The factory at Oregon’s newest – and only – vinyl record-pressing plant began humming just three weeks ago.  Walking into the small, low-lit warehouse at Object Permanence Records, there is a low rumble of the record press and a gust of hot air. The machine is helping the company create it s first 500 records, split roughly evenly among five Oregon bands. Although the plant sits just north of downtown Salem, the idea for it began in Brooklyn, New York, where three neighbors, each disenchanted with their jobs, sat together discussing potential business ventures. “We were always just bouncing off different ideas and figuring out, there’s something we got to do,” Carrie Morrissey said. Morrissey, who owned a jewelry business, and her husband, Adam Phillips, who worked in advertising, and their neighbor across the street, Jason Wojciechowski, met through karate classes their kids took together. During one brainstorming session, Wojciechowski, originally from Salem, floated the idea of a record-pressing plant.  Two vinyl records completed and ready for a 24 hour cooling process. (BROOK FERRIS/Salem Reporter) The couple was intrigued. They liked the idea of entering a creative industry where they could support artists, and Morrissey, drawing from an entrepreneurial background, saw a good financial outlook for the record pressing business.  Vinyl records have surged back into mainstream culture over the past 15 years, despite the rise of music streaming platforms like Spotify. In 2025, vinyl record sales reached over $1 billion, compared to about $54 million in 2010. For the trio, the appeal wasn’t just economic.  “There’s a really beautiful thing about inconvenience,” Phillips said. “Vinyl is super inconvenient compared to streaming: You have to pick out a record, you have to take it out of the sleeve and then you have to turn it when it’s halfway through. It’s those things that put you in touch with the music.” That philosophy is what brought about the business’ name: Object Permanence “In a world where you’re renting the ability to use some things, having actual media, having actual things is such a brilliant thing. Having community, having actual choice, taste and curation, and humanity is just so, so important,” Phillips said. Adam Phillips, co-owner of Object Permanence Records, checks on a newly finished batch of vinyl records for any flaws before allowing them to cool for 24 hours. (BROOK FERRIS/Salem Reporter) The partners began their search for factory spaces in Brooklyn and in Oregon. Eventually, their search turned to Salem, where Wojciechowski still had connections in the local music scene. The trio signed a lease on their building in January.  Until recently, Oregon only had one vinyl pressing plant just south of Portland: Cascade Record Pressing. The business closed earlier this month after 11 years. Another draw to Salem was the eventual partnership with Atomic Disc, a longtime Salem company that burns CDs and takes orders for vinyl.  Until Object Permanence, Atomic outsourced vinyl orders to a manufacturer in Europe. Many local bands were getting records through that same manufacturer, often via online distributors. Now, the new plant means those bands can get their music on vinyl closer to home, and be a part of the process at every step. Turning plastic into music On Wednesday afternoon, Phillips worked next to the factory’s record-pressing machine, making opaque blue records for a Salem band, Lords of Blackpool.  Over the past three weeks, the owners have been learning how to turn plastic into playable records.  They do that with an M-Tech Allegro II record press, which they bought second-hand from a small plant in California. It is the only machine like it in the country, according to Morrissey.  Adam Phillips, co-owner of Object Permanence Records, operates the M-Tech Allegro II processor, used to press vinyl records. (BROOK FERRIS/Salem Reporter) Making a vinyl record starts with a carton of PVC beads. In the corner of Object Permanence’s factory, sit bags of various beads: Two tons of black, a half ton of white, a half ton of clear and small amounts of other colors, like orange and blue.  Those are fed into the machine, which heats the plastic into a heavy, round puck. Sandwiched between paper labels, that puck is pressed into a flat record between metal molds using around 100 tons of force. The records are set aside to cool for 24 hours.  Some parts of the production are done at Atomic Disc, including audio engineering, graphic design and some order intakes. The entire process, from order to pickup or shipment, takes about six to eight weeks.  Adam Phillips, co-owner of Object Permanence Records, holds a puck of melted PVC, enough material to create a single 12-inch vinyl record. (BROOK FERRIS/Salem Reporter) The owners test the vinyl throughout production, playing them on several record players that sit scattered in their offices and factory. They look forward to hosting in-house listening sessions with local bands and having musicians in the factory to do some of the pressing.  “It’s unbelievably meaningful – I’ve seen videos of artists at other pressing facilities pressing their record and actually being emotionally moved. Then it’s just the physical form of it, it’s just, it is a form of magic,” Morrissey said.  Morrissey, Phillips and Wojciechowski are getting off the ground steadily as they each learn the new machine. They plan to speed up production within the next three months, and turn on the tap fully for more orders through their website and Atomic. When that happens, Object Permanence will be able to make up to 1,000 records a day. Have a news tip? Contact reporter Hailey Cook: [email protected] . SIGN UP: Salem Reporter is dedicated to covering the people, issues, and stories that shape our community. Stay connected to Salem. Subscribe today. The post Oregon’s only vinyl record pressing plant takes root in Salem  appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less