Back in 2014, there were 15 record pressing plants in the U.S. along with approximately 30 facilities around the globe. There are now 55 record pressing plants in the United States, and 200 plants worldwide. The demand for vinyl records has never been higher than it is now. Because the industry has become craft oriented in recent years, an employee who works in these facilities, which has anywhere from 5 to 14 presses, now has to go through at least 10 to 14 months of extensive training before they can ever press the button to create a vinyl record of consistent quality. But getting that quality to become the industry standard has taken time to get all of these plants on the same page. Enter Dustin Blocker and Alex Cushing along with their trade association VRMA.  After spending 17 years as the lead singer of the rock band, Exit 380, Dustin Blocker co-founded Texas-based independent record label Hand Drawn Records in April 2011. Spending several years building the community of artists through live events and regional record releases, Blocker, and business partner, Alex Cushing, launched the vinyl record manufacturing arm of the business, Hand Drawn Pressing in December 2014, with the newest vinyl record presses on the planet in over 34 years landing in January 2017. In December 2019, Blocker along with several other company leaders throughout the vinyl record supply chain, launched the trade organization, Vinyl Record Manufacturers Association (VRMA), whose membership includes; vinyl record pressing plants, PVC compounders, cutting engineers, electroplating houses, recording studios, brokers, printers and record labels. Showrunner and Executive Producer Emeritus: Tom Sabella Producer and Host (the guy who has a face for podcasting): Bob Bender Management Representation: Chuck Thompson for Thompson Entertainment Group, LLC Co-Producer - Audio/Video Editor (the man behind the curtain): Mark Sabella Director of Video and Continuity (the brains of the entire operation): Deborah Halle Marketing and Social Media (all knowing): Sarah Fleshner for 362 Entertainment All Around Problem Solver (and Mental Health Therapist for us): Connie Ribas Recorded inside what could be an old beat up Airstream Trailer located somewhere on what’s left of Music Row in Nashville TN (Man we sure do miss Noshville, and the Longhorn Steakhouse) Mixed and Mastered at Music Dog Studios in Nashville, TN Editing and Post at Midnight Express Studio located in Olian, NY Production Sound Design: Keith Stark Voice Over and Promo: Lisa Fuson Special Thanks to the creator and founder of the podcast, Tom Sabella, along with Traci Snow for producing and hosting over 100 episodes of the original "Business Side of Music" podcast and trusting us to carry on their legacy. Website: If you would like to be a guest on the show, please submit a request to: musicpodcast@mail.com If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor for the show, let us know and we’ll send you a media / sponsorship kit to you. Contact us at musicpodcast@mail.com The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on this show provided by the guest(s), are those of the guest(s) own, and do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the host or producers of this podcast. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The Business Side of Music’s name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner (Lotta Dogs Productions LLC), and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service. Copyright © 2023 Lotta Dogs Productions, LLC, All rights reserved.