Mars confirms $2 billion US manufacturing investment including Nature’s Bakery facilities
This multi-billion-dollar investment builds on the ongoing Mars commitment to U.S.-based manufacturing, where 94% of Mars products sold in the U.S. are produced locally in the U.S.
Mars, Incorporated has confirmed a total of $2billion being placed into its US manufacturing operations, including its confectionery and snacks processing sites serving the region, writes Neill Barston.
Significantly, as part of the initiative, the business has also just opened a $240 million facility for its Nature’s Bakery brand in Salt Lake City, Utah.
As the company confirmed, the 339,000+ square-foot location will create a total of over 230 new jobs in the region and expand the brand’s capacity, with the ability to produce nearly one billion bars each year.
The company, behind brands including M&M’s, Snickers, and its flagship Mars Bars, aims to complete its latest round of investment by the end of 2026, meaning that a total of 94% of the company’s products sold in the US, will also be produced locally.
Notably, this will mean that the business will effectively avoid notable impact from the recently introduced tariffs on its product ranges from goods imported into the country.
However, as with all confectionery companies operating within the US, the company’s cocoa sourcing supply chains have faced heightened operating costs with the key ingredient being subject to fresh import taxes.
As Mars noted, its major investment supports activities across 49 states, with the company employing a total of over 70,000 Associates and operates 38 factories, with the company having added a total of 9,000 employees to its base in the past five years in the US.
“This investment is about building a stronger, more resilient business in the U.S. – one that can grow with our consumers, deliver for our partners, and create lasting economic impact in the communities where we operate,” said Claus Aagaard, CFO of Mars, Incorporated.
“The U.S. is our biggest and most important market, and a key engine of growth for the long term – not only through our legacy manufacturing footprint but also through the expansion of strategic acquisitions like Nature’s Bakery, which is already scaling quickly. That’s why we’ve committed $6 billion to U.S. manufacturing in the last five years, with another $2 billion planned by the end of next year.”
