Mars, Incorporated is the manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products and a provider of animal care services. It is owned by the Mars family, one of the richest in the world. Franklin Clarence Mars started the Mars Candy Factory in 1911.
In 1920 they started making candy bars and it was 1923 when the Milky Way was introduced. In 1930, they started making the Snickers bar that in 2004 had annual sales of 2 billion dollars.
Some brands started in the Mars United Kingdom division like Starburst, Skittles and Twix. Copying the UK Smarties, chocolate pellets with a colored shell and came out with M & M’s in 1941.
In 1949, they came out with “Melts in your mouth, not in your hand” and in 1950 they started putting a black M on each candy. In 1954, the M was changed to white.
Mars makes original food products including 3 Musketeers, Bounty, Combos, Dove, Galaxy, Kudos, Twix, M&M’s, Marathon, Mars, Milky Way, Snickers and Uncle Ben’s Rice.
The Wrigley Company makes confectioneries including Altoids, Big Red, Doublemint, Eclipse, Hubba Bubba, Juicy Fruit, Life Savers, Extra, Freedent, Orbit, Skittles, Spearmint, Starburst and Rondo.
In 1934 Mars bought Kal Kan which they renamed to Pedigree and their cat food to Whiskas. In 2003 they purchased Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Inc and renamed it to Mars Fishcare who makes home aquarium and pond care products. In 2007 they purchased Banfield Pet Hospital chain, in 2008 BluePearl Veterinary Partners and in 2017 purchased the VCA, Inc chain.
They make pet products including Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Cesar, Dreamies/Catisfactions, Iams, Pedigree, Pill Pockets, Sheba, Temptations and Whiskas. Mars, Inc. employs 130,000 and showed a revenue of 37 billion dollars in 2020.
