CHICAGO — Wrigley, a subsidiary of Mars, Inc., has expanded its Yorkville, Ill., facility to add a new Skittles production line and 75 new jobs, which amounts to a 25% increase in workforce at the plant. The addition is the result of a $50 million investment by Mars and reflects unprecedented growth of the Skittles brand, which is now the top non-chocolate confection brand in the United States, according to the company. Mars credits increased demand for its Skittles products to best-in-class marketing, retail activities and innovation.
The expansion adds 145,000 square feet to the Yorkville facility, which also produces Life Savers candies and Doublemint and Juicy Fruit gum.
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| Casey Keller, president of Wrigley Americas |
“Mars has a longstanding history of making our products in the markets where they’re sold,” said Casey Keller, president of Wrigley Americas. “With the expansion of our Skittles production footprint, we are proud to continue that tradition right here in the state that Wrigley has called home for 125 years.”
In the past five years, Mars has invested $1 billion in U.S. facilities and operations and has created more than 1,000 jobs. Recent investments in the United States include the opening of a new Mars Chocolate plant in Topeka, Kas., the expansion of a Mars Chocolate plant in Albany, Ga., and the construction of a new Mars Drinks campus in Westchester, N.Y. Over the next two years, the company said it will invest an additional $900 million in expansion of operations and associate training and development.
