Mars, Incorporated (doing business asMars Inc.) is an Americanmultinational manufacturer ofconfectionery,pet food, and other food products and a provider ofanimal care services founded on June 23, 1911, headquartered inMcLean, Virginia,^[7] and is entirely owned by theMars family.^[8] The company hadUS$45 billion in annualsales in 2022;^[9] that yearForbes ranked the company as the fourth-largestprivately held company in the United States.^[10]

Mars, Incorporated

Logo used since 2019
Company type	Private
Industry	Food Veterinary services
Founded	June 23, 1911; 113 years ago (1911-06-23) inTacoma, Washington, U.S.
Founder	Franklin Clarence Mars
Headquarters	McLean, Virginia, U.S.[1]
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	John Franklyn Mars (chairman)[2][3] Poul Weihrauch (president andCEO)[4]
Products	Confectionery Gum Candy Mints Beverages Foodstuffs Cereals (outside North America) Crackers Toaster pastries Pet food and supplies
Brands	List of Mars Inc. brands
Services	Manufacturing Veterinary
Revenue	US$50 billion[5] (2024)
Owner	Mars family
Number of employees	150,000 (2024)[6]
Subsidiaries	Hotel Chocolat Wrigley Company Kellanova (sale pending) VCA Inc.
Website	mars.com

Mars operates in four subsidiaries around the world:Mars Wrigley Confectionery (headquartered inChicago, Illinois, with U.S. headquarters inHackettstown andNewark, New Jersey),^[11] Petcare (Zaventem, Belgium;Poncitlán, Jalisco, Mexico;Querétaro, Mexico), Food (Rancho Dominguez, California), and MARS Edge (Germantown, Maryland), the company's life sciences division.^[12][13]

Franklin Clarence Mars, whose mother taught him to hand dip candy, sold candy by age 19.^[14] He started the Mars Candy Factory on June 23, 1911 with Ethel V. Mars, his second wife, inTacoma, Washington.^[15] This factory produced and sold fresh candywholesale,^[14] but ultimately the venture failed^[16][17] because there was a better established business,Brown & Haley, also operating in Tacoma.^[18] By 1920, Mars had returned to his home state,Minnesota, where the earliest incarnation of the present day Mars company was founded that year as Mar-O-Bar Co., inMinneapolis^[19] and later incorporated there as Mars, Incorporated.^[14]

In 1923,Forrest Mars Sr., son of Frank and his first wife, Ethel G. Mars,^[14] was discussing his father's business struggles with him at asoda fountain. Inspired by his beverage, Forrest suggested that his father base a candy bar on a chocolatemalted milkmilkshake^[20] Frank took the suggestion and, making use of the neglected ingredient Minneapolisnougat, introduced the Milky Way bar,^[20] advertised as a "chocolate malted milk in a candy bar",^[21] which became the best-selling candy bar.^[19] In 1929, Frank moved the company to Chicago and started full production in a plant which still exists today.^[22] In 1930, Frank Mars created theSnickers bar and first sold it in US markets.^[23] In 1932, Mars introduced the 3 Musketeers bar. The same year, Forrest started Mars Limited in the United Kingdom and launched theMars bar.

Mars moved its headquarters to McLean, Virginia, in 1984^[24]

In 2001, Mars purchased the Lucas candy company. In 2004, Lucas was discontinued when high amounts of lead were found inside of their candies.^[1]

Mars's purchase ofDoane Petcare Company in June 2007 significantly increased Mars's position in the U.S. dry pet food category. In addition to these businesses, Mars also operates a chain of premium chocolate shops calledEthel M Chocolates. These shops are an outgrowth of the Ethel M premium chocolate business that Forrest Mars started in Las Vegas in 1980 when he became bored with retirement.^[25]

From May 1, 2007, many Mars products made in the UK became unsuitable forvegetarians. The company announced that it would be usingwhey made with animalrennet (material from a calf's stomach lining, and a byproduct ofveal), instead of using rennet made by microorganisms, in products including Mars, Twix, Snickers, Maltesers, Bounty,Minstrels and Milky Way.^[26] The response from many consumers, particularly theVegetarian Society's request for UK vegetarians to register their protests with Mars, generated extensive press and caused the company to abandon the plans shortly thereafter.^[27] Mars switched to all-vegetarian sources in the UK.^[28][29]

In 2008, Mars and theBelGroup conducted a research study that resurrected the famous Mars slogan "Work, Rest & Play". Packaged and led the global launch of the Mars Refuel Sports drink. Initiated and implemented sponsorship program "The Mars Refuel Drink Fund".^[30]

On April 28, 2008, Mars, Incorporated, together withBerkshire Hathaway Incorporated, announced the buyout ofWm. Wrigley Jr. Company, the world's largest chewing gum producer, for $23 billion in an all-cash deal. The two companies together generated sales of over $30 billion in 2008.^[31]

The company published its Principles in Action communication in September 2011. This communication outlines the history of Mars, its legacy as a business committed to its Five Principles, and the company's goal of putting its Principles into action to make a difference to people and the planet through performance. Encompassing themes of Health and Nutrition, Supply Chain, Operations, Products, and Working at Mars, the Principles in Action communication outlines Mars, Incorporated's targets, progress, and ongoing challenges. It also describes its businesses, including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience.^[32]

The company spent more than $1.8 million on lobbying during 2008, almost all of it atPatton Boggs, where it has long been one of the largest lobbying clients. Mars also spent $10,000 atSkadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. In 2009, Mars also hiredErnst & Young to lobby on corporate and international tax issues, including issues related to tax changes proposed by theObama administration. The company spent another $1,655,000 that year.^[33]

In February 2016, Mars stated that it would no longer be using artificialcolors in any of its candy products.^[34]

In 2016, Mars Inc. announced the merger of its chocolate and Wrigley segments to form a new subsidiary, called Mars Wrigley Confectionery.^[35]

In 2017, the company's confectionery segment announced a return to its roots, and opened a new office inNewark, New Jersey.^[36]

In May 2020, Mars filed a lawsuit againstJAB Holding over claims that Jacek Szarzynski, a former JAB Holding executive stole various confidential documents and passed them to the owner ofPret A Manger andPanera Bread. According to the lawsuit, over 6,000 Mars internal documents, including detailed financial results, strategic planning documents, and potential acquisition targets, were illegally downloaded.^[37]

In the United States, the company has^[when?] 22 manufacturing facilities inHackettstown, New Jersey;Albany, Georgia;Burr Ridge, Illinois;Minneapolis, Minnesota;Chicago, Illinois; andMattoon, Illinois;Cleveland, Tennessee;Chattanooga, Tennessee;Columbia, South Carolina;Columbus, Ohio;Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania;Greenville, Mississippi;Greenville andWaco, Texas;Henderson andReno, Nevada;Fort Smith, Arkansas;Joplin, Missouri; Kansas City, Missouri;Miami, Oklahoma; andGalena, Kansas. Their newest chocolate producing facility, the first in 23 years, was established in 2014 at a cost of $270 million and is situated inTopeka, Kansas.^[38] Their Canadian facilities are located inBolton andNewmarket, Ontario.^[39]

In November 2020, Mars acquired full ownership of snack food companyKind North America for $5 billion.^[40] Two years later in December 2022, it was announced Mars had acquired the Utah headquartered whole-fruit snacking brand, Trü Frü.^[41] A further acquisition was made in November 2023 when Mars purchased theHotel Chocolat for £534 million.^[42]

On September 1, 2023, Ukraine'sNational Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) has included two leading food corporations,PepsiCo and Mars, on the list ofinternational sponsors of the war. Despite the declaration of reduction of their business, cessation of advertising activities, and production of their products, they continue to work in the Russian Federation.^[43]

On August 14, 2024, Mars Inc. announced its acquisition ofKellanova for $83.50 per share in cash, for a total consideration of $35.9 billion, including assumed net leverage. According to the companies, this is the largest acquisition of 2024 to date, while analysts described it as the largest CPG transaction since the merger betweenKraft andH.J. Heinz in 2015.^[44]

The agreement has been unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of Kellanova. The transaction is subject to Kellanova shareholder approval and other customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close within the first half of 2025. The transaction agreement permits Kellanova to declare and pay quarterly dividends that are consistent with historical practice prior to the closing of the transaction.^[45]

In 1932, Forrest Mars Sr. opened what was then Mars (Europe) headquarters, and remains Mars (UK) headquarters in Slough,Berkshire^[46] on the then-newSlough Trading Estate, after a disagreement with his father,Franklin Clarence Mars. In this factory, he produced the firstMars bar, based on the AmericanMilky Way.^[47] The company branch is currently known asMars Food UK Limited in the United Kingdom. Mars brands manufactured for the United Kingdom market but not for the United States includeTunes.^{[citation needed]}

Many brands first created and sold in the United Kingdom were later introduced in the United States, includingStarburst (original UK brand name Opal Fruits) andSkittles. The brandsTwix andTopic were UK based.^{[citation needed]}

Milky Way in Europe and worldwide is known as the3 Musketeers in America. Similarly, theSnickers bar was previously marketed inIreland and theUnited Kingdom as Marathon until 1990; in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands, also until 1990;Galaxy in the Middle East is known asDove in America and worldwide. Chocolate and peanutM&M's were introduced in 1980s.^{[citation needed]}

Mars Drinks UK, the beverages division of Mars Limited, operates fromSlough inBerkshire and specializes in office vending machines. Mars Drinks UK comprises the FLAVIA and KLIX brands which offer branded drinks such as theStarburst Orange Drink, theMaltesers Hot Chocolate and theGalaxy drinks.^[48]

Mars Drinks also produces coffee and the equipment used to make it. In 1982 FLAVIA was created out of the high demand for coffee in the United Kingdom. Initially marketed asDimension 3 until 1989, FLAVIA was introduced in France and Germany in 1986 and Japan in 1992 then brought to the United States in 1996 and to Canada in 1997. Other products such as cappuccino were introduced in 2002 and tea in 2004.^[49]

In 2018, the Drinks division was sold toLavazza.^[50]

Forrest Mars started the pet food industry inEurope, and his Mars Candy Company boughtKal Kan. Forrest Mars changed the name of Kal Kan dog food to Pedigree, and Kal Kan cat food toWhiskas. As of 1991, Mars controlled 60 percent of the pet food market, both in volume and value. Whiskas was the number one brand. As of 1994, Mars was the leading pet food company worldwide with $4 billion in sales.^[51]

In February 2003, Mars acquired Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.^[52] (API, incorporated in 1964) and in 2007 it was renamed Mars Fishcare, Inc. The company manufactures and supplies homeaquarium andpond products.^[53] Mars Fishcare brands include:^[54]Aquarium Pharmaceuticals (API),^[55]RENA,^[56]AQUARIAN,^[57] andPondCare.^[58]

The company introduced a genetic test for dogs using cheek swabs to identify breed breakdown, trait tests and health risks in 2007 known as Wisdom Panel.^[59] In 2018, Mars Petcare acquired Genoscoper Laboratories, a Finnish animal molecular diagnostics company, "to form the basis for future practical applications in enabling precision healthcare for pets" under itsgenetic testing unit, Wisdom Health.^[60] Wisdom Panel DNA testing expanded to include cats in mid 2021.^[61]

InAustralia, the division operates three sites that are located inWodonga, Victoria (established in 1967 for manufacture of wet pet food);Bathurst, New South Wales (established in the 1980s for manufacture of dry pet food); andBrisbane, Queensland (for manufacture of birdcare products).^[62]

Mars Petcare manufactures the 'Trill' birdseed range.^[63]

In 2007, Mars, Incorporated purchased a significant stake in theBanfield Pet Hospital chain.^[64]

In October 2015,BluePearl Veterinary Partners was acquired by Mars Petcare division. This acquisition resulted in Mars Petcare becoming the largest pet nutrition and veterinary care provider in the world.^[65]

In January 2017, Mars Veterinary Health North America announced the US$7.7 billion acquisition of Los Angeles-based animal hospital chainVCA Inc.^[66]

In June 2018, Mars Veterinary Health International and Diagnostics acquired the Linnaeus Group consolidating its position as a leading veterinary provider in the United Kingdom.^[67][68]

In 1963, a large factory was opened inVeghel in theNetherlands. This factory has currently the biggest production volume of Mars factories and is one of the biggest chocolate factories in the world.^[69] Most confectionery products for Europe were produced in Slough and Veghel. The two factories in Slough were located on Liverpool Road and Dundee Road; the one on Liverpool Road closed in 2007, with Twix production moving to the Netherlands and Starburst production moving to theCzech Republic.^[70]

The major production plant for Mars confectionery products in Australia is inBallarat, Victoria.^[71]

There is one factory outside ofHershey, Pennsylvania, located inElizabethtown, Pennsylvania.^[72] The factory inChicago, Illinois, has its own commuter rail station, simply namedMars. The company announced in early 2022 that it intends to close the Chicago factory in 2024.^[73] The building will remain in the hands of Chicago's Galewood neighborhood residents.^[74]

Many Mars products are household, famous-name brands. Some of these product lines are manufactured by Mars; others are manufactured by The Wrigley Company.

• Buckeye Nutrition

• Banjo Candy Bar
• Bisc &
• Cookies &
• Kudos
• Lucas Candy
• Pacers
• PB Max
• Spangles
• Summit Cookie Bars

Mars Veterinary Health North America

• Banfield Pet Hospital^[75] – 1,054 sites^[when?]
• BluePearl Veterinary Partners – 61 sites^[when?]
• Pet Partners – 86 sites^[when?]
• VCA Animal Hospitals – 917 sites^[when?]

Mars Veterinary Health International

• AniCura – 280 sites^[when?]
• Antech Diagnostics / Sound
• Asia Veterinary Diagnostics
• Linnaeus Veterinary Group – 148 sites^[when?]
• Mount Pleasant Veterinary Group
• Veterinary Emergency & Specialty (VES) Hospital Singapore
• VSH Hong Kong

The company was named byFortune magazine as one of the top 100 companies to work for in 2013, citing the example that employees of the pet food division can take their dogs to work.^[76]

The company has made donations toElizabethtown College, which includes a room sponsored by them and a weekly executive lecture series.^[77][78]

Mars remains a family business owned by theMars family. The company is famous for its secrecy. A 1993Washington Post Magazine article was a rare raising of the veil, as the reporter was able to see the "M"s being applied to the M&M's, something that "no outsider had ever before been invited to observe".^[24] In 1999, for example, the company did not acknowledge that Forrest Mars Sr. had died or that he had worked for the company.^[80] As of 2019, the company had "aggressively" moved away from its model of secrecy through the media and sponsorships.^[81]

In 2007, Mars came under criticism fromPeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for funding laboratory experiments on mice, rats, guinea pigs and rabbits, which the group alleges are inhumane and in violation of the company's own policies prohibiting experiments on animals.^[82]

One study was conducted in collaboration with theSalk Institute regardingangiogenesis andspatial memory, in which mice were given anad-lib diet that includedepicatechin, plant-derived flavonoid. One of the experiments involved groups of control and experimental animals, the latter of which were housed individually in cages that included a running wheel for optional exercise for two hours a day. The former, also housed individually, did not have access to a running wheel. Another experiment was the classical spatial memory assay, theMorris water maze, in which experimenters had mice swim in water mixed with white paint that concealed the water depth. The study, which Mars contends was legally required in order for the company to make flavonoid-related health claims, showed that the inclusion of epicatechin in the diet improved memory and angiogenesis, more so if coupled with exercise.^[83][84][85]

Mars has been criticized for buying cocoa beans from West African farmers who reportedly use unpaid or poorly paid child laborers. In 2009, Mars announced that the company would work towards only purchasing cocoa from suppliers who meet environmental, labor, and production standards.TransFair USA, an organization which certifies products as Fair Trade, applauded the move and expressed hope that it would include a provision for fair wages for laborers and farmers.^[86] In 2010, Mars Inc. received the U.S. Secretary of State's Award for Corporate Excellence.^[87] In April 2010, Mars launched the MyCocoaPaper initiative, which claims to provide economic opportunities to women and families inIndonesia by making paper products out of cocoa bark and recycled office paper.^[88][89]

In 2011, Mars andFairtrade International announced an agreement to introduce the first Fairtrade labeled Mars product and to work together to enable farmers to have sustainable livelihoods and substantially increased productivity. The first Mars product to carry the Fairtrade mark was Maltesers, which appeared in stores in 2012 in the UK and Ireland.^[90][91]

In 2019, Mars announced that they could not guarantee that their chocolate products were free from child slave labor, as they could trace only 24% of their purchasing back to the farm level (see below). TheWashington Post noted that the commitment taken in 2001 to eradicate such practices within 4 years had not been kept, neither at the due deadline of 2005, nor within the revised deadlines of 2008 and 2010, and that the result was not likely to be achieved for 2020 either.^[92]

In 2021, Mars was named in a class action lawsuit filed by eight former child slaves fromMali who alleged that the company aided and abetted their enslavement on cocoa plantations inIvory Coast. The suit accused Mars (along withNestlé,Cargill,Barry Callebaut,Olam International,the Hershey Company, andMondelez International) of knowingly engaging in forced labor, and the plaintiffs sought damages for unjust enrichment, negligent supervision, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.^[93] In June 2021, theUnited States Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit on the grounds that as the abuse had happened outside the United States, the group did not have standing to file such a lawsuit.^[94]

Mars scored a yellow rating, the second highest of four possible scores, "Starting to implement good policies", on the 2022 Chocolate Scorecard, which rates all the large chocolate companies on their record in eliminating child labour, providing a living income to cocoa farmers and traceability/transparency.^[95] In its own scorecard on human rights and environmental credentials, Mars states that it has traced the source of their cocoa to 132,000 of the farms that supply their cocoa.^[96]

A CBS television news investigation in 2023 found children as young as five years old working in the Ghana supply chain of Mars to harvest cocoa for brands such as Snickers and M&Ms.^[97]

In September 2017, an investigation^[98] conducted by NGO Mighty Earth found that a large amount of the cocoa used in chocolate produced by Mars and other major chocolate companies was grown illegally innational parks and other protected areas inIvory Coast andGhana.^[99] The countries are the world's two largest cocoa producers.^[100][101]

The report documents show, in several national parks and other protected areas, 90% or more of the land mass has been converted to cocoa.^[102] Less than four percent of Ivory Coast remains densely forested, and the chocolate companies' laissez-faire approach to sourcing has driven extensivedeforestation in Ghana as well.^[103] In Ivory Coast, deforestation has pushed chimpanzees into just a few small pockets, and reduced the country's elephant population from several hundred thousand to about 200–400.^{[104][105][106]}

On the 2022 Chocolate Scorecard, Mars scored the second highest of four possible scores for "Deforestation and Climate" and "Agroforestry", "starting to implement good policies". Mars scored a lower rating (third of the four) for "Agrochemical Management", "needs more work on policy and implementation".^[95]

• Big Chocolate
• List of food companies

• Stephen Beckett,Industrial Chocolate Manufacture and Use, Fourth Edition, Wiley-Blackwell, 2008ISBN 978-1-4051-3949-6.

• Official website 
• Mars Inc. companies grouped atOpenCorporates
• Symbioscience
• Masterfoods (archived)
• Cocoa Sustainability Initiative (archived)