United Record Pressing, Inc. was established in Nashville, Tennessee in 1949 as Southern Plastics (SO), manufacturing only 7" records. In 1971 the company changed its name to United Record Pressing. They added 12" pressing in 2000 and 10" pressing in 2002.
Over the years, URP stockpiled record presses acquired from the closure of other US manufacturers, including Dixie Record Pressing Inc. in 2000. On June 1, 2016, United acquired Bill Smith Custom Records. In February 2020 URP acquired sixteen additional presses from the closure of Rainbo Records making URP the largest record manufacturer in the USA with a capacity of 60,000 records per day.
Their internal numbers used for the projects (often followed by m or M):
L-##### - 12" records (starting in 2000, probably beginning with L-11001)
T-##### - 10" records (starting in 2002, probably beginning with T-40001)
UR #### - 7" records (from 1949-1984, highest numbered one is in the 4000s)
U-##### - 7" records (starting in 1985, probably beginning with U-10001)
These numbers can be added to LCCN.
Records pressed by United Record Pressing often contain an etched "ⓤ" or "Ⓤ" (U in a circle) in the runout groove area.
During the 1970s, United was a contract presser for RCA. Pressings may be identified by the two-step label pressing rings, and a stamped "U" in the runouts adjacent to the struck-through RCA plant's identifier. See Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old) for example.
Over the years, URP stockpiled record presses acquired from the closure of other US manufacturers, including Dixie Record Pressing Inc. in 2000. On June 1, 2016, United acquired Bill Smith Custom Records. In February 2020 URP acquired sixteen additional presses from the closure of Rainbo Records making URP the largest record manufacturer in the USA with a capacity of 60,000 records per day.
Their internal numbers used for the projects (often followed by m or M):
L-##### - 12" records (starting in 2000, probably beginning with L-11001)
T-##### - 10" records (starting in 2002, probably beginning with T-40001)
UR #### - 7" records (from 1949-1984, highest numbered one is in the 4000s)
U-##### - 7" records (starting in 1985, probably beginning with U-10001)
These numbers can be added to LCCN.
Records pressed by United Record Pressing often contain an etched "ⓤ" or "Ⓤ" (U in a circle) in the runout groove area.
During the 1970s, United was a contract presser for RCA. Pressings may be identified by the two-step label pressing rings, and a stamped "U" in the runouts adjacent to the struck-through RCA plant's identifier. See Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old) for example.
JonSanB
July 25, 2023