GZ Media Expands Its Presence in the United States and Targets New Markets. A Major Innovation to Be Unveiled Soon
Generation Z Discovers Vinyl
There is sustained global demand for vinyl records produced in Lodenice near Beroun, in the Czech Republic. “The overall popularity of vinyl records continues to grow, especially among young people from Generation Z. At the same time, a wider range of new genres is being released on vinyl records, including K‑pop,” says Michal Sterba, CEO of GZ Media.
The growing popularity of the vinyl format is also linked to the high-quality listening experience it offers, the emotions it evokes, and the listening rituals that come with it. “It is strongly supported by special editions that also include various types of merchandise, collectible items, posters, artist cards, or unique packaging that people proudly display at home,” Sterba adds, commenting on current market trends.
The year 2025 was very successful for GZ Media. “Compared to 2024, we grew by approximately 7%. We exceeded our business plan and delivered the vinyl records music experience to even more people. We have supplied 75 million vinyl records to the global market, which means that roughly every third vinyl record comes from our plants. We are genuinely proud of that,” Sterba comments on the company’s financial results.
Expansion Beyond the Czech Republic Continues
The traditional Czech manufacturer continues to expand beyond the borders of the Czech Republic. “Back in 2024, we opened our first U.S. facility in Wisconsin focused on the production of premium paper bags and packaging. We are currently completing the construction of a galvanics operation in Memphis. It will be used to manufacture pressing tools that we have so far imported from Lodenice. This will allow us to further reduce our environmental footprint,” Sterba highlights the company’s major projects. He adds: “We are now intensively exploring opportunities to start vinyl records production in Asia. It is a huge market where interest in vinyl records is at the beginning.”
A Machine Unlike Anything Seen in the Last 50 Years
In recent years, GZ Media has been heavily investing every year into modernizing its operations—from acquiring state-of-the-art technologies and automating and robotizing warehouse logistics to developing its own production machines and improving the working environment for employees. “Soon, we will introduce a new machine that is unlike anything our industry has seen in nearly fifty years. It has been developed and built by our colleagues right here in Lodenice, in the Czech Republic. Thanks to this innovation, we are pushing the boundaries of the entire music industry,” CEO Sterba reveals.
He continues: “All of our innovations have one common goal: to give the best possible sound and physical form to the emotions that were present at the very beginning—in the form of an idea or a thought. This applies equally to vinyl records as well as to the packaging of mobile phones, premium alcoholic beverages, perfumes, or other goods.”