Molins’ performance ahead of expectations

Chief executive Dick Hunter, who will be among those addressing Works Management's annual Lean Conference on 14 October, said the group's tobacco machinery and scientific services divisions had performed ahead of expectations, although performance in the packaging machinery division was lower than expected. Sales in the six months to 30 June were £42.2 million (2008: £45.2m) while underlying operating profit was £1.9 million (2008: £0.8m). The Group operates through a number of businesses focused on providing high performance equipment and services for the production, packaging and analysis of consumer products. Molins Tobacco Machinery designs, manufactures, markets and services specialist machinery for the tobacco industry from its bases in the UK, US, Brazil, Singapore and Czech Republic. The Packaging Machinery division, which supplies engineering services and capital equipment, operates through four businesses based in the UK, the Netherlands and Canada. The Scientific Services division, with main facilities in the UK and US, comprises two businesses, one of which supplies process and quality control instruments for the tobacco industry and the other being an independent tobacco and smoke constituent analytical laboratory.