American Record Pressing Company

The American Record Pressing Company was located at 1810 West King Street (an old sugar company plant) in Owosso Township from 1952 until 1972.  The company originally started as Vargo Record Pressing in 1951, and when they moved to Owosso the following year, the name was changed to American Record Pressing Company.

ARP manufactured both 45 RPM and long playing records.  About 80% of the company's business was the stamping of vinyl records for Motown; about 80% of Motown's records were produced in Owosso.  They also stamped into vinyl the first Beatles record to be released in the United States--Please, Please Me/Ask Me Why, which was released on February 25, 1963.

Records pressed by the American Pressing Company in the early to mid sixties have an "ARP" machine stamped logo in the trail off area.  The appearance of the logo varies from record to record.

On October 28, 1972, the plant was destroyed by fire.  At that time, approximately 230 people were employed by ARP.  Firefighters from Owosso, Corunna, Owosso Township, and Caledonia Township responded to the blaze, but were unable to save the building.  At the time, David Howell, Vice President for Manufacturing and Production, was quoted as saying that the company "definitely will rebuild", but there is no record of this ever happening.

Norman S. Dufour was the manager of ARP the entire time it was in Owosso.  He died in 1985.