Snack food was the first Mars business. Our Company started modestly when Frank C. Mars, a candy salesman, and his wife started their first candy-making operation in the kitchen of their Tacoma, Washington home in 1911.

European operations began in 1932 with the establishment by Forrest E. Mars, Sr. of Mars Confections in Slough, in the United Kingdom. He also pioneered the Company's first investment in the pet food industry in England.

In 1940 M&M Limited was founded in Newark, New Jersey. There Forrest E. Mars, Sr. began making the now famous M&M's^® Plain Chocolate Candies. To this very day M&M's^® Plain and M&M's^® Peanut Chocolate Candies are identified by the familiar "M" on their unique sugar shells.

The Company's expansion began to include operations in a number of diversified industries. In 1943, it was the first company to apply modern manufacturing techniques to parboil rice on a large scale. First available in 1946, UNCLE BEN'S^® rice became America's top-selling brand of packaged long grain rice within six years. We also pioneered a number of innovations in the pet food industry as the Company embarked upon substantial growth in North America and Europe.

In the early 1960's manufacturing was extended in Europe with a factory at Veghel in the Netherlands. In 1967 Masterfoods Interamerica started marketing confectionery, pet care and main meal products from Puerto Rico to markets in the Caribbean and in Central and South America. In the 1970's, Mars Electronics pioneered the world's first coin mechanism based on a revolutionary technology of electronic recognition.

Since 1970, capacity has been added in a series of new plants in the United States and continental Europe. In 1978, we started manufacturing rice in Brazil and, in 1979, production of snack foods for the Australian continent began in Ballarat, Victoria.

The Company has expanded into various businesses in the past decade: electronics, money systems, vending systems, frozen foods, drinks (coffees and teas), pizzas and sauces, among others. In 1986-88, manufacturing facilities were opened in Bolton and Newmarket, Ontario to serve the growing Canadian market.

In recent years, the acquisition of Ethel M Chocolates, Incorporated and Dove International has helped to diversify our offerings to the consumer and boost our market share in the snack food segment. In 1992, the three businesses were combined under the M&M/Mars organization to capitalize on the benefits of integration.

During the past forty years, Mars has developed its business into a diversified multi-national company. Mars is active in more than five product groups, including pet care, snack foods, main meal foods, electronics and drinks. Today, Mars products are enjoyed in over one hundred countries throughout five continents.