Mars Chocolate to invest $70 million in U.S. supply chain
Newest investment builds on $1 billion set aside for manufacturing investment.
Mars Chocolate North America plans to invest $70 million in its U.S. supply chain, illustrating a commitment to American manufacturing and innovation.
The investment will add 250 jobs to Mars locations throughout the country, ensuring that 95 percent of Mars’ products for the United States are made here. The Snickers maker’s latest move builds on $1 billion in manufacturing investments made over the last five years. More than 1,000 jobs have been added across Mars’ portfolio of segments including chocolate, sugar confectionery, food, drinks, petcare and symbioscience.
“Mars believes in the value of keeping our operations in America – it’s good for our people, our business and our consumers,” says Tracey Massey, president, Mars Chocolate North America. “This investment will create new American jobs in communities across the country while also enabling us to offer more product innovation, choice and transparency to our consumers.”
In 2016, Mars pledged to commit more than $900 million to its U.S. supply chain on top of its previous $1 billion investment. These investments include:
- Investing $72 million in Fort Smith, Ark., to support Mars Petcare, creating 130 new jobs.
- Hiring 4,188 employees and opening 31 new Banfield hospitals in 2016, in addition to a new headquarters in Vancouver, Wash.
- Investing $100 million in Royal Canin’s new plant at the New Sioux City, S.D. site.
- Creating 23 jobs through the $4.8-million expansion of the Mars Symbioscience site in Germantown, Md.
- Investing $50 million to expand Wrigley’s Yorkville, Ill., facility, adding Skittles production and leading to a 25 percent increase in jobs.
- Continuing to update the Mars Food Greenville, Miss., factory through a $31-million investment that has created more than 25 jobs.
“As a U.S. based family-owned business, Mars has been investing in local manufacturing and the communities where we do business for over a century,” says Mark Johnson, president, Mars Petcare North America. “This commitment is fundamental to our DNA and how we operate. And you’ll continue to see investments like this across our businesses.”
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
