USA: Mars expands Yorkville factory with $50 million investment

Wrigley, a subsidiary of food multinational Mars, has announced the opening of an extension to its factory in Yorkville, Illinois that will manufacture products under the Skittles brand.

The result of $50 million investment, the line will see headcount at the facility increase by 25%, Mars said. Wrigley's Yorkville factory produces a number of key Mars confectionery brands including Life Savers, Doublemint and Juicy Fruit, in addition to Skittles.

Commenting on the news, Wrigley Americas president Casey Keller said: "Mars has a long-standing history of making our products in the markets where they're sold. 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".

The Yorkville expansion is the latest in a series of investments in production that has seen the company spend $1 billion in operations and factories over the last five years, Mars said. In the next two years, it has plans to invest a further $900 million to expand its operations and associated training and development, the company added.

Source: Mars (via PR Newswire)