MSS Optical Sorters
MSS Optical Sorters, a division of CP Group, designs and manufactures automated optical sorting equipment — combining AI, NIR, color, and metal sensors with air-jet ejection — for Material Recovery Facilities and plastic, paper, metal, and e-waste recyclers globally, serving enterprises such as WM, Republic Services, and Athens Services from its Nashville, TN headquarters.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1973
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What MSS Optical Sorters does
MSS Optical Sorters, a division of CP Group, designs and manufactures automated optical sorting equipment for Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), plastic recyclers, paper/fiber recyclers, e-waste processors, and metal scrap operations. Founded in 1973 in Nashville, TN from Vanderbilt University research, the company sells hardware systems that combine AI, Near-Infrared (NIR), color, and induction-metal sensor technologies with air-jet ejection to separate plastics, paper, fiber, metals, film, and electronic scrap at industrial throughputs (up to 1,000 FPM belt speeds, 1,000–1,500 picks/minute, 96.6% sorting efficiency in independent studies). Its product portfolio is built on the proprietary CIRRUS® sensor platform and includes FiberMax™, PlasticMax™/PurePlasticMax™, FilmMax™/PureFilmMax™, eMax™, MetalMiner™, L-VIS™, Meatball Magnet™, and the Vivid AI™ platform (developed in cooperation with and later consolidated via CP Group's April 2026 majority acquisition of Recycleye).
MSS generates revenue through three streams: (1) hardware sales of optical sorters priced via custom quote by application, sensor configuration, and throughput, with multi-year contract structures; (2) software licenses bundled with equipment that never expire with no update fees, providing evergreen access to algorithm and recipe improvements; and (3) service and maintenance contracts including training, preventative maintenance, overnight parts delivery, and free phone/remote support. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales with dedicated sales directors, engineering consultation, and live demonstrations at the Nashville test center, augmented by CP Group's 450+ MRF installation network that enables co-selling into turnkey MRF builds. The customer base is anchored by large US waste and recycling enterprises (WM, Republic Services, Athens Services, LRS, Mid-Valley Recycling) with global reach via 20+ countries. MSS holds multiple registered patents (PrecisionFlow™, MaxSelect™, ClearLight™, MapLine™, WireHawk™, CP OCC Auger Screen™) and has won industry recognition including APR Technical Forum highest sorting performance (2016) and NWRA Recycling Equipment Innovator of the Year (2022). Parent CP Group was majority-acquired by Declaration Partners in 2025, providing growth capital for continued R&D, geographic expansion, and the Recycleye integration.
MSS Optical Sorters firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MSS Optical Sorters
- Legal name
- MSS, LLC
- Website
- https://mssoptical.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1973
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- MSS Optical Sorters, a division of CP Group, designs and manufactures automated optical sorting equipment — combining AI, NIR, color, and metal sensors with air-jet ejection — for Material Recovery Facilities and plastic, paper, metal, and e-waste recyclers globally, serving enterprises such as WM, Republic Services, and Athens Services from its Nashville, TN headquarters.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MSS Optical Sorters industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Optical Sorting Equipment
- NAICS
- Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)
- SIC
- Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Advanced/Optical Sorting & Quality Control Services (NIR, AI, Robotics) (BPALADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Plastic Recycling Equipment & Technology Providers (Sorting, Washing, Extrusion) (EUAIAKAM), C&D Sorting & Materials Recovery (C&D MRFs) (BPALAJAC)
Keywords
Where MSS Optical Sorters is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
MSS Optical Sorters business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Optical Sorting Equipment Sales: Sale of optical sorting machines and systems including FiberMax, PlasticMax, PurePlasticMax, eMax, FilmMax, PureFilmMax, MetalMiner, and L-VIS for various material processing applications. Equipment includes sensor hardware and software, with pricing based on configuration and throughput requirements.
- Service and Maintenance Contracts: Comprehensive support services including training, parts delivery, preventative maintenance, and performance diagnostics. Parts department provides replacement parts virtually overnight from extensive inventory.
- Software Licenses: Software licenses included with equipment purchase that never expire with no fees for updates, providing ongoing access to technology improvements and recipe updates.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom equipment pricing based on application requirements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
MSS Optical Sorters product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MSS Optical Sorters designs and manufactures automated optical sorting equipment for recycling and waste management facilities. Their systems combine proprietary sensor hardware (NIR, color, metal) and AI-powered software with air jet ejection to separate plastics, paper, metals, and electronic scrap at high speed and accuracy. The product portfolio includes FiberMax, PlasticMax, PurePlasticMax, FilmMax, eMax, MetalMiner, L-VIS, and the Vivid AI platform, sold primarily to Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and recyclers.
Product overview
MSS Optical Sorters offers a portfolio of automated optical sorting solutions for the recycling and waste management industry. The product lineup consists of multiple specialized optical sorters built on the proprietary CIRRUS sensor platform, complemented by AI-powered sorting technology. The core offerings include: FiberMax for fiber/paper sorting; PlasticMax and PurePlasticMax for plastic sorting; FilmMax and PureFilmMax for film/plastic sorting; eMax for e-waste sorting; MetalMiner and Meatball Magnet for metal sorting; and L-VIS for high-resolution color sorting. The portfolio is unified by shared technologies including MaxSelect sequential scanning, ClearLight NIR detection, and MapLine metal differentiation algorithms. Vivid AI serves as the AI layer, combining computer vision with air-ejection systems for enhanced material identification and automated sorting. Products are designed for integration into Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) processing plastics, paper, metals, and electronic waste, with single-eject and dual-eject configurations available.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Vivid AI: AI-powered optical sorting system with deep-learning capabilities, combining AI detection with air nozzle ejection for material extraction in MRFs.
- FiberMax
- PlasticMax
- PurePlasticMax
- eMax
- FilmMax
- PureFilmMax
- L-VIS
- MetalMiner
- Meatball Magnet
- Vivid Air
- Vivid Bot
- Vivid Vision
- ELPAC
- PULSORT
Quantifiable outcome
- 96.6% sorting efficiency for flexible plastics packaging from mixed paper (independent study)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use MSS Optical Sorters
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
MSS Optical Sorters technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature9 records
MSS Optical Sorters partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- RecycleyecoreCP Group acquired majority stake in Recycleye, formalizing a multi-year strategic alliance. Recycleye provides AI-vision systems for robotic and belt-based sorting applications. MSS had been deploying Vivid AI optical sorter through this partnership since 2023, with over 23 installations completed in US and Europe. Combined organization creates industry's most comprehensive AI-based sorting and plant control portfolio.
- Cisek InspectionsminorStrategic alliance to create cutting-edge X-ray scanning and automated extraction systems for Materials Recovery Facilities to remove hazardous materials from recycling streams.
- Athens ServicesminorLong-standing partnership for MRF development. Athens Services operates advanced MRF in Irwindale, CA processing 70 tons/hour with CP Group and MSS technology.
- Mid-Valley RecyclingcoreNearly three-decade partnership with Mid-Valley Disposal. Completed $12M facility upgrade with new 25 TPH commercial processing line engineered, manufactured, and installed by CP Group. Partnership includes CalRecycle grant funding.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
MSS Optical Sorters competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pellenc ST: Pellenc ST is a leading French supplier of optical sorting equipment for solid waste, plastics, and metals, directly competing with MSS in MRF and plastics recycling facility applications.
- Green Machine Sales: Green Machine manufactures MRF equipment and optical sorting systems for single-stream, C&D, and commercial recycling, positioning it as a direct competitor for the same end customers as MSS and CP Group.
- TOMRA Sorting: TOMRA is the global market leader in sensor-based sorting for recycling, food, and mining, with a multi-billion dollar sorting segment. It is the most direct competitor to MSS in optical/NIR sorting for MRFs, MSW, and plastics recycling, often winning flagship enterprise deals.
- Bulk Handling Systems (BHS): BHS designs and manufactures sorting and processing systems for MRFs, MSW, and C&D, often integrating optical sorters (including their own Nihot and NXT technologies) that compete with MSS installations in the same enterprise accounts.
- Machinex: Machinex is a Canadian-based manufacturer of recycling equipment and MRF systems that directly competes with CP Group/MSS in single-stream, C&D, and C&I sorting line installations across North America.
- NRT (National Recovery Technologies): NRT manufactures NIR optical sorters and particle separators for recycling and mining applications, directly competing with MSS in plastics, fiber, and metal sorting at MRF and plastic recycling facilities.
- Sesotec (formerly Steinert): Sesotec and its Steinert brand are direct competitors in NIR optical sorting and metal detection for recycling and waste management, with overlapping product lines in plastics, metals, and e-scrap sorting.
Emerging players
- Greyparrot: Greyparrot offers AI-based material monitoring and analytics for recycling streams, providing software that competes with elements of MSS's Vivid AI/Vivid Vision tracking capabilities for MRF operators seeking data-driven optimization.
- Zenrobotics: Zenrobotics provides AI-powered robotic sorting systems for C&D and waste recycling, competing with MSS in the higher-value automation tier for hazardous material detection and e-scrap applications.
- AMP Robotics: AMP Robotics applies AI and computer vision to robotic sorting for recycling, offering an alternative to MSS's Vivid AI air-ejection approach with robotic pickers. It targets the same MRF QC and recovery applications with an AI-native value proposition.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
MSS Optical Sorters social profiles
Digital presenceMSS Optical Sorters compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
MSS Optical Sorters financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MSS Optical Sorters leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
MSS Optical Sorters subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
MSS Optical Sorters funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MSS Optical Sorters M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MSS Optical Sorters
What does MSS Optical Sorters do?
MSS Optical Sorters designs and manufactures automated optical sorting equipment for recycling and waste management facilities. Their systems combine proprietary sensor hardware (NIR, color, metal) and AI-powered software with air jet ejection to separate plastics, paper, metals, and electronic scrap at high speed and accuracy. The product portfolio includes FiberMax, PlasticMax, PurePlasticMax, FilmMax, eMax, MetalMiner, L-VIS, and the Vivid AI platform, sold primarily to Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and recyclers.
Is MSS Optical Sorters a public or private company?
MSS Optical Sorters is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was MSS Optical Sorters founded?
MSS Optical Sorters was founded in 1973. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is MSS Optical Sorters based?
MSS Optical Sorters is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
How does MSS Optical Sorters make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Optical Sorting Equipment Sales are the primary driver. The others are service and Maintenance Contracts and software Licenses.
Who are MSS Optical Sorters's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pellenc ST, Green Machine Sales, TOMRA Sorting, Bulk Handling Systems (BHS), Machinex, NRT (National Recovery Technologies) and Sesotec (formerly Steinert). Emerging players are Greyparrot, Zenrobotics and AMP Robotics.
Does MSS Optical Sorters have an API?
No public API is recorded for MSS Optical Sorters.
What industry is MSS Optical Sorters in?
MSS Optical Sorters's product category is Optical Sorting Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPALADAH, Advanced/Optical Sorting & Quality Control Services (NIR, AI, Robotics), with a secondary code of EUAIAKAM, Plastic Recycling Equipment & Technology Providers (Sorting, Washing, Extrusion). Its NAICS code is 3339 and its SIC code is 3827.