large artist-centered retail catalog. The company’s principal customers included high-school and college music programs, music groups connected with the United States Armed Forces, independent producers, and professional recording clients. Through its Century Custom Recording Service and associated franchise network, the business connected local recording producers and engineers with the Keysor-Century manufacturing operation. By 1963, the franchise system reportedly had approximately 80 associates across the United States. These associates often operated as independent labels or production outlets, giving the company a broad local presence without requiring Century itself to maintain a conventional national artist roster. Century’s activities formed part of the wider Keysor-Century industrial system. The parent corporation had originally been established in 1954 by James Bernard “Bud” Keysor Jr. and began as a manufacturer of polyvinyl chloride resins. Its plastics expertise was particularly relevant to the record industry, where vinyl compound quality, color, consistency, and pressing performance were important production factors. Keysor-Century supplied record materials to major recording companies and operated manufacturing, milling, recording, mastering, and duplication-related activities. Century Record Manufacturing Company represented the record-pressing and custom-recording side of that broader operation. The company was associated with several labels, affiliates, and production activities. These included Century Records, United Sound, Altair Records, and the Century Custom imprint. The related operations also included Keysor-Century Studios and, later, K Disc Mastering. Some franchise associates went on to establish or operate independent labels and studios, including Mark Records and Gold Star-related operations in Houston. The network therefore functioned as both a manufacturing service and an infrastructure platform for regional music production. Century’s output covered educational recordings, military and institutional projects, local independent releases, popular music, jazz, and other professional material. Related Century Records activities in the 1970s included releases involving jazz performers such as Phil Woods, Woody Herman, Mel Tormé, Buddy Rich, Benny Goodman, and the Hal Galper Quintet. These activities should be distinguished from the company’s core manufacturing role: the corporation’s importance lay as much in its production infrastructure as in any particular label catalog. Century Record Manufacturing Company ceased operations in 1976. Some associated Keysor-Century recording and label activities continued afterward, including the formation of the Great American Gramophone Company in 1977 and the development of K Disc Mastering. The wider Keysor-Century Corporation remained active in plastics and record compounds for decades, but later encountered environmental and financial problems. Those later events concerned the parent corporation rather than demonstrating continued operation of Century Record Manufacturing Company itself.

Century Record Manufacturing Company was established in 1958 as a division of Keysor-Century Corporation in Saugus, California. Keysor-Century had been founded in 1954 by James Bernard “Bud” Keysor Jr. as a plastics manufacturer. Its early business centered on polyvinyl chloride resins, and RCA Records was identified as one of its largest customers. The company’s expertise in vinyl materials provided the industrial foundation for a dedicated record-manufacturing operation. Century served a market that differed from the large commercial record labels. Its principal customers included high schools, colleges, U.S. Armed Forces music organizations, independent producers, and professional recording clients. The company could record, master, manufacture, and press projects, allowing institutions and local producers to create records without owning a complete production plant. Its Century Custom Recording Service also operated through a national franchise structure. By 1963, the service reportedly had about 80 franchise associates in the United States. The franchise network helped Century reach regional music markets. Associates worked in locations including Alabama, Kentucky, Virginia, Kansas, New York, Ohio, Texas, California, and Oregon. Some produced independent releases, while others later became associated with recording studios or labels. Vincent Morette, for example, was connected with the development of Mark Records. In Houston, J. L. Patterson Jr. and partners operated Gold Star-related activities under a corporate structure that later became HSP Corporation. These relationships illustrate how Century’s manufacturing service supported a distributed ecosystem of local producers and labels. Century’s related labels and operations included Century Records, United Sound, and the short-lived Altair Records. Altair was established in 1969 as an easy-listening label, with Robert “Bob” Reiter serving as executive director after his departure from Happy Tiger Records. Century Records later pursued jazz releases, with Glen Glancy identified as president and a roster that included Phil Woods, Woody Herman, Mel Tormé, Buddy Rich, Benny Goodman, and the Hal Galper Quintet. The parent group also operated Keysor-Century Studios and later established K Disc Mastering, which succeeded the studio after its move to Hollywood. Century Record Manufacturing Company itself went out of business in 1976. Related activities did not end immediately. Keysor-Century formed The Great American Gramophone Company in 1977 as a premium, limited-edition audiophile label focused on direct-to-disc jazz recordings. Its releases included work associated with Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Phil Woods, Les Brown, and organist Robert Cundick. K Disc Mastering was founded in 1975 and subsequently became an important successor operation in the group’s mastering activities. The wider Keysor-Century business continued to manufacture record compounds after Century Record Manufacturing Company had ceased operating. Its products included black vinyl compound for standard records, colored translucent compounds, and the KC-600 audiophile-grade material. In the early 1980s, KC-600 was used in initial production runs for albums by Supertramp and Styx. By the mid-1980s, Keysor-Century described itself as a leading U.S. producer of record compound and supplied a range of major music companies, while also serving general industrial customers and cassette-shell manufacturing. The parent corporation later faced environmental and financial difficulties. It was investigated by the EPA in 2000 over alleged toxic-wastewater dumping into the Santa Clara River. Keysor-Century filed for Chapter 11 protection in March 2002, moved into Chapter 7 liquidation in late 2003, and pleaded guilty in 2004 to several EPA-related felony charges involving hazardous substances. The former Saugus plant was designated a Superfund site in 2006. These later developments belong to the history of Keysor-Century Corporation and its facilities, not to a revived operation of Century Record Manufacturing Company.

• 2006

  Former Keysor-Century plant becomes a Superfund site

  [1]Century Record Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The EPA designated the former Keysor-Century plant as a Superfund site.

• 2004

  Parent company pleads guilty in EPA case

  [1]Century Record Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Keysor-Century pleaded guilty to several felony charges involving hazardous substances.

• 2003

  Keysor-Century enters Chapter 7 liquidation

  [1]Century Record Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The parent company moved from Chapter 11 protection to liquidation.

• 2002

  Keysor-Century files for Chapter 11

  [1]Century Record Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The parent corporation sought protection from creditors in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in San Fernando, California.

• 2000

  Environmental probe targets the parent company

  [1]Century Record Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The EPA investigated Keysor-Century over alleged toxic wastewater disposal connected with its Saugus operations.

• 1977

  Great American Gramophone Company is formed

  [1]Century Record Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Keysor-Century created a premium direct-to-disc jazz label as a related post-Century recording venture.

• 1976

  Century Record Manufacturing Company closes

  [1]Century Record Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The company went out of business.

• 1975

  K Disc Mastering is founded

  [1]Century Record Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Keysor-Century established K Disc Mastering as a disc-mastering subsidiary and successor to its earlier studio activities.

• 1969

  Altair Records is founded

  [1]Century Record Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Keysor-Century-related operations established Altair Records as a short-lived easy-listening label.

• 1963

  Custom-recording franchise network expands

  [1]Century Record Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Century Custom Recording Service reportedly had approximately 80 franchise associates in the United States.

• 1958

  Century Record Manufacturing Company is established

  [1]Century Record Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Century was created as a Keysor-Century division focused on custom recording and record manufacturing.

• 1954

  Keysor-Century Corporation is founded

  [1]Century Record Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  James Bernard “Bud” Keysor Jr. founded Keysor-Century Corporation in Saugus, California, initially as a manufacturer of PVC resins.

A specialized, infrastructure-led recording partner for schools, colleges, military music organizations, independent producers, and professional clients, supported by the plastics and record-manufacturing capabilities of Keysor-Century Corporation.

• Custom recording and record manufacturing

  Century Custom Recording Service

  A service network that helped schools, colleges, military music organizations, independent producers, and professional clients create and manufacture phonograph records. Its franchise associates operated in numerous U.S. regions and frequently issued recordings through independent local labels.

• Record label and production operation

  Century Records

  A related Keysor-Century label and recording operation that issued professional material, including jazz recordings associated with artists such as Phil Woods, Woody Herman, Mel Tormé, Buddy Rich, Benny Goodman, and the Hal Galper Quintet.

• Record label

  United Sound

  A sub-label associated with Keysor-Century’s recording and manufacturing activities.

• Easy-listening record label · 1969

  Altair Records

  A short-lived easy-listening label founded in 1969 within the wider Keysor-Century recording network.

• Disc mastering service · 1975

  K Disc Mastering

  A Keysor-Century subsidiary founded in 1975 to provide disc-mastering services. It later became the successor to Keysor-Century Studios after the operation moved to Hollywood.

• 2004

  Hazardous-substance felony case

  Keysor-Century pleaded guilty to several felony charges brought by the EPA concerning hazardous substances.

  Source

• 2000

  EPA investigation of alleged toxic wastewater dumping

  The EPA investigated Keysor-Century in connection with alleged dumping of toxic wastewater into the Santa Clara River. The environmental controversy concerned the former parent corporation and its industrial facilities rather than a still-operating Century Record Manufacturing Company.

  Source

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• 1976

  End Century Record Manufacturing Company operationsOther

  Background

  The company had operated as a custom-recording and record-manufacturing division of the Keysor-Century group.

  Action taken

  Century Record Manufacturing Company went out of business.

  Aftermath

  Related Keysor-Century labels, mastering services, and record-compound activities continued for a period under other names and structures.

  Source

• 1963

  Scale the franchise-based custom-recording modelStrategy

  Background

  Local schools, military organizations, and independent producers needed access to professional recording and pressing capabilities.

  Action taken

  Century expanded Century Custom Recording Service to approximately 80 franchise associates across the United States.

  Aftermath

  The network broadened Century’s geographic reach and supported independent regional labels and studios.

  Source

• 1958

  Enter custom recording and record manufacturingStrategy

  Background

  Keysor-Century’s expertise in PVC resins and record materials provided a basis for expanding beyond chemical production into recording and pressing services.

  Action taken

  The company established Century Record Manufacturing Company as a dedicated division serving institutional, independent, and professional recording customers.

  Aftermath

  Century developed a national custom-recording franchise network and related label and studio activities before closing in 1976.

  Source

1. 1Century Record Manufacturing Companyen.wikipedia.org