What Molins does

Molins (legal entity MPRD Ltd) is a United Kingdom-headquartered manufacturer of capital equipment for the tobacco industry, operating from Princes Risborough and a registered office in Milton Keynes. Founded in 1912, the company designs and produces cigarette making machines (Octave at 8,500 cigarettes per minute, MK9 Classic at 5,500), filter rod making machines (Forte at 500 m/min, Forte-C for paper filters), and auxiliary flow automation and tray handling equipment (MTF 3, MTF 4, MTU 2000, Pegasus 3000). The product portfolio spans five nicotine delivery verticals: cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos, filters, heat-not-burn, and make-your-own products.

The business operates on a hybrid hardware and services revenue model. Capital equipment sales to tobacco manufacturers are complemented by a deep aftermarket stream comprising over 750,000 unique spare and wear parts, maintenance services, equipment modernization and control system upgrades, consultancy, training, and remote production support. Distribution is executed through regional offices and service centers in the UK, Czech Republic, Singapore, Brazil, and the USA, with go-to-market relying on direct enterprise sales, trade exhibitions (Intersupply, World Tobacco Asia, TABEXPO), and a parts e-commerce webshop.

Since August 2017, Molins has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coesia S.p.A., the Italian industrial conglomerate that also owns G.D, Sasib, Cerulean, and Comas. Molins leverages the Coesia portfolio for cross-selling and operational scale, while continuing to operate under its century-old brand and product lines within the tobacco machinery niche. Recent strategic emphasis has shifted toward heat-not-burn (Octave REC, 2023), Kretek production (2026), and sustainable paper filter solutions (Forte-C, 2026) in response to declining combustible cigarette demand in developed markets.

Name

Molins

Legal name

MPRD Ltd

Website

https://molins.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Molins (MPRD Ltd) is a UK-based, century-old manufacturer of cigarette making, filter rod making, and tobacco processing equipment, serving global tobacco manufacturers as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Italy's Coesia S.p.A.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tobacco Processing Machinery

NAICS

Tobacco Manufacturing (312230), Tobacco Manufacturing (31223)

SIC

Cigarettes (2111), Tobacco Products (2100)

akta.pro primary industry

Cigarettes Manufacturing & Brands (CRADAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tobacco & Nicotine Accessories (Filters, Tips, Cases, Lighters) Manufacturing & Brands (CRADAJAK), Cigars & Cigarillos Manufacturing & Brands (CRADAJAB)

Keywords

• Cigarette making machines
• Filter rod production
• Tobacco processing equipment
• Cigarette manufacturing machinery
• Industrial packaging equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Princes Risborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Manufacturing Equipment Sales: Sale of cigarette manufacturing machines, filter production equipment, and tobacco processing machinery
2. Parts & Materials: Spare parts, wear parts, repairs, refurbished parts, and consumables for Molins equipment. Over 750,000 unique items.
3. Maintenance Services: Technical services, incident management, troubleshooting, field service engineers, and commissioning services
4. Equipment Modernization: Upgrades, kits, control system upgrades, software updates, rebuilding and refurbishment services
5. Production Support Services: Remote assistance services, production assistance, and machine performance analysis
6. Consultancy Services: Engineering support, validation and testing, setting optimization, and line integration services
7. Training & Documentation: Operator training, maintenance training, and technical documentation services

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Molins designs, manufactures, and services high-speed cigarette making machines and filter rod production equipment for the global tobacco industry. The portfolio covers cigarette making (Octave, MK9 Classic), filter rod making (Forte, Forte-C), heat-not-burn product making (Octave REC), and supporting line automation modules (tray fillers, unloaders, distributors), complemented by after-sales parts, maintenance, modernization, training, and consultancy services.

Product overview

Molins is a tobacco manufacturing equipment company offering a comprehensive portfolio of cigarette and filter production machines as part of the Coesia Group. The product portfolio centers on two core machine lines for cigarette making (Octave and MK9 Classic) and filter rod making (Forte and Forte-C), supplemented by auxiliary equipment for buffering, line balancing, and filter rod handling including tray fillers (MTF 3 and MTF 4), tray unloaders (MTU 2000), and distribution systems (Pegasus 3000). The company also provides extensive after-sales services including parts and materials, maintenance, equipment modernization, training, consultancy, and production support. Molins serves the nicotine delivery industry across cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos, filters, heat-not-burn, and make-your-own segments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Forte Filter rod making machine producing King Size, Slim, Demi-Slim and Super-Slim filter rods at up to 500 m/min, with touchscreen control panel and recipe storage; handles cellulose acetate and liquid plasticizer.
• Forte-C Paper filter maker and crimper built on the Forte single rod maker, replacing the tow section with a crimping section; used for Filters, Make Your Own, and Heat-not-burn segments.
• Octave

Quantifiable outcome

• Production speeds up to 12,000 rods per minute with MTF 4 Tray Filler
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• G.DminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 December 2017Co-hosted exhibition stand at World Tobacco Middle East 2017 in Dubai with G.D, Sasib, Cerulean and Comas companies.
• SasibminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 December 2017Co-hosted exhibition stand at World Tobacco Middle East 2017 in Dubai with G.D, Sasib, Cerulean and Comas companies.
• CeruleanminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 December 2017Co-hosted exhibition stand at World Tobacco Middle East 2017 in Dubai with G.D, Sasib, Cerulean and Comas companies.
• ComasminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 December 2017Co-hosted exhibition stand at World Tobacco Middle East 2017 in Dubai with G.D, Sasib, Cerulean and Comas companies.
• Coesia GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2017Coesia Group completed acquisition of Molins Instrumentation & Tobacco Machinery business in August 2017. Molins operates as a Coesia company, part of the international industrial group headed by Coesia S.p.A.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hauni: Hauni (part of Körber Technologies) is the largest direct competitor to Molins in cigarette making machinery, with the Protos and other high-speed makers used by the same multinational tobacco customers. It competes head-to-head with Molins' Octave and MK9 platforms on line orders and aftermarket service.
• G.D: G.D (also part of Coesia) supplies primary and secondary packaging machinery for cigarettes and HNB products to the same tobacco OEMs Molins serves with making equipment. While it focuses on packaging rather than making, it competes for the same line-build budgets and customer mindshare.
• Sasib: Sasib (Coesia) is a long-established maker of cigarette making, packing, and filter production machinery that overlaps with Molins' portfolio. As a Coesia sister company, it shares distribution channels and exhibition presence with Molins.
• Comas: Comas (Coesia) designs and manufactures primary processing equipment for tobacco, including threshing, making, and filter production machinery that competes with parts of the Molins Forte and MK9 portfolio.
• Cerulean: Cerulean (Coesia) provides tobacco processing and quality control equipment — including filter rod making and cigarette making systems — that overlap with Molins' Forte filter makers and inspection technologies.
• Decoufle: Decoufle (France) is a specialist manufacturer of cigar and cigarillo making equipment used by premium cigar producers worldwide. It overlaps directly with Molins' MK9 Classic cigar configuration.
• Mpac Group: Mpac Group is the renamed former Molins PLC, the packaging machinery arm retained after the 2017 sale of Molins' tobacco business to Coesia. It serves many of the same tobacco OEMs with end-of-line packaging equipment and competes for adjacent line budgets.

Broad incumbents

• Körber Technologies: Körber Technologies is the parent group of Hauni, Molins' principal competitor, and a broader portfolio of tobacco supply-chain equipment. It competes with Molins across the same OEM customer set via its Hauni and associated brands.
• IMA Group: IMA is a large Italian-based manufacturer of automatic packaging machinery across multiple end markets including tobacco. It competes for tobacco packaging and processing budgets but is not specialized in Molins' high-speed cigarette making core.

Emerging players

• Starbucks (Tobacco Machinery) — Shanghai Tobacco Machinery: Shanghai Tobacco Machinery Co., Ltd. is a Chinese state-affiliated supplier of cigarette making and filter production equipment. It is a credible emerging competitor, especially in Asia, where Molins also operates through its Singapore office.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Molins