SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS

It may seem like a lifetime has passed, but it was less than two years ago that supply chain issues were making media headlines here in the UK and abroad - for all the wrong reasons. With the demand for vinyl?exceeding?levels unseen since the dawn of CDs, outlets like?MixMag ?were reporting up to a year - and sometimes more! - turnaround times for manufacturing vinyl. On top?of this,?increases in both energy and raw materials?made the cost of pressing albums an even more daunting proposition, regardless of how devout your love for the LP.

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At Key Production, we have historically worked very hard to account for variable challenges that may happen along the way, whether you are a major label with a marquee artist release, an independent label or a band creating your first physical format. Our decades of experience and globally established relationships with a myriad of suppliers allow us - even at the height of Covid-19- to achieve admirable delivery of products at affordable price points. Throughout arguably some of the scariest uncertainty experienced by generations via the worldwide pandemic, Key made it a priority to provide the gold-standard service our customers have come to expect, regardless of the seeming unsurmountable challenges placed before us.

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We have spent a lot of time developing our own in-house scheduling tool and added extra personnel to manage orders effectively.?In October of 2021, at the height of the global crisis, our dedication to best-in-class care was illustrated when?Louie Campbell came to Key after working as a?Support Analyst at DPD Group, the UK's leading parcel delivery brand.?Louie’s?new position?as?Database & Scheduling Manager ensures that any manufacturing queries are answered swiftly, making for a worry and stress-free experience.?

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As we near the halfway point of 2023, we are happy to report?a number of new vinyl pressing plants coming on-line across our supply chain, creating more capacity, thus even quicker turnarounds. We are thrilled to see manufacturing timings approaching pre-Covid-19 standards of 2019, with even faster capabilities a real prospect.?

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Through it all, we are grateful to all of our customers for picking Key and look forward to sharing even better news with you in the near future.