Boston Matthews

What Boston Matthews does

Boston Matthews is a UK-headquartered manufacturer of plastic extrusion machinery, downstream equipment, and complete turn-key extrusion lines, founded in 1953 and based in Worcester, England, with a US regional headquarters in Coral Springs, Florida and a sales/technical office in Shanghai, China. The company serves industrial polymer processors across more than 70 countries, targeting vertical use cases including medical devices and life sciences (pipette tubes, catheter and lumen tubing, blood bags), automotive fuel lines, cosmetic squeeze tubes, wire and cable, construction pipe (PEX/PB, microduct), and high-temperature engineering polymers such as PEEK and fluorocarbons.

Its core product portfolio spans single-screw extruders, co-extruders, high-temperature/fluorocarbon extruders, and downstream equipment including cooling and calibration systems, cutters, saws, coilers and winders, sold both as individual machines and as integrated turn-key lines. The company is credited as the inventor of the Caterpillar Haul-Off (puller) and is inducted into the US Plastics Hall of Fame, with over 10,000 haul-off units and 35,000+ machines installed globally. Notable proprietary technology includes the SMART Control System (a touch-screen PLC platform with recipe storage, production data export, and network connectivity), Direct-Drive and AC Vector energy-efficient motor technology, servo-control cutting/winding, ACCUTROL temperature control, and Helix Die Head technology. Through its Munchy subsidiary (acquired 2002), it also manufactures plastic recycling machinery built on the proprietary Dual Diameter Screw technology.

The business model is hardware-centric: revenue derives from the sale of custom-configured extrusion machinery and complete lines, supplemented by spare parts (screws, barrels, haul-off belts, heaters) for machines of all ages and by professional services including installation, commissioning, and operator training. Pricing is quote-based and undisclosed, reflecting bespoke machine specifications. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales through offices in the UK, USA, and China, augmented by regional agents (e.g., Grip Equipment in Canada) and lead generation via major trade shows including K Show, NPE, Chinaplas, and Interplas. The company is privately held and appears to be family-owned, with Simon Brookes as Managing Director/President and Richard Brookes as Marketing Director.

Name

Boston Matthews

Legal name

Boston Matthews Inc.

Website

https://bostonmatthews.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Boston Matthews manufactures plastic extrusion machinery, downstream equipment, and complete turn-key extrusion lines, plus Munchy-brand recycling systems, serving industrial polymer processors in medical, automotive, packaging, and construction sectors across more than 70 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Extrusion Machinery

NAICS

Packaging Machinery Manufacturing (333993), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Blow Molding & Thermoforming Packaging Equipment (Bottle/Tray Making) (IMALAOAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Form-Fill-Seal (VFFS/HFFS) Machines (IMAHAOAA), Plastic Recycling Equipment & Technology Providers (Sorting, Washing, Extrusion) (EUAIAKAM), Medical & Life Sciences Injection Molding (Devices, Diagnostics, Cleanroom) (IMANAFAC)

Keywords

• Plastic extrusion machinery
• Extrusion equipment
• Downstream extrusion systems
• Plastic recycling machinery
• Turn-key extrusion lines

Headquarters

HQ city

Worcester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Extrusion Machinery Sales: Manufacturing and selling extrusion machinery including single screw extruders, co-extruders, caterpillar haul-offs, cooling and calibration equipment, cutters, saws, winders, and complete turn-key extrusion lines. Machines range from small 20mm extruders to large 100mm+ machines.
2. Munchy Recycling Machinery: Plastic recycling machinery under the Munchy brand including Mini Munchy, Munchy, Muncher ranges with various sizes (40, 60, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 1000) and configurations (water cooling, air recycling, vented systems).
3. Spare Parts and Components: Supply of spare parts including extruder screws and barrels, haul-off belts, die faces, heaters, thermocouples, motors, gearboxes, and other components for all machine models and ages.
4. Technical Services: Machine installation, commissioning, operator training, and processing assistance services provided by Munchy Processing & Commissioning Engineers worldwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Boston Matthews designs, manufactures, and sells plastic extrusion machinery including single screw extruders (including high-temperature/fluorocarbon and co-extruder variants), Caterpillar Haul-Offs (which the company invented), and downstream equipment such as cooling/calibration baths, cutters, saws, and coilers/winders. It also delivers complete turn-key extrusion lines tailored to applications in medical devices, automotive, construction, wire & cable, and packaging, plus Munchy-brand plastic recycling machinery. Spare parts, installation, commissioning, and operator training are provided globally for the installed base of 35,000+ machines.

Product overview

Boston Matthews is an industrial machinery manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of plastic extrusion equipment and recycling systems. The core product line includes Single Screw Extruders (including High Temperature/Fluorocarbon and Co-Extruder variants), Caterpillar Haul-Offs (which the company invented and remains the world leader in), and extensive downstream equipment (cooling/calibration systems, cutters, saws, coilers/winders). These are sold both as individual machines and as complete turn-key extrusion lines serving medical devices, automotive, cosmetics, telecommunications, and general industrial sectors. The subsidiary brand Munchy provides plastic recycling machinery featuring the patented Dual Diameter Screw technology. The proprietary SMART Control System integrates across product lines to provide PLC-based process control, recipe management, and production data analytics. Services include worldwide installation, commissioning, operator training, and spare parts support for all machines regardless of age.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Munchy: Subsidiary brand specializing in plastic recycling machinery including edge trim recycling, film recycling, and pelletizing systems. Inventors of the Dual Diameter Screw technology.

Products and services

• Single Screw Extruders Single screw extruders for plastic extrusion processing, available in sizes from 20mm to 100mm+ with Direct-Drive technology and colour touch-screen PLC control for industrial polymer processors.
• High Temperature & Fluorocarbon Extruders (Including PEEK) Specialised extruders designed for processing fluorocarbons and high-temperature polymers such as PEEK for demanding applications requiring extreme temperature resistance.
• Co-Extruders Co-extrusion equipment including vertical jockey (co-extruder) systems mounted on common bases for space savings and precise alignment control in multi-layer extrusion applications.
• Caterpillar Haul-Offs / Pullers Caterpillar haul-off systems for pulling tubes, pipes, and profiles during extrusion, available in light duty, medium duty, medium/heavy duty, servo controlled PP, heavy-duty, and multi-belt variants. Boston Matthews invented the Caterpillar Haul-Off and is the world's leading manufacturer with over 10,000 units in daily operation.
• Cooling and Calibration Systems Downstream cooling and calibration equipment including cooling baths, vacuum sizing baths, calibration sizing tables, extrusion spray cooling baths, All Rounder universal baths, and special purpose cooling solutions.
• Tube, Profile & Pipe Cutters Precision cutting equipment for tubes, pipes, and profiles including servo rotary cutters, servo fly wheel cutters, moving head planetary cutting, and guillotine cutting systems.
• Tube, Pipe & Profile Saws Sawing equipment for extrusion lines including AS automatic saws, servo controlled travelling saws, and all-electric servo-driven saws for precise cutting operations.
• Coilers and Winders Coiling and winding equipment including coilers and fully automatic winders with servo control for precision winding of tubes and flexible profiles.
• Medical Devices & Life Sciences Extrusion Lines Complete turn-key extrusion lines for medical device manufacturing including PS pipette tubes, single and multi-lumen tubing, catheter tubing, blood bags, and fluorocarbon processing for medical applications.
• Automotive Extrusion Lines Complete extrusion lines for automotive tubing including fuel lines meeting industry standards for tube structures, tolerances, and polymers (PA, PVDF, PBT, ETFE, EVOH), featuring helix die head technology and SMART control system.
• PEEK & Rod Extrusion Lines Specialised extrusion lines for production of solid, void-free PEEK rods and plate with specialized screw design, die head flow configuration, precision pressure regulation, and controlled temperature cooling for processing expensive high-temperature materials.
• Zipper Profiles Extrusion Lines Complete turn-key extrusion lines for production of re-sealable zipper profiles for packaging, available in medium and high speed configurations with automatic winding, supporting PE, PP, EVA zippers in 1, 2, or multi-layer configurations.
• Cosmetic Squeeze Tube Extrusion Lines Complete extrusion lines for cosmetic squeeze tubes, providing versatile tube production capabilities for personal care packaging applications.
• Microduct Tube Extrusion Lines Specialised extrusion lines for microduct tubing used in telecommunications and fiber optic cable protection applications.
• PEX & PB Pipe Extrusion Lines Complete extrusion lines for PEX and PB pipe production for HVAC and plumbing applications.
• Wire & Cable Extrusion Lines Extrusion systems for wire and cable coating applications, providing insulation and sheathing solutions.
• Heat Shrink Tube Extrusion Lines Specialised extrusion lines for production of heat shrink tubing for insulation and protective applications.
• Munchy Plastic Recycling Machines Plastic recycling machinery including the Munchy, Mini Munchy, and Muncher ranges, featuring Dual Diameter Screw technology for minimal thermal degradation. Handles polyethylene, polypropylene, EPS and other polymers via edge trim recycling, air recycling, and reel/roll stock recycling systems.
• Spare Parts & Technical Support Services Spare parts supply (extruder screws and barrels, haul-off belts, die faces, heaters, thermocouples, motors, gearboxes) and operator training, machine commissioning and processing assistance services provided worldwide for all Boston Matthews and Munchy machine models and ages.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5-10% energy savings through combined technology features
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered regional and core.

• Grip EquipmentregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGrip Equipment serves as Boston Matthews representative for sales, promotion and support of the complete range of Extruders, Downstream Equipment and Complete Extrusion Lines in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. Grip Equipment brings many years of experience spanning plastics and packaging sectors.
• Munchy International Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunchy International Ltd. is a subsidiary unit of Boston Matthews specializing in plastic recycling machinery. Boston Matthews acquired Munchy in 2002. Munchy operates under the Boston Matthews umbrella and shares manufacturing facilities and global distribution network.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves2 records

Direct peers

• Graham Engineering: US extrusion machinery manufacturer serving blown film, cast film, and extrusion coating markets. Comparable turn-key extrusion line business with similar customer base in packaging and industrial applications.
• Battenfeld-Cincinnati: German/Austrian extrusion machinery specialist focused on pipe, profile, sheet, and film extrusion. Comparable product portfolio and customer base in construction, packaging, and pipe extrusion lines.
• Davis-Standard: US-headquartered global leader in extrusion and converting machinery for plastics, including tubing, profile, pipe, and film. Closely comparable product portfolio and end-market focus (medical, automotive, packaging, recycling) to Boston Matthews.
• Reifenhäuser: German family-owned manufacturer of extrusion lines for film, nonwovens, and plastics processing. Comparable in being a multi-generational specialist in extrusion technology serving medical, packaging, and industrial customers globally.
• AMUT: Italian manufacturer of extrusion lines for profiles, pipe, film, and recycling. Comparable in being a European mid-sized extrusion machinery specialist with custom turn-key line capabilities.
• Bandera (Luigi Bandera): Italian extrusion machinery manufacturer specializing in film, sheet, and pipe extrusion. Direct competitor in turn-key extrusion lines serving similar industrial end markets.
• Theysohn Extrusionstechnik: German extrusion machinery manufacturer focused on profile, pipe, and recycling lines. Comparable technical depth and customer overlap in profile extrusion, a core Boston Matthews segment.
• KraussMaffei: German machinery manufacturer offering extrusion, injection molding, and reaction process machinery. Overlaps with Boston Matthews in extrusion lines for plastics and rubber processing across automotive and industrial applications.
• Erema: Austrian global leader in plastic recycling machinery and extrusion systems. Directly comparable to Munchy (Boston Matthews' recycling brand) in pelletizing and recycling extrusion equipment.
• Macro Engineering: Canadian blown film extrusion machinery manufacturer. Comparable as a mid-sized specialist in custom extrusion lines with similar medical and packaging customer segments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bostonmatthews

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Boston Matthews