Sony/CBS, Haarlem

The [u]SonyMusic International Manufacturing and Service Center[/u] was located in Haarlem, Holland and operated between 1991 and June 1998, when Record Industry took over the vinyl manufacturing process which is still active in the very same plant. It was renamed from CBS International Manufacturing And Service Center (aka CBS, Haarlem) around the turn from 1990 to 1991 when Sony Music Entertainment Inc. legally succeeded CBS Records Inc. (further history below). Releases often carry so-called computer numbers in the format xx-yyyyyy-zz. These numbers can be found on the cover, labels and, adjusted, in the runouts. They were used as order numbers within the Haarlem production cycle. [u]How to identify vinyl pressings of this plant[/u] The following matrix is normally stamped, but also occasionally etched into runouts: nn yyyyyy zz (or nn-yyyyy-zz), where nn is a two digit labelcode yyyyy is a five digit number (omitting the leading zero and dashes from the computer no., e.g. 08-030034-20 on the cover vs. 08 30034 20 in the runouts). zz is a two digit sortcode. [u]Add Pressed By + LCCN number in the format 08 30034 20[/u] (or 08-30034-20 respectively). Do not add computer numbers printed on the cover or labels for manufacturing, printing or pressing. Labelcodes 01: International product 02: International Nice Price 03: Local Nice Price 04: Artone 05: Import USA 06: CBS Special Products 07: German special product (TV, Record Club) 08: Manufactured in NL for external orders not distributed by Sony Music 09: Swedish local product 10: Danish local product 11: Promotion material 12: German local product 13: Alpha Records, Sweden 14: French local product 15: Big Bag, Sweden 16: Pile Records, Sweden 17: Dutch local product 18: Uitgeverij I.C. (Children / Dutch local) 19: Pladecompagniet, Denmark 20: Jet Records 21: Norwegian local product 22: Austrian local product 23: Unknown / not assigned 24: Illegal Records (2) 25 - 27: Unknown / not assigned 28: Belgian local product 29: Dutch special product 30: Aquarius 31: UK local product 32: Finnish local product 33: Werf Records (only for NL) 34: Finnish local / TV-Albums 35: Finnish distributed product 36: Czech local product 37: Italian local product 38: Globe Records 39: Cyprian local product 40: Swiss local product 41: Special USA product 42: Spanish local product 43: Special L.A.O. product 44. Portuguese local product 45: Greek local product 46: Israel local product 47: Polish local product 48: Hungarian local product 49: Special Australian local product 50 - 59: Unknown / not assigned 60: S.E.P.L. Note: might have been subject to changes. Sortcodes 00: 7" 01: 7", 2nd version 02: 7", 3rd version 03: 7", 4th version 04: 7", small centre hole 05: 7", picture disc or shaped 06: 7", flexi 07: 7", posterbag 10: CD 11: CD, 2nd version 12: CD without paper parts 13: 3" CD (maxi) single or CD 3rd version 14: 5" CD maxi single 15: Unknown / not assigned 17: 5" CD single 18: 5" CD single, 2nd version 19: 5" CD maxi single, 2nd version 20: 12" record (single / LP / 2 x LP) 21: 12" record (single / LP), 2nd version 22: Unsleeved records 23 - 24: Unknown / not assigned 25: 12" single picture disc 26: LP picture disc 27 - 28: Unknown / not assigned 29: 10" record 30: Music cassette 31: Music cassette, 2nd version 35: Music cassette single 36: Computer (data) cassette 37: Music cassette single, 2nd version 38 - 39: Unknown / not assigned 40: Promotion material or empty jackets or inner sleeves and booklets 41 - 49: Unknown / not assigned 50: Mini Disc 51 - 53: Unknown / not assigned 54: Mini Disc maxi single 55 - 59: Unknown / not assigned 60: Computer games 61: DAT 62 - 80: Unknown / not assigned 81: VHS PAL 82: VHS NTSC 83: VHS SECAM 84: 5" CDV PAL 85: 8" Laserdisc PAL 86: 12" Laserdisc PAL 87: Unknown / not assigned 88: 12" Laserdisc NTSC Note: might have been subject to changes. [u]History[/u] After the capacities of the facility had been massively expanded during the CBS Records period it consisted of three main departments: • A vinyl pressing and cassette duplication facility including lacquer cutting and galvanization • A printing and packaging department which was also referred to as ‘SONY Music Printing, Haarlem’ • A warehouse complex / distribution hub Digital sound carriers like CDs and MDs were manufactured by DADC Austria and assembled and packaged at Haarlem. After the termination of vinyl production in the UK sister plant in Aylesbury, Haarlem virtually covered Sony Music’s entire UK vinyl market of regular international releases. Nevertheless the vinyl pressing department soon suffered from massive overcapacities due to a constantly declining market. This eventually resulted in the sale of this department to Ton and Mieke Vermeulenwhich, effected in June 1998, after which the plant was rechristened Record Industry. The last Sony record to be pressed in March 1998 was Laatste Sony Music Elpee. The Sony Music Printing department was legally excluded and registered as Sony Music Printing (Holland) BV on 30 March 1998. It was sold to IMPAC Europe/Westavco and registered as AGI Media Packaging Haarlem BV on 22 November 2000. In February 2002 Sony Music announced the shutdown of the distribution hub following the management's decision to open smaller regional distribution hubs in Germany and France which was justified with a further decline in sound carrier sales due to increasing product piracy and private sound carrier duplication. The estate was sold to IKEA in March 2003. [u]Personnel[/u] General manager: Alex C. Bisi. Main cutting engineer: Harry Stoker.