By Chicago Times Magazine
January 19, 2024
Chocolate lovers will be glad to hear that Mars, Inc has announced the opening of a global research center in its Goose Island Global Innovation Center campus. As one of seven of Mars’ global innovation sites around the world, the 44,000 square foot facility will be dedicated to testing chocolate and nuts. Mars hopes the new $42 million facility will provide their 300 strong R&D Associates in Chicago the ability to create and refine new products for the company’s multi-billion-dollar snacking portfolio.
According to Mars, the research center will centralize innovation components while also serving as a testing ground for future products and sustainable ingredients. Like most confectionery businesses, Mars’ recipes will be perfected in small batches in the plant’s contemporary test kitchen and under conditions to replicate factory conditions. Where there is chocolate, nuts are soon to follow in which a dedicated nut facility will also enable next-generation testing, evaluation and application of peanuts and tree nuts within Mars products.
“This state-of-the-art facility will serve as the epicenter for the kind of groundbreaking research and development that will shape the snacking category for generations to come,” said Andrew Clarke, Global President, Mars Snacking.
Although Mars, Inc was founded in 1911, it has been part of Chicago history since 1929 when Frank Mars opened a factory in Chicago. In 2008, Mars, Inc purchased the Chicago based Wrigley Company, which was founded in 1891.
