Mars: American Icon Shaping the Future of Snacks
Through its iconic snacking, food, and petcare brands, Mars has constantly innovated to meet consumers’ needs and shape American culture.
Every day across America, millions of households share a moment of connection—whether that’s enjoying a wholesome meal, sharing snacks on movie night, or bonding with a beloved pet.
For over a century, Mars, Incorporated has fueled these connections. What began in 1911 when Frank C. Mars started selling candy from his Tacoma, Washington, kitchen has now transformed into an American, family-owned snacking, food, and petcare powerhouse that brings countless moments of joy to people and pets around the world.
In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, Acumen is profiling the company in a landmark docuseries that highlights American organizations that embody the American spirit of ingenuity, ambition, and innovation. Specifically, the segment highlights Mars as a consumer goods manufacturing leader whose legacy is deeply connected to American culture.
“I think I have one word to describe Mars: It’s just ‘iconic’,” shared Anton Vincent, President of Mars Snacking, North America and Global Ice Cream, who is featured in the segment. He continued, “We have brands that connect people’s lives. I meet people every day, and they have the same level of excitement about their experience with our brands as well.”
The Mars American Footprint
Since its early days in Tacoma, Mars has been proudly headquartered in the U.S., with operations spanning across the country. Today, the company supports over 80,000 US-based Associates across 53 factories, research labs, and offices, with 94% of all Mars products sold in the U.S. being American made. That includes more than 40 domestic snacking, confectionery, and food brands, including M&M’S®, Cheez-It®, Orbit®, and Ben’s Original™.
Mars Petcare also supports pet well-being across American households through its vast portfolio of pet nutrition brands such as PEDIGREE®, Sheba®, and Royal Canin®. Mars also operates an expansive veterinary network of more than 2,000 clinics and hospitals across the U.S., including Banfield®, VCA®, and BluePearl™.
This domestic strength serves as the launchpad for the company’s immense global footprint, operating in more than 170 markets and bringing innovation in snacks, food, and petcare to billions of people and their pets worldwide.
Proudly Part of America’s Past, Present, and Future
Generation to generation, Mars brands have been embedded in the American story—from M&M’S serving as World War II rations to the iconic SNICKERS® “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” campaign. Whether it’s the comforting taste of chocolate on the frontlines or an unforgettable ad, Mars continuously evolves and innovates in snacks and food manufacturing to give people new reasons to connect with its brands—not just in the U.S. but also abroad.
Today, Mars is actively stepping into new categories worldwide and offering a broader range of formats, flavors, and dietary choices. In recent years, the company has acquired Nature’s Bakery, TRÜ FRÜ, and Kellanova—whose portfolio includes Pringles®, Cheez-It, and Pop-Tarts®—empowering expansion beyond snacks and confectionery and into high-growth savory snacking, breakfast, and better-for-you categories.
Driving growth across snacking, food, and petcare is the ambition to help shape household well-being by seeing the world as consumers do: a blend of interconnected life moments.
Through it all, Mars has stayed true to its Purpose: that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. By thinking in generations, the family-owned business ensures its growth and social purpose go hand in hand.
Ultimately, this commitment to innovation and purpose allows Mars to continue connecting people with some of their favorite brands while helping to make the world a better place. For Mars, this journey is about ensuring that its iconic brands remain at the heart of daily connections, shaping a vibrant future for generations to come.
