Mars Incorporated is one of the most prominent producers of brands in the world. This family-owned company generates more than 28 billion dollars in sales every year. The foundation of their success is not money, but rather the company's constant creativity and sharp instinct for trends that have continually brought Mars forward, step-by-step, after almost a century of business.
Mars Portugal, Incorporated
1970 - EFFEMEX
1990 - EFFEM de Portugal
2002 - Masterfoods de Portugal
2007 - Mars Portugal, Incorporated
In Portugal, the Mars products began to be sold in 1970, when the English unit of the group – EFFEMEX - agreed with Ramazzotti, Ltd the distribution of Mars products in our market. Given their acceptance on the Portuguese market, it was essential the creation of a sales team in Portugal, which had been led by a head of sales belonging to EFFEMEX. In 1990, EFFEM of Portugal, Incorporated was established as a Multisales Unit. In 2002 was changed its name to Masterfoods of Portugal, Incorporated. And, more recently, in June of 2007, the portuguese unit was named Mars Portugal, Incorporated, in order to standardize the name of the company in relation to other countries.
Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated began in the kitchen of Frank Mars’ Tacoma, Washington home, where he started making candy in 1911. Ten years later, he moved his business to Minneapolis, Minnesota and in 1923 the Milky Way® Bar was first introduced, propelling the company from a $100,000 business to almost $800,000 in only a year. By 1929, the growing company was in need of a more centrally located facility with railroad access to other parts of the country. Therefore Mars, Incorporated moved its operations to a plant in Chicago, Illinois, that continues to be part of the Mars network today. At this time Frank Mars’ son Forrest also joined the family business and headed for England, where he developed a sweeter bar with combined layers, the Mars® Bar. Within a year his workforce had grown from 12 to 100 employees.
In 1935, Forrest Mars made the first move into pet food and pioneered the combination of modern manufacturing techniques with nutritional science. However, with war approaching, he returned to the USA, with a revolutionary idea to give chocolate a protective candy coat to stop it from melting. In 1940, he produced the world-famous M&M’s® Chocolate Candies. Forrest Mars also bought a stake in a packaged rice firm and success was ensured when M&M’s® and Uncle Ben’s® were adopted as a staple ration for US force.
Things have changed quite a bit since those modest beginnings and over the years the company has gone through periods of massive global growth, expansion and broadening of product lines. With innovative ideas like putting pet food into pouches, providing two minute microwaveable rice and creating ice cream versions of favorite chocolate bars, Mars, Incorporated continues to stay ahead of the competition.
Mars Today
Today, Mars, Incorporated is one of the world’s largest family-owned companies. Mars and Wrigley both individually are two strong international food businesses, which share similar heritages, cultures, principles and beliefs as well as common foundations as family led businesses. Our best-in-class global brands continue to be supported by world-class associates with the goal of delivering the highest quality brands to our customers and consumers.