Dureco

Dureco was a Dutch label, record manufacturer, distributor and retailer, the name being an acronym of Dutch Record Company; previously owned by Dureco Gramofoonplaten from Amsterdam. Please also use when written as Dureco Holland or Dureco Weesp.

It was founded in November 1952 by Belgian entrepreneur E.W. Pelgrims de Bigard, who at one time was the largest independent record manufacturer and marketer in Europe. As such it was a sister company to the Belgian Eddie Palmans.

Initially Dureco acted as distributor for major foreign labels such as Elf Provinciën. In 1972 Dureco was good for a share of 10 percent of the Dutch market. Dutch repertoire made up about 85 percent of Dureco's sales and the company remained a champion of Dutch popular music throughout its existence, even leaving the Dutch record industry's promotional organization Stichting Collectieve Grammofoonplaten Campagne because they felt it did not local artists enough.

This is not to say international repertoire was unimportant for Dureco. It had numerous deals with major international labels both for distribution and release. Italian, Spanish, French and German material were released on the White Elephant (2) were used by dedicated jazz fan Aardse (originally a jazz drummer) to promote the music he loved.

Dureco carried the largest jazz catalogue in the Netherlands, representing such labels as Phonodisc B.V. in the Netherlands.

Dureco started out in the center of Amsterdam (Beursstraat) but had to move to larger offices in 1970. Two years later it had already outgrown this location too and moved to Weesp, where it employed around 100 people. There Dureco constructed its own state of the art studio and pressing plant, the Frans Peters Studio.

In 1980 both Fonior and the International Pelgrims Group went bankrupt, but Dureco kept thriving. It survived as an independent entity with Palmans eventually setting up a new Belgian branch (Dureco Belgium S.A.) to remain active in that market.

In 2001 Dureco was acquired by the Intwine - Cruel Man. In 2015 the label was relaunched.

Dureco introduced CD replication in 1987 making it the first CD manufacturer in Holland. Their discs are identifiable with the code DUR-NL in the mirror band.(It looks similar to DVR-NL, but it isn't). In 1998, Dureco's Dutch and French CD plants were merged with Austrian kdg .

Glassmasters can be done at other plants, for example: If you find CDMxx in the matrix, please add "Glass Mastered At" Various - Premie CD Internationaal '87).