Mars Chocolate to Invest $70M in U.S. Supply Chain Revamp

Mars Chocolate North America plans to make a new investment of $70 million to revamp its U.S. supply chain, the Hackettstown, NJ-based company announced Thursday.

“Mars believes in the value of keeping our operations in America – it’s good for our people, our business, and our consumers,” Tracey Massey, president of Mars Chocolate North America, said in a statement. “This investment will create new American jobs in communities across the country while also enabling us to offer more product innovation, choice, and transparency to our customers.”

The new investment will create 250 new positions and enable the company to produce 95% of chocolate products for the U.S. market domestically, the firm said.

Mars Inc., the parent company of Mars Chocolate, announced plans earlier this year to invest some $900 million in its U.S. operations across its portfolio, including Wrigley, Mars Petcare, Chocolate, Drinks, and Symbioscience. Powder & Bulk Solids reported in January that the earlier investment is expected to create a number of new jobs while boosting the firm’s domestic manufacturing capabilities.

“As a U.S. based family-owned business, Mars has been investing in local manufacturing and the communities where we do business for over a century,” said Mark Johnson, president of Mars Petcare North America, in the release. “This commitment is fundamental to our DNA and how we operate. And you’ll continue to see investments like this across our business.”

The company said the move is in response to consumer demand for American-made products and a greater variety of products.

“Our consumers are known for trying new things. They are increasingly paying attention to what they eat, but they also want to treat themselves,” Massey stated. “Our supply chain transformation will allow us to balance consumers’ unique, changing needs, while continuing to meet demand for their most beloved products.”

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