United Record Pressing

In 2017, Billboard reported that over 14 million vinyl records were sold in the United States alone that year—the highest level since 1991. This resurgence is great for collectors and music lovers alike. It’s also great for United Record Pressing, which first opened in 1949 as Southern Plastics—an off-shoot of Bullet Records. They specialized in 45-RPM seven-inch records, the single format commonly used in jukeboxes. In the early 1960s, Southern Plastics produced one million discs per month, and the company landed a contract with Motown Records to press all of their singles. Early clients included Loretta Lynn and Bob Dylan. Through Vee Jay Records, the company also pressed the first Beatles single to be released in the U.S. That’s right… Nashville played a role in bringing Beatle Mania across the Atlantic. United also landed a major contract with Motown Records, producing nearly all of their vinyl records. This relationship led to enormous success for both companies and the explosion of African American music in the 1960s.

The pace and scale of business warranted an expansion, and Southern Plastics moved to this location on Chestnut Street in 1962. Above the factory floor, United built a second-floor apartment that featured a bedroom, bathroom, living room, and kitchen. Called the “Motown Suite,” United Record Pressing used the space to accommodate African-American artists and music executives who were in town to record but were refused lodging in hotels because of legalized racial segregation in Tennessee.

After changes in ownership in the late 1960s, John Dunn and Ozell Simpkins of the original Southern Plastics renamed the company United Record Pressing in 1971. As many major labels turned away from in-house record pressing, business at United picked up, and it became the largest independent record pressing plant in the Southeast. The rise of the compact disc in the late 1980s decreased the demand for vinyl records, but the steady business of dance music, DJs, and hip-hop artists kept the company afloat through the 1990s. 

The plant purchased two new presses from Dixie Record Pressing, which expanded their production from 45-RPM singles to 10- and 12-inch records. United Record Pressing greatly benefited from the resurgence of vinyl in the mid-2000s and is now the largest record pressing operation in North America. In 2017, they moved to a larger facility on Allied Drive, but this historic location has been preserved.

Continue walking up Chestnut Street, crossing over Humphreys Street. Please cross with caution as the intersection does not have a crosswalk. You will see Gabby’s Burgers and Fries on your left.