THE company building a new vinyl pressing plant in Glasgow, which counts the man who helped broker the deal to save Celtic in the 1990s among its investors, has launched a crowdfunding drive to support its construction costs.
Rockvinyl has revealed today that is seeking to raise £1.75 million to support the development of a 7,000 square feet plant in Dalmarnock.
The business is led by managing director and shareholder David Brady, a former graphic designer and print specialist. He is joined by an experienced board of non-executive directors and investors including Mark Mackie, chief executive of concert promoter Regular Music, and Mark Wilson, former manager of renowned Scottish bands Orange Juice, Trashcan Sinatras and The Bluebells.
Investors also include financier David Low, who helped Fergus McCann take control of Celtic in 1994 and owns the Arlington bar in Glasgow, Peter McGowan and medical academic Denis Kinane.
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The company is targeting vinyl record aficionados and the investing public with a public share issue, at a price of £5 per share.
Rockvinyl said the proceeds from the share issue will contribute to the capital costs associated with the installation of three AD12 vinyl pressing machines and other infrastructure, as well as the recruitment of an initial seven staff, who will be trained by specialist consultants in vinyl pressing. It is ultimately hoped that the venture, which is scheduled to open this spring, will employ 14 people. The machines are being supplied by Pheenix Alpha in Sweden and are due to be delivered in early spring.
Rockvinyl’s plans coincide with a golden period for vinyl, which has enjoyed a seemingly unexpected resurgence in the digital age. Last year was understood to have been a record year for sales, with the momentum showing no signs of slowing .
However, Rockvinyl is not the only business in Scotland bidding to capitalise on the trend. Production began in November at the Sea Bass Vinyl plant near Tranent, East Lothian, a self-financed project from Dave Harvey and wife Dominique.
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Rockvinyl said it expects to begin taking orders from late spring, before starting pressing operations in early summer. The plant has a target run of 60,000 records per month and its owners are pledging to offer “fair prices, quick turnarounds, and optimised production lead times”.
Asked whether the firm has struck deals with record companies, a spokeswoman said talks with “major labels and indies are ongoing at the moment, with the aim of onboarding prior to the completion of the factory”.
A statement declared the owners are vinyl lovers who are passionate about music and design, and dedicated to providing global record companies, independent labels and artists with the “highest quality, sustainable vinyl”.
And it said they are committed to supporting emerging artists, which they will do through their Fan Funded Vinyl initiative. Launching in spring, it will allow emerging musicians to crowdfund their vinyl albums to their fans at no cost to the artists.
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Mr Brady said: “We are extremely excited to announce our Rockvinyl Crowdfunder and to begin pressing vinyl in our Glasgow pressing plant later this year. 2023 was an incredible year for vinyl record sales, with the growing global demand showing little sign of letting up.
“In addition to working with global record companies, well-known independent labels and artists, we are very much looking forward to giving more breakthrough artists the chance to monetise their music, many for the first time, through vinyl records.”
The new venture has won the support of Jim Kerr, Glasgow-born frontman of Simple Minds, who said: “I am delighted to hear about some great news from Glasgow in regard to the music industry. People know that for the last 30, 40 years Glasgow has produced some amazing music, some amazing labels, amazing bands, venues and events but finally Glasgow is going to have its own vinyl pressing plant. Rockvinyl is the missing piece of the jigsaw.”
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