Mars Inc. facts for kids
Logo used since 2019
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| Private | |
| Industry | |
| Founded | June 23, 1911 in 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 | |
| Brands | List of Mars Inc. brands |
| Services | Manufacturing Veterinary |
| Revenue |  US$50 billion (2024) |
| Owner | Mars family |
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Number of employees
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150,000 (2024) |
| Subsidiaries | |
Mars, Incorporated is a huge company that makes many popular treats like candy and gum. They also make food for pets and offer animal care services. The company started on June 23, 1911, and is based in McLean, Virginia, in the U.S. It is completely owned by the Mars family.
Mars is one of the biggest private companies in the United States. They have different parts of their business around the world. These include Mars Wrigley Confectionery, which handles candies and gum, and Petcare, which focuses on pet food and services.
Contents
The Story of Mars: How It All Began
The story of Mars began with Franklin Clarence Mars. His mother taught him how to make candy by hand. By the time he was 19, he was already selling his own sweets.
On June 23, 1911, Franklin Mars and his second wife, Ethel V. Mars, started the Mars Candy Factory in Tacoma, Washington. They made and sold fresh candy to other businesses. However, this first attempt didn't work out because another candy company was already very popular there.
By 1920, Franklin Mars moved back to his home state of Minnesota. There, he started a new company called Mar-O-Bar Co. in Minneapolis. This company later became Mars, Incorporated.
Creating Famous Candies
In 1923, Forrest Mars Sr., Franklin's son, had an idea while at a soda fountain. He suggested his father create a candy bar based on a chocolate malted milk milkshake. Franklin liked the idea and used a special ingredient called nougat.
This led to the creation of the Milky Way bar, which was advertised as "a chocolate malted milk in a candy bar." It quickly became a best-selling candy bar!
In 1929, Franklin moved the company to Chicago, where they started making candy in a big factory that is still used today. In 1930, the famous Snickers bar was created and first sold in the U.S. Two years later, in 1932, Mars introduced the 3 Musketeers bar.
That same year, Forrest Mars Sr. started Mars Limited in the United Kingdom. There, he launched the Mars bar, which is very popular in Europe.
Changes and Growth Over the Years
Mars moved its main office to McLean, Virginia, in 1984. The company continued to grow by buying other businesses.
In 2007, Mars bought Doane Petcare Company, which made their position in the U.S. dry pet food market much stronger. Mars also runs special chocolate shops called Ethel M Chocolates. Forrest Mars started these shops in Las Vegas in 1980 after he retired and wanted something new to do.
Around 2007, there was a discussion in the UK about some Mars products. The company had planned to use an ingredient in their candies that was not suitable for vegetarians. However, after many people shared their concerns, Mars quickly changed its plans. They made sure all their products in the UK used only vegetarian ingredients.
In 2008, Mars bought Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, the world's largest chewing gum maker. This was a huge deal! Mars's U.S. candy division then joined with Wrigley.
In 2016, Mars Inc. combined its chocolate and Wrigley gum businesses to create a new company called Mars Wrigley Confectionery. This new company opened a new office in Newark, New Jersey, in 2017.
In February 2016, Mars announced that it would stop using artificial colors in all its candy products. This was a step towards making their products more natural.
Mars has many factories across the United States. Their newest chocolate factory, which cost a lot of money to build, opened in Topeka, Kansas, in 2014. They also have factories in Canada.
In November 2020, Mars bought the snack company Kind North America. Later, in December 2022, they acquired Trü Frü, a company that makes whole-fruit snacks. In November 2023, Mars also purchased Hotel Chocolat, a well-known chocolate company.
Kellanova Acquisition
On August 14, 2024, Mars Inc. announced that it would buy Kellanova. This was a very large deal in the food industry. The leaders of Kellanova agreed to the plan. This purchase is expected to be completed in the first half of 2025.
Mars Food in the UK
In 1932, Forrest Mars Sr. opened the Mars headquarters in Slough, Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. This is where he made the first Mars bar, which was similar to the American Milky Way. Today, this part of the company is called Mars Food UK Limited.
Many popular candy brands that started in the UK were later brought to the U.S. These include Starburst (originally called Opal Fruits) and Skittles. The brands Twix and Topic also started in the UK.
Some candies have different names in different parts of the world. For example, 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. The 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. They are based in Slough and focus on drinks for office vending machines. Their brands include FLAVIA and KLIX, which offer popular drinks like Starburst Orange Drink and Maltesers Hot Chocolate.
Mars Drinks also made coffee and the machines to brew it. The FLAVIA system was created in 1982 because many people in the UK wanted coffee. In 2018, the Drinks division was sold to another company called Lavazza.
Mars Petcare: Caring for Pets
Forrest Mars was also a pioneer in the pet food industry in Europe. His company bought Kal Kan, a pet food brand. Forrest Mars then changed the name of Kal Kan dog food to Pedigree and 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), which makes products for home aquariums and ponds. This company was later renamed Mars Fishcare, Inc. Their brands include Aquarium Pharmaceuticals (API) and AQUARIAN.
Mars Petcare also created a special genetic testing unit called Wisdom Health. In 2007, they introduced a genetic test for dogs using cheek swabs to find out their breed, traits, and health risks. In 2021, they expanded this DNA testing to include cats too.
In Australia, Mars Petcare has factories that make wet pet food, dry pet food, and bird care products. They make the 'Trill' birdseed range.
Mars Veterinary Health: Pet Hospitals
Mars also owns many animal hospitals. In 2007, Mars, Incorporated 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 the animal hospital chain VCA Inc. for a large sum of money. In 2018, they also acquired the Linnaeus Group in the United Kingdom, further growing their veterinary services.
Mars Factories Around the World
In 1963, a very large factory was opened in Veghel in the Netherlands. This factory is one of the biggest chocolate factories in the world and makes the most products for Mars. Most of the candies for Europe are made in Veghel and Slough.
The main factory for Mars candies in Australia is in Ballarat, Victoria.
In the United States, there is a factory in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. The factory in Chicago, Illinois, even has its own train station called Mars. However, the company announced in 2022 that the Chicago factory would close in 2024.
Popular Mars Brands
Many Mars products are very well-known. Some of these are made directly by Mars, while others are made by The Wrigley Company.
Original Food Products
Candy and Gum from The Wrigley Company
Products for Pets
Awards and Recognition
Fortune magazine named Mars as one of the top 100 companies to work for in 2013. One reason was that employees in the pet food division could even bring their dogs to work!
Working with Customers
Mars is still a family-owned business. For a long time, the company was known for being very private about its operations. However, in recent years, Mars has become more open with the public through media and sponsorships.
Images for kids
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Mars Wrigley US headquarters in Newark
See also
In Spanish: Mars, Incorporated para niños
