Mars Inc.
6885 Elm St.
McLean, Va. 22101
www.mars.com Year founded: 1911 Industry: Manufacturing Revenue: $16.80 Billion Net Income/Loss: n/a Earnings per share: n/a Dividend: n/a Stockholder equity: n/a Auditor: n/a Assets: n/a Market capitalization: n/a 52-week high: n/a 52-week low: n/a Chairman: John F. Mars Employees: 31000 Local employees: n/a Description: Mars is the second-largest candymaker in the United States and one of the world's largest food-processing firms. Forbes magazine estimates Mars is the third-largest privately held global company. It is best known for chocolate treats such as M&Ms and Snickers, but some of its other brands are almost as well known, such as Uncle Ben's rice and Whiskas cat food. The company is owned by three of founder Frank Mars's grandchildren, whose combined wealth is estimated by Forbes at $30 billion. Developments: It was a relatively quiet year at Mars following a major reorganization of its U.S. operations under the name Masterfoods USA in 2002. The company centralized its U.S. products in Hackettstown, N.J., and shifted its executive structure. In 2003 it launched a few new products, including Snickers Marathon, a product aimed at the healthy set. It is part energy bar and part candy bar with a combination of chocolate, protein, vitamins and minerals. Mars subsidiary Mars Electronic International recently began selling a vending machine coin manager that uses a high-tech sonar device to dispense change. The device keeps track of how much change is in the machine, and when the machine runs low on a specific type of coin it can adjust how change is distributed. Mars also won an important court ruling in Ireland in October that allowed it to expand its business in the market. Until last year, a European ice cream maker prevented Mars from placing its frozen Snickers bars and ice cream Mars bars in many freezers. The ruling applies only to Ireland but the company said the decision gives "clear guidance" to regulators in other European countries "where similar anti-competitive exclusivity practices are employed.''
© 2004 The Washington Post Company | |
|
