Mars, the family-owned confectionery colossus founded in 1911 by Frank C. Mars with a homemade chocolate slab in Minneapolis, has morphed into a $45 billion behemoth peddling M&M's, Snickers, Twix, and Starburst that fuel everything from movie marathons to midnight munchies. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, with factories spanning continents, they churn out treats with 140,000 employees and billions of bliss-seekers, blending sugary innovation like peanut butter cups with pet food empires like Pedigree. It's the brand that makes temptation tasty, turning simple snacks into global guilty pleasures.
Mars' woke ascent accelerated in 2020, fueled by racial reckonings and sustainability sermons, with $1 billion DEI investments aiming for gender balance in all leadership teams and 40% racial minority managers in U.S. consumer goods by 2025. ESG vows target net-zero emissions by 2050, 50% reduction in water use, and reusable packaging, while Skittles Pride packs donate to GLAAD and HRC scores hit 100 for LGBTQ+ benefits. They pledged $150 million for racial equity, including supplier diversity, but by 2025, amid corporate cool-downs, the candy-coated commitments linger like a stubborn caramel chew, drawing whispers of virtue vending.
