Mars Continues to Expand Its Commitment to Germany as a Production Hub
By 2027, approximately 85 million euros will be invested in production facilities such as Viersen and Verden
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Planned Growth and Ongoing Commitment: Mars plans to invest approximately 85 million euros in its German locations by the end of 2027 (2026–2027). This brings the company’s total multi-year investments between 2021 and 2027 to over 235 million euros, of which more than 150 million euros have already been realized. A Long-Standing Tradition: These investments build on Mars’s nearly 70-year commitment to Germany and underscore the company’s long-term contribution to the local economy, industry, and society.
Mars, an international family-owned company with well-known brands such as M&M’S®, Extra®, Ben’s Original®, Sheba®, and Royal Canin®, underscores its long-term commitment to Germany as a business location and announces plans for investments totaling approximately 85 million euros in its local sites in 2026 and 2027. This next phase of investment builds on the more than 150 million euros already invested between 2021 and 2025 in modernization, expansion, and sustainability. Together, these initiatives bring Mars’ total multi-year investments in Germany to over 235 million euros. The goal is to drive technological innovation, optimize production processes, and secure long-term competitiveness in the German market.
“Germany is an important market and an industrial pillar for Mars in Europe. With these investments, we are strengthening the future viability of our sites, embracing advanced technologies, and at the same time ensuring the reliable production of globally popular brands that have been part of people’s lives here for generations,” says Carsten Simon, Managing Director of Mars Wrigley DACH. “As a family-owned company, we think in terms of generations, not quarters. This long-term perspective also means growing responsibly—and this next phase of investment is a crucial step toward strengthening our local competitiveness.”
Investments with a Clear Focus: Modernization, Quality, and Sustainability
Mars has been firmly rooted in Germany for about 70 years and continuously invests in modernizing its domestic production capacities, such as the historic sites in Verden (since 1959) in Lower Saxony and Viersen (since 1979) in North Rhine-Westphalia. In total, Mars produces hundreds of millions of chocolate and pet food products in Germany every year (around 200,000 metric tons). Viersen alone produces around 10 million chocolate products daily. This makes Viersen one of the world’s largest Mars chocolate-cookie-bar factories.
Over the past four years (2022 through the end of 2026), approximately 60 million euros have been invested in the modernization and capacity expansion of the Viersen site, which is also the exclusive global production site for Balisto and, operating on a fully continuous 24/7 shift system (24/7) also manufactures internationally known brands such as Twix® and some components of Celebrations®. To meet the increased market demand for Twix®, for example, an additional packaging line was installed on an existing production line in Viersen. This enables the production of approximately 3.5 kt/year (= 3,500 metric tons) more Twix®. An additional approximately 44 million euros is planned through the end of 2027—primarily for the continuous improvement of quality and safety, the automation of processes, employee training, and preparation for future EU packaging requirements (e.g., for paper packaging). Additional funds are earmarked for replacing machinery, which will enhance production efficiency and product quality while simultaneously improving workplace safety and ergonomics on the production lines for our employees in the long term.
The pet food production facility in Verden also produces leading “Made in Germany” brands such as Whiskas®, Sheba®, Cesar®, and Kitekat®. The site also serves as the global center for research on wet pet food. Over the past five years (2021–2025), approximately 59 million euros have been invested in the infrastructure of the German pet food division. Milestones in Verden include a new goods receiving area, a new silo facility, and modernized office spaces designed to promote employee health and well-being. Further investments of over 18 million euros are planned there through the end of 2027, including new machinery and equipment for the production of Sheba® multipacks. In addition, investments of approximately 6 million euros are planned by the end of 2027 for the installation of a new single-serving pouch packaging line.
Long-Term Value Creation in Germany and Europe
The ongoing investments in the German sites reflect Mars’ commitment to “manufacturing in Europe for Europe”—to supply domestic consumers and export products to more than 100 countries worldwide. In Germany alone, Mars is a major player in the German economy, with over 5,800 employees at more than 90 locations and annual revenue exceeding 2 billion euros. The diverse German portfolio includes popular brands in the confectionery sector (such as M&M’s®, Snickers®, and Twix®), chewing gum (such as Airwaves® and Extra®), food (Ben’s Original®), pet food (such as Sheba®, Whiskas®, Cesar®, and Royal Canin®), as well as animal health services provided by AniCura and Antech. This year, the company is also celebrating special milestones in Germany: the 50th anniversary of the Twix® bar and the 65th anniversary of the popular Mars® bar on the German market.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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