Molins Machine Co
of Deptford, London, maker of cigarette making and packaging machinery
1874 J. S. Molins, a tobacco expert from Cuba, started making cigars and, later, cigarettes in his chain stores in the United States.
1890 Molins introduced cigarette-making machines into Spain, making 90,000 cigarettes per day.
1896 Company founded.
1896 he introduced continuous-type cigarette-making machines into Great Britain, manufacturing cigarettes at a rate of 150,000 per day.
1900 His son, W. E. Molins, improved the product and increased the speed of the machines to 200,000 per day, and went onto make many inventions for the tobacco industry.
Molins manufactured cigarettes for other clients who did not have such machines.
The sons of Jose Molins, W. E. Molins and H. B. Molins, developed the business. At first they concentrated on packet making machines because these were more suited to small-scale manufacture than cigarette making machines, which needed good factory facilities and large machine tools.[1]
1912 Business incorporated as Molins Machine Company Limited in London by Harold and Walter Molins in a joint venture with the United Cigarette Machine Co. The company designed manufactured and sold cigarette packing machines
As a temporary measure, the Molins brothers and some of their leading employees worked in Dresden where a subsidiary of United had a large and well-equipped factory, an arrangement that came to an end with the outbreak of war in 1914.
1919 Molins moved to a small and derelict factory in Deptford
1926 Developed their first cigarette making machine, the Mk. 1.
c.1927 Brecknell, Munro and Rogers became a wholly owned subsidiary of Molins and changed its name to the Thrissell Engineering Co. Ltd[2]
1934 See Molins Machine Co: 1934 Review
1961 Leading inventors and constructors of machinery for the Tobacco Industry, also wrapping, packing and parcelling machinery for all trades. 3,250 employees. [3]
1963 Agreement with Masson, Scott and Co to acquire Molins' subsidiary Thrissell Engineering Co to be paid in shares which would give Molins 52 percent of Masson Scott's equity; name to be changed to Masson Scott Thrissell Engineering[4]
1968 Investment by the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation to exploit the System 24 development[5]
1976 After overcoming the problems experienced at the end of the 60s, made offer of shares to the public[6]
2010 Relocated to Princes Risborough.
Currently (2022) owned by Coesia of Italy.
Molins history webpage here.