Furnace Record Pressing, owned by Eric Astor of Falls Church, will be opening a vinyl record pressing factory next year in Fairfax County.
While these days most music fans listen to their favorite tunes on CDs, Spotify, Pandora, and Mp3 players, many collectors still buy and listen to recordings on vinyl records. As a result, many investors and music industry personnel are still investing money in the production and sale of vinyl records, one of whom is Furnace Record Pressing owner Eric Astor. The Falls Church businessman will open a record pressing factory in Fairfax County next year, which is expected to produce as many as nine million records per year. [caption id="attachment_5153" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
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Astor plans to open the 50,000-square-foot record factory as the increased demand of the production of vinyl records by the music industry has been met by a thwarted supply in the digital age. Astor currently outsources the production of his company’s vinyl records to a record pressing factory in Europe, and his company makes vinyl records for major music acts such as heavy metal legend Metallica, as well as individual record companies. The new plant will help to speed up the production of records as the decline of vinyl production has created a backlog in the industry, causing many record companies to wait months on end for their records to be received.
When the new plant opens next year, the factory will create more than 40 jobs in addition to its current 30 staff members. The Fairfax County facility will be located near the Interstate 395 and Beltway interchange and has been under construction for over a year. Furnace Record Pressing’s plant will also be eco-friendly and donate five percent of its profits to environmental charities. When the facility opens in January of next year, it will also house a listening room and an area where local bands can perform.
