Mars Inc. facts for kids
Corporate logo used since March 2019
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Trade name
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Mars |
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Formerly
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M&M/Mars Inc. |
| Private | |
| Industry | |
| Founded | 1911 Tacoma, Washington, U.S. |
| Founder | Franklin Clarence Mars |
| Headquarters | McLean, Virginia, U.S. |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Products |
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| Brands | List of Mars, Incorporated brands |
| Services | Manufacturing Veterinary |
| Revenue |  US$45 billion (2022) |
| Owner | Mars family |
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Number of employees
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130,000 (2020) |
| Subsidiaries | |
Mars Inc. is a very large American company. It makes many popular products like candy, pet food, and other food items. Mars also provides services for animal care. In 2022, the company made about $45 billion in sales. It is one of the biggest private companies in the United States. Mars Inc. is located in McLean, Virginia, and is completely owned by the Mars family. The company has different parts that focus on candy, pet care, and other foods around the world.
Contents
The Story of Mars
Mars is famous for its delicious candies. Some well-known ones include Mars bars, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way bars, M&Ms, Skittles, Snickers, Twix, and Bounty (chocolate bar). They also make other snacks like Combos. You might know their food brands like Ben's Original rice and Dolmio pasta sauce. For pets, they make Pedigree, Whiskas, Nutro, and Royal Canin foods.
The company's story began with Franklin Clarence Mars. His mother taught him how to make candy by hand. By age 19, he was already selling candy. In 1911, he started the Mars Candy Factory in Tacoma, Washington, with his second wife, Ethel V. Mars. This first business didn't last long.
By 1920, Frank Mars moved back to Minnesota. There, he started a new company called Mar-O-Bar Co. This was the beginning of the Mars company we know today.
Popular Candies are Born
In 1923, Frank's son, Forrest Mars Sr., had an idea. He was inspired by a popular milkshake. This led to the creation of the Milky Way bar. It was advertised as a "chocolate malted milk in a candy bar." The Milky Way quickly became a top-selling candy bar.
In 1929, Frank Mars moved the company to Chicago. Full production started in a factory that is still used today. A year later, in 1930, Frank Mars created the Snickers bar. It was first sold in the United States. In 1932, Mars introduced the 3 Musketeers bar. That same year, Forrest Mars Sr. started Mars Limited in the United Kingdom. He launched the Mars bar there.
Growth and Secrecy
Mars moved its main office to McLean, Virginia, in 1984. It is still a family-owned business. The company has always been known for being quite private about its operations.
In 2001, Mars bought the Lucas candy company. However, Lucas candies were later stopped in 2004. This happened because high levels of lead were found in some of their products.
In 2008, Mars bought Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. Wrigley is the world's largest maker of chewing gum. This was a huge deal, costing $23 billion. Together, Mars and Wrigley made over $30 billion in sales that year.
In 2016, Mars combined its chocolate and Wrigley gum businesses. They formed a new company called Mars Wrigley Confectionery. This new part of the company opened an office in Newark, New Jersey, in 2017. This was a return to the company's roots in the area.
In 2020, Mars bought the snack company Kind North America for $5 billion. They also bought Trü Frü, a fruit snacking brand, in 2022. In 2023, Mars purchased Hotel Chocolat.
Mars Food in the UK
In 1932, Forrest Mars Sr. opened the Mars (Europe) headquarters in Slough, England. This was after he had a disagreement with his father, Frank Mars. At this factory, he made the first Mars bar. It was based on the American Milky Way bar. This part of the company is now called Mars Food UK Limited.
Some Mars brands made for the UK market are not sold in the United States. An example is Tunes. Many brands first sold in the UK later came to the US. These include Starburst (originally called Opal Fruits) and Skittles. The Twix and Topic bars also started in the UK.
The Milky Way bar in Europe is known as the 3 Musketeers in America. Also, the Snickers bar was called Marathon in the UK and Ireland until 1990. Galaxy chocolate in the Middle East is known as Dove in America.
Mars Drinks UK
Mars Drinks UK is the part of Mars that makes beverages. It is located in Slough, England. This division focuses on vending machines for offices. Mars Drinks UK has brands like FLAVIA and KLIX. They offer popular drinks such as Starburst Orange Drink and Maltesers Hot Chocolate.
Mars Drinks also makes coffee and the machines to brew it. The FLAVIA system was created in 1982 because many people in the UK wanted coffee. It was later introduced in other countries like France, Germany, Japan, and the United States. In 2018, the Drinks division was sold to another company called Lavazza.
Mars Petcare
Forrest Mars was also important in starting the pet food industry in Europe. His company bought Kal Kan, a pet food brand. Forrest Mars changed the name of Kal Kan dog food to Pedigree. He also changed Kal Kan cat food to Whiskas. By the 1990s, Mars was a leader in the pet food market.
In 2003, Mars bought Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (API). This company makes products for home aquariums and ponds. Its brands include Aquarium Pharmaceuticals (API) and AQUARIAN.
Mars Petcare also offers a genetic test for dogs called Wisdom Panel. This test uses cheek swabs to find out a dog's breed, traits, and health risks. In 2021, this DNA testing expanded to include cats.
In Australia, Mars Petcare has factories in Wodonga, Bathurst, and Brisbane. These factories make wet and dry pet food, and bird care products like 'Trill' birdseed.
Mars Veterinary Health
Mars also owns many animal hospitals and veterinary clinics. In 2007, Mars Inc. bought a large part of the Banfield Pet Hospital chain.
In 2015, Mars Petcare bought BluePearl Veterinary Partners. This made Mars Petcare the biggest provider of pet nutrition and veterinary care in the world.
In 2017, Mars Veterinary Health North America bought VCA Inc., another large chain of animal hospitals. This deal cost about $7.7 billion. In 2018, Mars also bought the Linnaeus Group in the United Kingdom. This helped them become a leading veterinary provider there too.
Factories Around the World
In 1963, a large Mars factory opened in Veghel, in the Netherlands. This factory has the biggest production of all Mars factories. It is one of the largest chocolate factories in the world. Most of the candy for Europe used to be made in Slough, UK, and Veghel.
The main factory for Mars candies in Australia is in Ballarat, Victoria. In the United States, Mars has many manufacturing places. These include locations in Hackettstown, New Jersey; Chicago, Illinois; and Cleveland, Tennessee. Their newest chocolate factory opened in 2014 in Topeka, Kansas.
In early 2022, Mars announced that its Chicago factory would close in 2024. The building will be given to the local community.
Consumer Focus
Removing Artificial Ingredients
In February 2016, Mars announced a big change. They said they would stop using artificial colors in all their candy products. More than 50 of their products were affected by this decision. The company made this promise to match what consumers wanted. Many other companies have also promised to remove artificial colors from their products.
Mars said that consumers should expect some changes during this process. There might be special packaging or colors to show that the changes have happened. The company will still use coloring, but it will no longer be artificial.
Popular Brands
Many Mars products are very well-known brands. Some are made directly by Mars, while others are made by The Wrigley Company.
Original Food Products
- 3 Musketeers
- Ben's Original
- Bounty
- Celebrations
- Combos
- Dolmio
- Dove
- Ethel M
- FLAVIA
- Galaxy
- Galaxy Minstrels
Candies and Gum by The Wrigley Company
Products for Pet Consumption
Veterinary Services
Mars owns many veterinary hospitals and clinics around the world.
Mars Veterinary Health North America
- Banfield Pet Hospital
- BluePearl Veterinary Partners
- VCA Animal Hospitals
Mars Veterinary Health International
- AniCura
- Antech Diagnostics
- Linnaeus Veterinary Group
Awards and Recognition
Fortune magazine named Mars Inc. as one of the top 100 companies to work for in 2013. One reason was that employees in the pet food division could bring their dogs to work!
The company has also given donations to Elizabethtown College. They have sponsored a room and a weekly lecture series there.
| Year | Association | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
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| 2017 | Diversity in Media Awards | Marketing Campaign of the Year | Maltesers - Dance Floor (TV Advert) | Nominated |
| 2020 | Vet Help Direct | Best Vet in the United Kingdom 2020 | Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service (part of Linnaeus Group) | Won |
Images for kids
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Mars Wrigley US headquarters in Newark
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Mars Wrigley's chocolate manufacturing plant in Cleveland, Tennessee
