Nature’s Bakery, part of Mars, Incorporated’s family of brands, recently opened its $240 million baking facility in Salt Lake City.

The 339,000-sq.-ft. site gives Nature’s Bakery the space to grow, with the ability to produce more than 1 billion bars each year. It also brings more than 230 new jobs to the region.

“The biggest step we can take to meet our growth goals is making more of the snacks people love, and this new baking facility helps us do exactly that,” says Steve Gardiner, CEO of Nature’s Bakery. “It gives us the space to grow today and tomorrow, while letting us bake even more efficiently and with even higher quality. Most importantly, it allows us to keep delivering wholesome, feel-good snacks to more families across the country, wherever and whenever they need them.”

Mars acquired Nature’s Bakery in March 2021, and the brand is on pace to more than double its size from 2020 to now.

“The snacking category continues to grow in importance in the U.S. and as consumers’ tastes and preferences evolve, and at Mars, we’re focused on accelerating innovation that will shape the future of snacking,” says Blas Maquivar, global president of Mars’ health and wellness division. “Mars’ local investment in the new Salt Lake City-based Nature’s Bakery facility will enable us to expand the reach of our health and wellness brand, strengthening our focus and introducing more consumers to our better-for-you offering.”

Located in Salt Lake City’s Mountain West neighborhood, the site helps improve national distribution and reduce delivery distances to retailers. The bakery facility is LEED Silver-certified and is expected to lower trucking-related CO₂ emissions by an estimated 5,700 tons annually. The facility also features smart automation, including systems for ingredient delivery, mixing, and cooling. These advancements allow Nature’s Bakery to not only enhance food safety and consistency, but also evolve many manual roles into higher-skilled positions, it says.

Mars is on the current Candy Industry “Global Top 100 Candy Companies” list. Click here to view the current “Global Top 100” rankings.