ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. – Jarret Koral of St. Clair Shores isn't your typical 16-year-old. In addition to school, he's running a full-time record label business out of his parents' home.
"I'm not really making a ton of money with it, but it's cool and I have something to show for it," Koral said.
He started Jett Plastic Recordings out of a love for music.
"In mid-2012, I sort of got the idea. I started talking to Greg Beyer, a local musician who was putting out a full-length record at the time, and he was looking for another label to put out the 7-inch. I said, 'Well, I could do it.' And I did it without even telling anybody," Koral said.
His mom legally owns the business because Koral isn't old enough to.
"He's only 16. So, technically, I'm the president and Jarrett's mom," said Noelle Koral.
But the teen financed the business himself.
"I sold records from my own collection to gain some money for pressing, since pressing is around $2,000," Jarret said.
He's pressed records for 12 different artists and his vinyl is anything but ordinary.Â
"Early on I realized there's more to do than create your basic black record, there's a market out there for collectors," he said.
In a collaboration with the band or musician, the business creates a record design that reflects the music. His vinyl is colored, patterned and extremely unique.
"We actually took ripped pieces of the label that goes on the record and pressed it between the clear vinyl so you could see it," Jarret said.
But the vision can't come to life without the right partners.Â
"I work with Got A Groove in Ohio and Archer Pressing in Detroit," Jarret said. "Both of those plants do different things that neither of the other can, working with two plants really helps."
One of the label's newest clients is Macaulay Culkin's band, The Pizza Underground.
When you're representing the "Home Alone" star, you've made it big.
"I don't know how this came to be, it's a bit different," said Jarret.Â
The sky is the limit for this straight-A high school junior who attends the International Academy of Macomb in Clinton Township. Jett Plastic Records is more than a hobby, it's his passion.Â
"It's really difficult to put a record out and it takes a lot of work, but it's a lot of fun and really rewarding," Jarret Koral. Â