The Miquel family started to produce handmade paper at a watermill on the River Anoia in Capellades, Barcelona. Although continuous paper machines arrived late in Spain, Miquel y Costas soon began its international expansion, establishing a presence in Cuba in the late 19th century that quickly spread to Latin America.

Miquel y Costas began making rolling paper booklets and acquired Papelera Barcelonesa, now its Besós factory. This operation went hand-in-hand with the mechanization of paper manufacturing. Ten years later the company registered Smoking, an iconic rolling paper brand for many generations. It was so successful that a new workshop was opened to increase production.

Miquel y Costas became a shareholder of Celesa, the paper pulp manufacturer. The next two decades were a period of expansion and modernization: the Group entered the printing paper market, acquired Payá Miralles (with the factory in Mislata, Valencia) and went public on the Barcelona Stock Market.

The Group’s international presence received a major boost with the creation of its Argentine affiliate. With its sights set on a global future, Miquel y Costas established MB Papeles Especiales. Jordi Mercader Miró became CEO in 1992, marking a turning point in the company’s history. 58% of corporate shares were listed on the continuous market, renowned international funds became shareholders, and the Group reasserted its identity as a forward-looking industrial project .

Aiming to redouble its efforts in the production of speciality papers, the Miquel y Costas Group opened the Terranova Papers factory in La Pobla de Claramunt, Barcelona. The Group confirmed its commitment to innovation and sustainability with state-of-the-art machinery and production processes of unprecedented efficiency and sustainability in Spain.

Miquel y Costas acquired Clariana, a leading manufacturer of coloured paper in Spain, as part of its growth and diversification strategy. Today the Group continues to add new chapters to a history that has made it a global leader in papers and cellulose derivatives, meeting the increasingly complex requirements of the market and of society.