On Thursday, June 16, Mars Wrigley broke ground on a new global research and development hub adjacent to the company’s existing Global Innovation Center at Goose Island in Chicago. Leaders from Mars as well as key Chicago stakeholders, including Michael Fassnacht, CEO, World Business Chicago, and Alderman Walter Burnett Jr., gathered together to commemorate the milestone for the company.

The multimillion-dollar investment will make Chicago home to the company’s largest innovation hub in the world, to drive category-leading innovations for the company's global snacks and treats brands such as M&M’S, SNICKERS, TWIX and more. The new facility will incorporate a test kitchen for developing new products, state-of-the-art pilot lines, and an area for breakthrough technology development.

At the event, Chris Rowe, Mars Wrigley’s global vice president of research and development, spoke to a crowd of more than 100 attendees about how the new hub reinforces Mars’ continued commitment to Chicago.

“Mars has a long history here in Chicago, and we’re proud to continue our legacy of innovation in the Chicagoland area by breaking ground on our best-in-class global research and development hub for Mars Wrigley,” Rowe said. “As a leader in snacking and treating, we look forward to Chicago being the center of exciting, consumer-driven innovations that span the globe.”

The investment will bring about thirty additional jobs to the Mars Wrigley Global Innovation Center, with jobs on the Mars Goose Island campus nearing 1,000. The project is slated to be completed by summer 2023.