Vinyl Record Supplies Worldwide Are Now Threatened After A ‘Devastating’ Manufacturing Plant Fire

A “devastating” fire swept through three buildings that housed Apollo Masters in Banning, California on Thursday (February 6). Multiple explosions in the plant, which supplies the lacquer used for making master discs and vinyl records, caused the 15,000-square-foot building to erupt in flames. While no employees were harmed during the fire, Apollo Masters’ destruction could disrupt the vinyl record industry worldwide.

The lacquer discs manufactured by Apollo Masters play a pivotal role in the production of vinyl records. The discs are cut by engineers to craft master discs, which create the template to press vinyl records at pressing plants. The fire at Apollo Masters’ manufacturing plant is raising concerns from other executives in the vinyl record production industry.

Ben Blackwell, co-founder of Third Man Records, said the fire poses a threat to vinyl record supplies around the world, according to Pitchfork. “There are only two companies that make lacquers in the world, and the other, MDC in Japan, already had trouble keeping up with demand before this development,” Blackwell wrote.

According to Blackwell, Apollo Masters is the “primary or possibly only supplier of the styli” used in the vinyl pressing process. “I imagine this will affect everyone, not just Third Man Pressing and Third Man Mastering, but to what extent remains to be seen,” he said. “I don’t want to be an alarmist. But I’m attempting to be realistic as opposed to Pollyannish.”

Apollo Masters issued a statement about the fire on its website, which reads, “To all our wonderful customers. It is with great sadness we report the Apollo Masters manufacturing and storage facility had a devastating fire and was completely destroyed. The best news is all of our employees are safe. We are uncertain of our future at this point and are evaluating options as we try to work through this difficult time. Thank you for all of the support over the years and the notes of encouragement and support we have received from you all.”

Toronto-based vinyl/CD/DVD company Duplication wrote on Twitter that the fire is a “disaster for the vinyl pressing industry.” They added, “There will be a lacquer shortage and possibly plants having to close or scale back operations for a while.”

According to Pitchfork, Duplication sales coordinator David Read said the fire “will directly affect all vinyl plants, bands/labels, mastering engineers, plating facilities, etc., anyone who used lacquers as part of their vinyl production.” But though the fire poses a threat to the industry, Read remains optimistic. “In my almost 40 years experience the vinyl industry as a whole is incredibly resilient, and filled with talented professionals who will, and already are, teaming together to find a way out of this current problem.”