The Mars CompanyMars) is one of the most mysterious companies in the American market. She still remains privately owned, despite a whole list of world-famous brands that bring her billions of dollars. To date, the owners of Mars are the grandchildren of its founder.
Closed company
The status of a private company, or perhaps the location near the headquarters of the CIA, led to the fact that Mars has always been a closed company. Its founders never aspired to fame and glory, which did not prevent them from entering 100 richest people in america.
The closeness of the company gave rise to many rumors around herself and her owners. It is believed that the current leader, Forrest Mars, personally makes daily rounds of production and takes samples from finished products. It is not only about sweets, but also about animal feed.
Let's look behind the veil of mystery together and learn more about the history of Mars.
Foundation of the company
The history of Mars goes back to the 19th century. In 1883, the future founder of the chocolate giant was born Franklin Clarence (Frank) Mars.
Frank Mars' family did not live well, so he matured early and began to work. At the age of 19, he was already selling sweets with might and main. It was at this moment that he chose the industry that determined his entire future life.
Career success helped Frank start earning enough. He was not rich, but he could afford to buy a house and married a girl named Ethel. She subsequently became his business partner.
Own business
At 28, Frank Mars leaves his job and starts his own business. He and his wife sell sweets in a store that is located right in their house.
All trade was conducted through the kitchen window of the Mars family.
Their little business began to grow, and in 1911 the couple founded the companyMar-O-bar. Frank's dream to leave his job forever and become the owner of his own business has become a reality.
First major successes
At that time, the main assortment of the Mars confectionery family was sweets of various fillings. The idea that changed Frank's whole life came to him quite by accident.
Birth of Milky Way
One day he went to the store with his son Forrest. The son asked his father to buy chocolate. In those days, chocolate could only be bought by weight, which was not very convenient. The customers were constantly getting dirty.
It was at that moment that Frank thought, why not start selling small pieces of chocolate wrapped in foil?
The idea seemed promising to Frank, and after advice from his wife, they decided to try it. The result of this trial was the birth of the now world-famous candy bar. milkyway. By 1925, Milky Way would be the recognized market leader.
Company growth
In the 20s, Mars will have its own factory in the suburbs of Chicago. The staff of the company will begin to grow. All this will result in the emergence of new products, among which will be the legendary chocolate bar Snickers, which is still one of the flagships of the Mars product line.
Forrest Mars
Having received an excellent education at Yale University, Forrest Mars prepare to become an entrepreneur. In this part of the history of the Mars family, there are some gaps and differences in the opinions of historians.
It is known that after university, Forrest went to England, where he started a business that was not related to his family's business. One of the versions claims that he did this on the instructions of his father in order to try to organize his own business.
According to another version- the reason for such actions was a conflict with the father and a break in their relationship. But it is known for sure that Forrest started a new business with Frank's money.
Chocolate bar Mars
In 1932, Forrest Mars buys a production facility in Slow. It is this factory that will become the parent of another brand - chocolate barMars, which is in no way inferior in popularity to its fellow - Snickers.
However, the first success was not easy for Forrest. He did not even produce his own chocolate at first, but bought it from Cadbury.
New area - new brands
Forrest Mars, unlike his father, had a more global mindset. He was a supporter of the idea of differentiation. That is why the company has developed products such as pet food - Whiskas and Pedigree.
"Melts in your mouth, not in your hands"
If the founder-Mars owns the birth of the Milky Way brand, then his son can be credited with an equally famous product - candiesM&M's.
The idea of creating these sweets came to Mars Jr. when he was in Spain. The problem with chocolates was that they melted in the hands. Especially on hot days.
Mars solved this problem by coating the candies with a special shell. And overnight, M&M's received wide recognition from the consumer. The success was so great that Forrest decides to rename the company "M&M Ltd".
Expansion and merger
The next step to success for Mars was the purchase Uncle Ben's- one of the leaders in the market of instant rice. Forrest began to come to the United States more often, and in 1964 his company and the brainchild of his father merged - a giant was born M&M/Mars.
However, there was not even any talk of entering the stock exchange. Forrest believed that the company should remain family property. At least until his death, talking about selling any part of the company was pointless.
Management at Mars
It is known about some of the innovations that Forrest Mars used in his company:
- Very strict quality control. Of course, it was still not Japanese quality, but the level of control was high.
- The leader was not afraid of open criticism of subordinates. Forrest always got personal when problems arose. This does not mean that he did not appreciate the employees. He was well aware that the fate of his company depended on them, and tried to organize the best conditions for them.
- ATMars abandoned private offices and partitions. This contributed to the improvement of the team spirit in the company's staff.
- Mars has its own employee training center. For the middle of the 20th century, this was a revolutionary innovation!
Mars today
Today, Mars is owned by the third generation of the family - Jacqueline, Forrest Jr. and John. They are not in direct control. This function is performed by a hired person - the CEO of Mars, Paul Michaels.
Mars owns world famous brands in three industries: confectionery, animal food, rice.
Surely you know such brands as Milky Way, M&M's, Twix, Skittles, Snickers, Whiskas, Chappy, Pedigree, Uncle Ben's, Dove Chocolate, Bounty, Royal Canin and many others.
Fourth direction
Finally, Mars was the first to introduce drinks dispensers that could accept paper money.. This is another area of the company's activities that few people know about.
Mars is a chocolate bar manufactured by Mars Incorporated. For the first time, Forrest Mars (the son of the founder of a confectionery company) made such a chocolate bar in 1932 in the English town of Slough. The bar was similar to the Milky Way made by Forrest's father Frank. In its composition, it also contained nougat. In addition to nougat, it contained Mars chocolate bar and thick caramel.
In Russia, like all products of this company, it was imported only in 1992 and rapidly gained popularity. Someone finds it too sugary, someone, on the contrary, says that the sugar content in the bar is what you need. Many love it for its lack of nuts and soft texture.
But with the fact that Mars is a chocolate bar that combines the three most famous and delicious components, hardly anyone decides to argue. Indeed, there is nothing superfluous or original in the bar, but this simplicity makes it even tastier and more attractive.
Mars chocolate, having traveled a path of more than 80 years, has not changed its composition even once. During this time, it has become one of the most popular chocolate bars not only in the United States of America and English-speaking countries, but throughout the world.
Interesting: from the production of Mars chocolate (eng.)
Mars is available in only one flavor.
Dangerous bars were not imported to Russia
Mars is recalling its confectionery products in 55 countries. Pieces of plastic found in chocolate. This was announced by the official representative of the company Rul Govers. Elements of red plastic, he said, were found in a Snickers bar. They turned out to be part of a plug that is used in production at a factory in the Dutch city of Vehel. According to the FDA, such foreign objects can cause suffocation. The recall will affect Mars, Snickers, Milky Way bars, as well as Celebrations candy sets, TASS correspondent in the Netherlands, Vitaly Chugin, said.
“4 million chocolate bars and packages of sweets are recalled only in the Netherlands, the company does not talk about the total number of products. The protective cap got into chocolates. According to an official representative of the Mars company, the probability of finding plastic in chocolate is very small, even the chances of winning the lottery are much higher, but the company does not want to take risks and recall the entire batch, which could contain pieces of this plastic, Kommersant FM said. » Chugin.
The concern has nine own factories in Russia. Chocolate bars are produced in the Ulyanovsk region and Stupino near Moscow. Enterprises provide both the domestic market and the market of the CIS countries. That is why the product will not be recalled in Russia, Yelizaveta Alexandrova, Director for Corporate Relations of the Mars-Chocolate in Russia segment, told Kommersant FM.
“This is exactly the case for France, Germany and the UK. First of all, we as Mars and our colleagues in European countries, having alerted the regulatory authorities, alert our consumers that such an abnormal situation has occurred, and we are doing everything possible to withdraw this product from sale, which was produced in December-January 2015-16,” Alexandrova noted.
State Duma deputy from the Communist Party Sergey Obukhov has already applied to Rospotrebnadzor with a request to check Mars products in Russia. In his opinion, this is necessary in order to protect the health of consumers. Plastic could get into chocolate only because of the inaccuracy of one of the employees of the enterprise, Andrey Korkunov, vice president of Opora Rossii, founder of the Korkunov chocolate brand, is sure.
“I worked with Mars for a long time, I know their quality standards and line automation, there can only be some kind of human factor. Whatever the automation, there is always access to the product. In my practice, at the very beginning we tested the equipment and, unfortunately, the cap from a fountain pen hit, then we stopped the entire batch - there was a small amount, 100 tons, but we stopped it anyway - and checked the whole thing. And the fact that they decided on such an action just confirms the reputation of Mars - despite the losses, recall their products, ”Korkunov said.
Until the end of March, consumers can return potentially hazardous products. All information about this is available on the official website of the manufacturer. However, on Tuesday, due to a large number of requests, the online resource was unavailable to users.
Anastasia Roizman
Familiar from childhood, a bar with an amazing delicate taste "Mars" was invented in America in 1911. A married couple has been developing his recipe for a long time. Frank Mars - that was the name of the founder of the chocolate dynasty - wanted to provide for his family. His wife helped him in everything. So, in 1911, this delicacy first appeared on the shelves of American stores. The small candy bar company was called Mars Candy Factory. Initially, only 12 people worked at the factory. It is difficult to compare this figure with today's - the best equipment is used in production, which is served by numerous highly qualified personnel.
In 1930, Frank and his family moved to England, where he opened a larger production of the same bar. Its name was changed to "Couverture". Later chocolate will be named after its author. Then it was produced in the form of another product, which was already very popular among the population of many countries. This is the famous Milky Way bar. Manufacturing flourished. New production points were opened, sales volumes expanded, export offers began to arrive. The chocolate bar has become a life's work for American Frank Mars. For this he is grateful for several generations.
What is special about Mars chocolate?
The composition of sweets can be called natural. It uses a minimum amount of preservatives. Initially, its slogan sounded like "Pleasure that you cannot measure." The main feature and reason for its great popularity is its unique delicate taste and soft viscous texture. The effect of a delicacy of nougat and caramel drenched in milk chocolate that melts in your mouth leaves neither children nor adults indifferent.
Compound:
For the manufacture of "Mars" milk powder and cocoa powder are used only in skimmed form. Other Ingredients:
- dry protein;
- lecithin;
- serum;
- vanillin;
- lactose;
- glucose syrup;
- sugar;
- malt extract.
The product is rich in carbohydrates, their content is 68 g per 100 grams. Proteins - 4.4 g. The fat content is also quite high - 18.2 g. Like any chocolate bar, Mars contains a lot of calories. For 100 grams of product, this figure is 455 kcal.
Benefit and harm
In one of the countries where it was in great demand, there was an unofficial slogan that said: "Eat every day and die young and contented." No, the bar does not contain life-threatening substances, but its calorie content is very high, and frequent eating can cause obesity. This disease has long been considered the plague of the American population, as obesity causes many comorbidities. One of the first to suffer from it is the heart - due to the large weight, the load on it increases, cardiovascular diseases develop. They lead the list of deadly diseases. Only the death rate in traffic accidents is ahead of this disease. It turns out that the use of any sweets in excessive quantities is dangerous to health. Mars chocolates are no exception. They should not be eaten very often. For diseases such as diabetes mellitus, obesity and stomach ulcers, use should be agreed with your doctor.
An interesting fact: in 2002, the weight of the bar was reduced, and the chocolate layer became much thinner. Manufacturers issued a statement that this measure was taken to help fight obesity. Later it turned out that in addition to this noble goal, the company's financial crisis influenced the reduction in the size of the bar without reducing its value.
The useful properties of the bar include the fact that after its use:
- fatigue disappears;
- cheerfulness appears;
- mental strength is restored;
- the mood rises.
The condition of schoolchildren who have a bite of "Mars" is significantly improved. After a long mental load, their strength and energy return to normal, allowing them to better absorb information. It is good to use this product before tests and exams. It is recommended to monitor only the quantity: one small chocolate bar two to three times a week is more than enough for a teenager, given other sweets and carbohydrate-rich foods consumed.
How much does a Mars bar weigh?
For all the years of production, the bar has always been produced in black packaging with a red inscription. As an experiment, a white wrapper with the same red letters was used. Such chocolate was released in England, New Zealand and Australia.
According to weight standards, reforms were also made. In addition to the standard delicacy, weighing 58 grams, they produce a mini version weighing 19.7 grams, and a maxi version weighing 36.5 grams. These varieties can be found on the shelves today. The 84 gram Mars King Size variant was discontinued shortly after release. Manufacturers considered it appropriate to release a large bar divided into two sticks. To the three standard sweets, one more was added - "Mars Duo", consisting of two chocolates of 42.5 grams.
Scandal
In 2005, the manufacturers of the chocolate brand received an anonymous letter claiming that 7 bars from the whole new batch were poisoned. Manufacturers considered this the intrigues of competitors. But the first victims of sweets began to arrive at the hospitals. There were two of them. Another 17 people complained of feeling unwell. Manufacturers of the company fully admitted their guilt in what happened. The entire consignment was recalled, including the exported goods. Increased safety measures at work. The company's management personally monitored the condition of all the victims until their full recovery.
Russia was not affected by the incident. This did not have a strong negative impact on the company's reputation - Mars is very popular to this day. No other similar incidents were recorded. "Mars" remains our favorite among chocolate bars.
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START YOUR STORY WITH MARS!
Mars was founded in 1911 by Frank Mars. Today it is a family company with more than a century of history and world famous brands.
Mars in Russia is represented by 10 factories in the Moscow, Novosibirsk, Rostov, Ulyanovsk regions and in St. Petersburg. More than 6,000 employees work in four business segments of the company: Petcare, Mars Wrigley Confectionery, Royal Canin, Food.
Mars in Russia
Mars entered the Russian market in 1991 and opened its first factory in 1995, a chocolate factory in the town of Stupino, near Moscow. In the same year, we launched the first production of pet food at a plant in the village of Luzhniki, Stupino district.
In 2002 Royal Canin became part of Mars. The influence of a large corporation gave an understanding of the principles by which successful global brands are built. This has enabled Royal Canin not only to set a clear global development plan, but also to successfully uphold the company's founding values.
In 2003, a food production plant was opened in the city of Lukhovitsy, Moscow Region. In 2008, as part of Mars in
In 2003, a food production plant was opened in the city of Lukhovitsy, Moscow Region. In 2008, Wrigley became part of Mars as a chewing gum and confectionery business segment. As a result, the Russian chocolate company Odintsovo Confectionery Factory, which owns the A.Korkunov® brand, joined the company. In 2016, the company celebrated the 25th anniversary of successful operation in Russia. In 2018, we completed the creation of a single segment of Mars Wrigley Confectionery on the Russian market, which included the divisions of Mars Chocolate and Wrigley. During its work in Russia, Mars has invested more than 2 billion US dollars in the Russian market.
For professionals
For students and graduates
By choosing Mars, you find yourself in a company where every employee is perceived as a full-fledged partner. We strive to create comfortable working conditions, a friendly atmosphere, opportunities for growth and career development, adequately reward employees and recognize those who achieve high results.
At Mars, you can choose a variety of career paths. The company has four independent segments in Russia: Petcare, Mars Wrigley Confectionery, Royal Canin, Food - you can continue your career in each of them. We support those who want to change direction and try themselves in a fundamentally new role or function.
Mars is a family company. As is customary in the family, we address each other as “you”, we resolve any issues
collectively, we share common values. Mars is one of the first companies to introduce the principle of open space. And you can bring your pet to our Moscow and Novosibirsk petfriendly offices.
We bring together people who strive to make the world a better place, and we support such employees. As part of the Mars Volunteer Program initiative, each employee can make a difference in the life of the local community by taking part in the company's volunteer projects or by getting support for their own idea. Another program - Mars Ambassador Program - provides an opportunity to participate in international volunteer projects.
You are a unique person - so why should you build a career like everyone else? Our programs take into account your ambitions. At Mars, you can grow professionally and personally. Choose your career path! For students, there is a paid internship Internship Experience Program, and for graduates - Leadership Experience Program, a program for the development of company managers.
Internship Experience Program
The Internship Experience Program is a program that helps talented students gain experience working on real projects. Thanks to the internship, you will be able to decide on your future profession and start developing already at the university. From the first day you will immerse yourself in business and start your professional path. Throughout the program, you will receive support and training from senior colleagues. Based on the results of the internship, you will be able to pass an accelerated selection for the Leadership Experience Program or one of the starting positions.
You can participate in the program if you are a 4th year student or older and have a good command of English. Selection for the program takes place in spring and autumn, follow the news.
Leadership Experience Program
The Leadership Experience Program is a program that helps ambitious graduates become business and manufacturing leaders. Aiming at a career in leadership and dreaming of managing billion-dollar brands? In three years, you will gain experience in different departments of the company, develop a comprehensive business vision and improve your managerial skills. You have to lead large-scale projects in various departments from production to sales. Throughout the program, you will receive support and training from top managers.