M&M candy-maker Mars Wrigley to leave Newark, cutting 307 jobs
By: Kara VanDooijeweert
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... Candy and snack food behemoth Mars Wrigley will be shrinking its North Jersey presence with the elimination of 307 jobs form its U.S. headquarters in Newark by the end of October, [2026] said a WARN notice field with the state of New Jersey.
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With a goal of expanding its global headquarters in Chicago, the company will consolidate is corporate functions in the Midwest. A planned $100 million expansion is in the works for the Illinois nuceus, including the addition of over 600 jobs.
..... In North Jersey, Mars continues to invest in Hackettstown operations, which pride a key source of employment - and a colorful claim to fame - for many Warren county residents.
..... By the end of 2027, the Newark hub will close permanently.
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In the early half of the 20th century, Mars' signature M&Ms were invented in New Jersey - specifically Newark.
..... Seeking to re-cerate and improve upon a sugar shell-encased chocolate candy he was British solders eating during the Spanish Civil War, inventor Forrest Mars Sr. was determined to bring morsels that would "melt in your mouth, not your hands," to American troops.
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After their 1941 launch, the candies we sold exclusively it the U.S. Army.
..... By the end of World War II, the morsels became widely available, and in 1953, the Peanut M&M - also invented in Newark - joined the company's growing lineup.
..... in 1958, Mars' expanding chocolate catalog led the team to move M&M production to its current Hackettstwon location while corporate affairs continued in Newark. The city remained its U.S. headquarters.
..... The upcoming shift to Chicago - the international center - represents the end of an era, as the colorful treats depart the Brick City for the first time since their inception.