Candy giant Mars announced Tuesday that it plans to invest about $1.4 billion in U.S. manufacturing in 2027 to accelerate growth and innovation across its snack and food brands and its pet food range, including PEDIGREE and Royal Canin.
Claus Aagaard, CFO of Mars, Incorporated, announced: “As Mars marks 115 years in business, our commitment to American manufacturing has never been stronger. Ninety-four percent of the Mars products sold in the U.S. are made here, reflecting decades of investment in our people, operations and the communities in which we do business. Our continued investments build for the future – expanding our manufacturing capabilities, accelerating growth across our portfolio and services and ensuring we can meet the evolving needs of consumers for generations to come.”
As part of the private company’s $1.4 billion commitment, Mars will invest more than $34 million early next year to open four new state-of-the-art Mars Veterinary Health hospitals. Three new BluePearl™ Pet Hospitals in Ellicott City, MD, and Austin and Katy, TX, plus a Banfield® Pet Hospital in Wilmington, NC will expand access to high-quality veterinary care across the U.S. The new pet hospitals will unlock up to 195 new jobs.
The latest commitment builds on more than $9 billion invested across domestic operations since 2017.
Mars’ recent 2026 investments include:
- The Trü Frü® brand is expanding operations in Salt Lake City, UT, where it has been headquartered since 2025. Mars invested $60 million to build two dedicated manufacturing lines for Trü Frü within the company’s Salt Lake City factory, a $240 million site that opened last year to produce Nature’s Bakery products. In addition to the factory’s ability to produce more than 1 billion Nature’s Bakery snack bars each year, the site will now have the capacity to produce 17 million Trü Frü frozen products annually.
- Mars Waco, TX facility is commemorating 50 years of operations this month. With $165 million invested in the site since 2024, recent capital projects are heavily focused on enhancing energy efficiency and operational excellence. The facility manufactures over 56 billion pieces of SNICKERS®, STARBURST®, and SKITTLES® candies each year, and leads cutting-edge recipe development and format innovation for the brands. The facility recently powered the rollout of the all-new SNICKERS Xtreme Almond bar and STARBURST Sour innovations.
- A $49 million investment in Mars wet pet food facility in Columbus, OH, is bringing the production of its rapidly growing TEMPTATIONS® Lickable Treats to the U.S. The investment introduces technology advancements including modern mixing and filling capabilities and will create capacity to produce over 400 million Lickable Treat pouches annually. Mars has invested a total of $162 million into the site since 2022.
The news comes as the packaged food industry has faced sluggish consumer spending and a shift toward healthier diets, weighing on demand for chocolate and snacks.
By CEO NA Editorial Staff
