News Release
July 2012
Abercarn
manufacturer Dischromatics hits four million disc milestone
An Abercarn manufacturer which specialises in CD, DVD and Blu-ray duplication
has produced its four millionth Compact Disc.
Family-owned firm Dischromatics, based on Abercarn Industrial Estate,
recently passed the landmark figure with an order from a company in Malta
If stacked vertically, the tower of four million CDs would stretch
three miles into the sky and be almost six times as high as the Burj Khalifa in
Dubai - the world's tallest building.
Gareth Spencer, managing director of Dischromatics, said: “It's amazing
to think that we have produced four million pre-recorded CDs since 2003.
“The total number of discs produced – if you include blank ones – is
closer to five million.
“The types of CDs we produce can be computer data discs or music CDs
for local bands and record labels.”
The company's work has even strayed into the glamorous world of Formula
1 Grand Prix racing with an order for the Lotus GP team earlier this year.
New York-based record company MBM, part of Universal Music, was
commissioned by the F1 team to produce a CD of rock tracks for the Australian
Grand Prix.
Knowing the tight turnaround time of the order, the American company
turned to Dischromatics to get the CD – complete with F1 artwork – manufactured
and printed.
Gareth and his team worked around the clock to successfully meet the
strict ?? hour deadline.
And it was from F1 to Grand Slam as company staff had to pull another
all-nighter to complete an order for a WRU charity record.
'The Voice of the Nation' – produced by Music Wales – was on the
shelves of Tesco the day after Wales secured the 2012 Grand Slam. The CD
included the chorus of Cwm Rhondda sung by Paul Childs accompanied by the fans
during half-time at Wales' final Six Nations match against France.
The fast-moving worlds of Formula 1 and international rugby union are
all a far cry from when Dischromatics was first established in 1989 by Gareth's
father Stewart Spencer.
Head-hunted to South Wales to work at the now defunct Parrot
Corporation in Cwmbran, Stewart moved the family from Cambridgeshire. Disaster
almost ensued when Parrot folded and Stewart was made redundant, but salvation
came when he founded Dischromatics with a business partner.
The company was set up in 1989 and specialised in old floppy computer
discs. At the time, Dischromatics was the only company in the world with the
ability to print and perfect the UV drying process using on 5.25in floppy discs
– which meant discs could be printed up to photographic quality without
smudging.
From there the company moved onto the smaller 3.5in floppy computer
discs – today a rare sight – and eventually on to CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs. In
2003, Sony DADC, the largest manufacturer of CD, DVD and Blu-ray Replication in
Europe approached the company to form a UK partner agreement. Since that time
the partnership has blossomed and Dischromatics is now the only Welsh based
company working with Sony DADC.
The company also specialises in graphic design and digital printing,
producing leaflets, flyers and brochures for a diverse range of public and
private sector organisations. An exciting new development is the production of
company Showreels for its customers. Dischromatics has recently concluded the
filming, editing and final production of its own Showreel which is on display
on the website.
Gareth who is fluent in French having lived in France for two years
following graduation from Cardiff University in French and Economics joined the
company in 2004 and moved into the managing director's position in 2006 with
Stewart moving on as chairman.
The process and decision of handing over the company to his son was a
simple one, according to Stewart.
He said: “If you're going to make fundamental changes, you have to be
committed. It was therefore important that Gareth took that role on with me no
longer on the scene – otherwise staff would continue to report to me.
“We still work together of course, that's the main thing. We converse every
day and I still go to various meetings. I like to be involved and if Gareth and
his young management team can convince me a change has a business case, which most
often is the case, then there's no problem.”
With Gareth's younger brother Alex working in sales for the company,
it's certainly a family affair, but what's it like working with close
relatives?
Gareth answered: “It's usually fun, but there are flash points as there
are with any business and we do have our moments, but we always conclude with a
consensus view to the benefit of ourselves and the company. We are a close
family and we get on very well which allows us to have open discussions without
any fear of protracted problems sometimes in evidence in other environments”.
“We are lucky with the amount of time we get to spend together and we
trust each other with the decisions we make.
