Keel ceased to exist in 1981. For any pressings after this date which match the criteria, please consider Hauppauge Record Manufacturing Ltd. instead.
Defunct Long Island record manufacturer/pressing facility which was located in Hauppauge, NY (USA).
By September 1970, they were fully automated and offered a continuous flow production operation, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And construction was almost complete on a modern warehouse and computer facility in the plant complex. Complete printing services and jacket manufacturing services were nearby as well - Disc Graphics, Inc..
In July 1973, they were bought by Pickwick International, Inc. and continued to operate as Keel as a division of Pickwick. At one time produced more than 25 million records per year and were also known as K. M. Corp., K.M. Corporation, Keel Manufacturing, Inc. ("Keel"), KEEL Manufacturing Corp., and Keel Manufacturing Division. Keel sourced nickel electroplated masters from Mastercraft Record Plating, Inc., and vinyl plastic compounds from Woodbridge.
In 1977, Keel added their own plating facility.
By 1978, between the pressing and printing operations, they employed 320 people. They had 45 presses with the capacity to produce up to 28 million records per year.
In mid-1981, the company was reorganized as Hauppauge Record Manufacturing Ltd. after a sell-off by parent company Pickwick International, Inc..
Pressing Rings & ID's
Through 1973, Keel pressings had a single pressing ring measuring 2.8125". In 1979 a new two-step pressing ring debuted; the shouldered outer ring measured ~ 2.75" and the inner ring measured 1.1875". The two styles are known to co-exist through 1980.
Pressing identifiers are not fully confirmed but some are shared with successor Hauppauge Record Manufacturing Ltd.:
• Number code on labels: 53
• Union jack runout stamp 🇬🇧
• K or KMC in runout etching
Sometimes there won't be any identifiable marking on pressings from this plant. This is often the case in the post-Pickwick buyout years on Pickwick/33 Records and many of Pickwick International, Inc.'s sub labels such as De-Lite and P.I.P. Records and Groove Merchant.
In the late 70's, they were known to have pressed for Arista, Casablanca, and ABC Records.
