The plant has been producing Mars Wrigley’s power brands including Snickers, Skittles, and Starburst since 1976. It currently employs over 600 associates, according to the company.
“We produce millions of Snickers, Skittles, and Starbursts a day, and 65% of the Snickers sold in the US are made here in Waco. Over 95% of Mars Wrigley Confectionery products sold in the US are also made locally by our team of almost 5,550 Associates located in our 14 domestic sites,” said Dan Braswell, Mars’ Waco site director.
“Over the last two years, we have added over 40 roles to this [Waco] site,” added Braswell. The new investment will also bring 10 more jobs.
The expanded distribution center is expected to open in October this year, according to Mars.
Growing iconic brands
Braswell said, “The brands produced in Waco have seen fantastic growth. For example, Starbursts has grown seven times faster than all confectionery products in 2017.”
“This new investment will help us to bring new varieties of our iconic brands already produced in Waco, like Snickers Intense and Starburst Sweet Heat while also ensuring we continue to modernize our existing production and give even faster service to retailers across the country.”
Mars plans on investing $900m in its US supply chain over the next few years.