Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined Mars Food to open the company’s new North America headquarters in Chicago, making it the fourth Mars office on Goose Island. Building on the 125-year history Mars has with Chicago, the Mars Food office brings 75 jobs to the city and signifies a significant investment in this growing business unit within Mars, Incorporated.
“Mars is a great corporate partner, and its international reach and importance are a testament to Chicago’s position at the forefront of the global food industry,” Mayor Emanuel said. “The entire city of Chicago welcomes Mars Food and looks forward to watching them continue to grow and thrive for years to come.”
“Moving the Mars Food North America headquarters to Chicago enables our long-term growth objectives by bringing us closer to our factories, our customers and other parts of our business,” said Jarek Swigulski, Regional President of Mars Food North America. “We are excited to join the long-standing relationship and community involvement that Mars has already established in Chicago.”
The relocation from Los Angeles to Chicago comes at a time when Mars Food is growing its existing portfolio – which includes the more than 70-year-old, billion-dollar brand UNCLE BEN’S® and the organic food SEEDS OF CHANGE® brand – and working to bring more healthy meals to dinner tables. These ambitious goals are driven by the Mars Food purpose: Better Food Today. A Better World Tomorrow.
The new office space occupies the first floor of a Goose Island-building originally built in 1905. It was designed to reflect the Mars Food commitments to health and wellbeing, sustainability and inspiring people to share meals. These are brought to life via: standing desks at every workstation and available treadmill desks; a living wall that boosts air quality; motion activated lights, desk lamps and LED bulbs that reduce lighting energy by 45% compared to traditional office lighting; and a full kitchen at the center of the office to encourage eating and cooking healthy meals together.
In addition to opening new headquarters, the global Mars Food business recently announced its intention to acquire Preferred Brands International, the manufacturer of Tasty Bite®, a brand featuring Indian and Asian food products. Upon closing of the acquisition of Tasty Bite®, Mars Food will expand its all-natural vegetarian offerings in the US, and leverage Tasty Bite® strong product development pipeline, flavor expertise, and strategic sourcing of quality ingredients throughout its portfolio.
“This is a very exciting time to be part of Mars Food,” said Swigulski. “Our Associates have made it possible for us to remain agile and bring the entrepreneurial approach that we need to deliver on our bold promises.”
