S.A. Fabeldis

Fabrication Belge de Disques: defunct Belgian record company and manufacturer. This was the first of many pressings plant owned by Eugene Willy Pelgrims de Bigard (head of S.A. Fonior N.V.. The plant was founded in 1940 and equipped with its own metalworks and printing installations, thus controlling the whole manufacturing process. In time, Fabeldis even started manufacturing their own pressing equipment, the "Fabel" presses. This machinery was supplied to over 100 record factories around the world. With technology ahead of its time, Fabeldis introduced the world's first temperature controlled press in the 60s. A later version, the Model TC, was exported all over the world with 100 sold to Japan and 400 sold to the USA alone. In 2018 only one of those 400 presses in the USA remains. In total, there are three Fabel presses left in the world. Leon Dewallens, the company's technical manager, invented most of the equipment and processes that Fabeldis patented. The sales manager was Georges Martens. Fabeldis also operated joint venture record factories such as Macodis in The Congo, Africa and Fabelsound in Greece. In 1969 Fabeldis, together with Sobedi and Discopress was incorporated into a new company called Sobelpress S.A. The plant in Groot-Bijgaarden remained the main operating plant (not only for records but also manufacturing of cassettes) for Fonior until the company's bankruptcy in 1980, when Sobelpress is taken over by Druco and the plant renamed Elpeco.