Mars has announced the opening of a global research and development hub at its Goose Island campus, the world headquarters of its snack business. One of Mars’ seven global innovation sites around the world, his 44,000 square foot, $42 million facility will be dedicated to chocolate and nut testing, research and innovation. Mars aims to double its snack business over the next 10 years, and the new facility will bring Mars’ 300 R&D staff in Chicago ahead of a major expansion of the company’s multibillion-dollar snack product portfolio. will be able to develop and improve new products. glove.
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The new location will centralize key innovation components under one roof, while also serving as a testing ground for future-proof sustainable raw materials. Recipes are perfected in small batches in the factory’s modern test kitchen, while flexible bar lines that mimic factory conditions allow Mars snack scientists to hone the process of scaling up new products. Masu. The factory’s dedicated nut facilities will also enable the next generation of testing, evaluation and application of peanuts and tree nuts in key Mars products, including brands such as SNICKERS®, M&M’S® and KIND®.
From the next-generation science behind key ingredients like peanuts to easily adaptable pilot product lines, Hub not only keeps up with the evolving snacking landscape and rapidly changing consumer demands, but stays ahead. It is designed to. Our world-class facility is designed with sustainability in mind. It is powered 100% by fossil fuel-free renewable energy and funded by renewable energy credits from Mars’ wind farm in Ford Ridge, Illinois.
Chicago has been deeply woven into Mars’ history since the early 20th century, when the company opened its first large-scale factory in the Windy City in 1929. It was also the longtime home of the Wrigley Company, a powerful Chicago-born company. Famous for its gum and fruity confections, Mars acquired it in 2008.
