James Bernard ("Bud") Keysor, Jr. (1906–2000) founded Keysor-Century Corporation of Saugus in 1954 and was a partner in Century Record Manufacturing Company.
Keysor-Century produced (i) a black vinyl record compound called KC-B450 in the form of opaque black free flowing pellets (for standard records), (ii) a widely popular translucent red, yellow, green, and blue KC-B460/470 series, and later, (iii) an audiophile grade called KC-600.
In 1985, Keysor-Century claimed to be the largest U.S. producer of record compound and its customers included Warner, RCA, Capitol, Motown, CBS, Musical Heritage Society, Nonesuch, Deutsche Grammophon, and A&M.
It also supplied bulk resin for injection molding applications in the production of cassette shells and the like, used by the industry as well as its own tape duplicating service.
[12] In 2000, Keysor-Century was the subject of a probe by the EPA in connection over dumping of toxic wastewater into the Santa Clara River.
[21] Concern over carcinogens had been an ongoing matter, as evidenced by a 1978 EPA "Survey of Vinyl Chloride Levels in the Vicinity of Keysor-Century, Saugus, California.