Market Summaries
Mars United Kingdom
Key Facts
- First factory opened in 1932
- Five business segments: Chocolate, Petcare (including Fishcare and Horsecare), Food, Wrigley and Drinks
- 4,000+ Associates
- Nine factories and 10 offices
- Popular brands include MARS®, MALTESERS®, GALAXY®, WHISKAS®, PEDIGREE®, UNCLE BEN’S®, DOLMIO®, EXTRA®, STARBURST®, KLIX® and FLAVIA®
Mars in the United Kingdom
In 1932, Forrest E. Mars Sr. established Mars in the United Kingdom by opening our Slough factory and launching the original MARS® bar. Today, the factory still produces MARS® bars along with many other chocolate brands, including SNICKERS®, GALAXY®, MINSTRELS®, MALTESERS® and REVELS®.
In 1935, we diversified into pet food and moved these operations to Melton Mowbray in 1951. We turned to food production in 1963, opening a food factory in King’s Lynn, where we produce UNCLE BEN’S® rice and DOLMIO® sauces.
We bought Thomas’ in Birstall in 1968 (now known as Mars Complementary Petcare), which is now the European head office for this part of our business. In 1974, we opened a wet pet food factory in Peterborough, followed by a new national Petcare office in 1981 in Waltham, next to the WALTHAM® Centre for Pet Nutrition. Our major pet food brands in the U.K. include WHISKAS®, PEDIGREE®, SHEBA® and CESAR®.
We also have several horse care brands, including SPILLERS® and WINERGY®, which form Mars Horsecare U.K. Ltd., based in Milton Keynes.
We moved into catering and vending in 1955 with the launch of Vendepac vending machines. We opened our drinks vending business in Basingstoke, U.K. in the 1970s, which now produces our KLIX® hot drinks systems and packs the drinks served through our KLIX® and FLAVIA® systems.
Wrigley, which has a long and proud history in the U.K. dating back to 1911, began operating as a subsidiary of Mars in 2008. Wrigley produces brands including EXTRA®, AIRWAVES® and HUBBA BUBBA® at our factory in Plymouth.
Principles in Action
Mars U.K. is committed to sourcing its raw materials responsibly and has made significant steps toward using certification for some of our brands. In 2010, our Chocolate segment achieved Rainforest Alliance certification for the cocoa in GALAXY® chocolate products in the U.K. and Ireland. In March 2011, our Petcare segment launched its first pet food varieties containing fish certified by the Marine Stewardship Council.
We are also taking action to make our operations more sustainable, with commitments to reduce energy, water, packaging, transport emissions and waste. By the end of 2010, we had achieved zero production waste to landfill at our Mars Chocolate and Drinks manufacturing sites in the U.K. At our Wrigley site in Plymouth, we divert effluent waste from the factory to a local biofuel plant, which uses it to create green electricity.
In 2011, we signed the Public Health Responsibility Deal, a U.K. Government initiative to improve public health. Mars Food U.K. has reduced salt content across its product portfolio, with more than 99 percent of products meeting the Responsibility Deal’s 2010 salt targets and more than 75 percent of our pasta sauces already meeting the 2012 targets. In 2011 we have launched DOLMIO® Bolognese sauces with 100 percent natural ingredients. We have also launched UNCLE BEN'S® RICE TIME and DOLMIO PASTAVITA pots to provide healthy ready meals for eating at any time or place. Mars Chocolate U.K. has reduced the saturated fat content of all MARS®, SNICKERS® and MILKY WAY® chocolate bars by more than 15 percent.
We believe that good health is good business and raise awareness of the importance of healthy, active lifestyles among Associates. Our award-winning “Winning with Wellness” Associate well-being program has been so successful that in 2010 it partnered with the U.K. Government’s “Change4Life” program. During 2011, we are rolling out the program to other local businesses in Slough as part of the Government’s “Health and Well-Being Local Business Partnership” pilot program.
