Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is a privately held, family-owned global consumer packaged goods company founded in 1911, operating across Petcare, Snacking, and Food & Nutrition in 50+ countries, with iconic brands including M&M'S, Snickers, Pedigree, Whiskas, and Pringles (post-Kellanova).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1911
- HeadquartersHackettstown, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Mars, Incorporated does
Mars, Incorporated is a privately held, family-owned global consumer packaged goods company founded in 1911 and now in its fifth generation of family ownership. The company operates across three core segments — Petcare, Snacking, and Food & Nutrition — serving end consumers in more than 50 countries through retail/grocery partners, e-commerce platforms, and direct-to-consumer veterinary hospital networks (Banfield, BluePearl, VCA, and diagnostic services via Antech). Its portfolio includes iconic brands such as M&M'S, Snickers, Mars, Twix, Skittles, Starburst, Galaxy, Maltesers, Pedigree, Whiskas, Sheba, Ben's Original, and Dolmio, with Pringles and other Kellanova brands added in December 2025.
The company makes money primarily through physical product sales across consumer goods categories — confectionery, gum and mints, pet nutrition, prepared meals, and rice/ingredient products — supplemented by veterinary service fees collected directly through its owned pet hospital network. Pricing is set by retail partners in most consumer categories and by Mars directly for veterinary services. The Petcare segment is differentiated by vertical integration spanning nutrition, primary care (Banfield), specialty and emergency care (BluePearl, VCA), and diagnostics (Antech).
Mars's family-owned structure underpins a long-term investment strategy including a stated Net Zero by 2050 ambition, a Sustainable in a Generation Plan, multi-stakeholder sustainability partnerships (FAO, WWF, WRI, AWS, SRP, Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade), and large capital commitments such as a €1 billion EU manufacturing and innovation investment across 10 countries by 2026 and dedicated funds for sustainable rice and peanut sourcing R&D.
Mars, Incorporated firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mars, Incorporated
- Legal name
- Mars, Incorporated
- Website
- https://mars.ie
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1911
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Mars, Incorporated is a privately held, family-owned global consumer packaged goods company founded in 1911, operating across Petcare, Snacking, and Food & Nutrition in 50+ countries, with iconic brands including M&M'S, Snickers, Pedigree, Whiskas, and Pringles (post-Kellanova).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mars, Incorporated industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Confectionery and Pet Food
- NAICS
- Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing (311111), Animal Food Manufacturing (31111), Animal Food Manufacturing (3111), Pet and Pet Supplies Retailers (459910)
- SIC
- Food And Kindred Products (2000), Canned, Fruits, Veg, Preserves, Jams & Jellies (2033)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Treats & Chews (CRADAFAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Life-Stage & Breed/Size-Specific Formulas (CRADAFAG), Wet/Canned & Pouch Food (Dog & Cat) (CRADAFAB), Pet Health & Wellness Retail (Supplements, OTC, Flea/Tick) (CRALAHAC)
Keywords
Where Mars, Incorporated is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hackettstown
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Mars, Incorporated business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Petcare Products & Services: Revenue from pet nutrition products, veterinary services, and pet health diagnostic services through Banfield Pet Hospital, BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital, and VCA Animal Hospitals networks.
- Confectionery & Snacking: Revenue from iconic chocolate and confectionery brands including M&M'S, Snickers, Mars, Twix, Skittles, Starburst, as well as gum and mint products.
- Food & Nutrition: Revenue from food products including Ben's Original rice, Dolmio sauces, and other prepared meal and ingredient products.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Mars, Incorporated product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mars, Incorporated manufactures and sells branded consumer packaged goods worldwide across three core segments: Petcare (pet nutrition brands such as Pedigree, Whiskas, Sheba, Cesar, and veterinary hospital services through Banfield, BluePearl, and VCA), Snacking (chocolate, confectionery, gum and mint brands including M&M'S, Snickers, Mars, Twix, Skittles, Starburst, Galaxy, Maltesers, Extra, and the recently acquired Kellanova portfolio including Pringles), and Food & Nutrition (Ben's Original rice and Dolmio sauces). It also provides animal care services through its network of veterinary hospitals.
Product overview
Mars, Incorporated is a global, family-owned business operating across three business segments: Petcare, Snacking, and Food & Nutrition. The company offers a diverse portfolio of consumer products including pet foods and veterinary services (Pedigree, Whiskas, Sheba, Cesar, Perfect Fit, Dreamies, Catsan, Misfits, Thomas), confectionery and snacks (M&M'S, Mars, Snickers, Twix, Skittles, Starburst, Galaxy, Maltesers, Bounty, Milky Way, Celebrations, Airwaves, Hubba Bubba, Juicy Fruit, Extra, Revels), and food products (Ben's Original, Dolmio). In December 2025, Mars completed its acquisition of Kellanova, adding Pringles to its portfolio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Mars Petcare: Pet nutrition, health, and veterinary services to make a better world for pets.
- Mars Snacking
- Mars Food & Nutrition
- Mars Impact Fund
- Banfield Pet Hospital
- BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital
- VCA Animal Hospitals
- Kellanova
Products and services
- Petcare Pet nutrition, health, and veterinary services across brands such as Pedigree, Whiskas, Sheba, Cesar, Perfect Fit, Dreamies, Catsan, Misfits, and Thomas, supported by veterinary hospital networks (Banfield, BluePearl, VCA) and diagnostics (Antech). Targets pet owners seeking complete pet health and nutrition solutions.
- Snacking Beloved chocolate, confectionery, gum and mint brands including M&M'S, Mars, Snickers, Twix, Skittles, Starburst, Galaxy, Maltesers, Bounty, Milky Way, Celebrations, Airwaves, Hubba Bubba, Juicy Fruit, Extra, Revels, plus Pringles via the Kellanova acquisition. Targets general consumers seeking snacking, sharing, and celebration products.
- Food & Nutrition Health, tasty, affordable, convenient, and sustainably-sourced meals for dinner tables globally, including Ben's Original microwaveable rice and Dolmio pasta sauces. Targets families seeking meal solutions.
- Veterinary Hospital Services Veterinary hospital and clinic services delivered through Banfield Pet Hospital (general pet care), BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital (specialty and emergency care), and VCA Animal Hospitals networks, supported by Antech diagnostics. Targets pet owners needing in-person veterinary care.
Quantifiable outcome
- 32% increase in farmer income in Pakistan basmati rice program
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Mars, Incorporated
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Mars, Incorporated technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Mars, Incorporated partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Lindau Nobel Laureate MeetingsmajorMars Impact Fund awarded €1.5M grant to support Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, supporting scientific collaboration and community strengthening initiatives.
- KellanovamajorMars completed acquisition of Kellanova, uniting two iconic businesses with portfolios of beloved brands including Pringles.
- CalmcorePartnership with leading mental health company Calm to spotlight wellbeing potential of pets and celebrate pet adoption.
- FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)majorExtended partnership to help ensure Safe Food for All, with food safety being of paramount importance at Mars.
- World Resources Institute (WRI)coreCollaboration on water stewardship including Aqueduct platform for water stress mapping, Context-Based Water Targets, and water governance initiatives.
- Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS)coreMember of AWS which works with companies, governments and NGOs to develop and support the AWS International Stewardship Standard.
- Pacific InstitutecoreCollaboration on science-based approaches to water stewardship and water target methodology development.
- WWFcorePartnership on water stewardship, sustainable sourcing, and environmental conservation initiatives.
- UN CEO Water MandatecoreJoined in 2015; supports UN Sustainable Development Goals particularly SDG 6 for water and sanitation access.
- UN Global CompactcoreJoined in 2015; commitment to sustainable business practices and global sustainability goals.
- Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP)coreLeading member supporting 2,000 basmati rice farmers in Pakistan and India to improve productivity and reduce water use.
- International Rice Research InstitutecorePartnership with IRRI for sustainable rice cultivation with basmati rice farmers.
- HelvetascoreNGO partnership for sustainable rice cultivation and water stewardship projects.
- Rainforest AlliancecoreCertification partnership for sustainable sourcing of raw materials.
- FairtradecoreCertification partnership for sustainable and ethical sourcing.
- EcoVadiscoreSupplier sustainability assessment platform used to evaluate supplier performance including water-related risks.
- KIND (Brand Partnership)minorGlobal partnership announced in 2017 with KIND brand for sustainable ingredient sourcing (almonds).
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Mars, Incorporated competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Procter & Gamble Co. Procter & Gamble is a broad incumbent consumer packaged goods giant that has historically competed with Mars in pet care (via Iams/Eukanuba) and household products. As one of the world's largest CPG companies, P&G is a broad comparable for Mars's diversified portfolio across multiple categories.
- Unilever PLC: Unilever is a broad global CPG incumbent with overlapping categories in foods (Knorr, Hellmann's) and personal care. While Unilever is less concentrated in pet care or confectionery than Mars, its global brand portfolio, scale, and emerging-markets reach make it a broad-incumbent comparable.
- Cargill, Incorporated: Cargill is the world's largest privately-held food and agriculture company and a relevant broad-incumbent comparable given both Mars and Cargill are privately-held global food conglomerates with overlapping supply chains, pet food ingredients, and sustainability commitments in agriculture.
Direct peers
- The J.M. Smucker Company: J.M. Smucker competes directly with Mars Petcare through brands like Rachel Ray Nutrish, Milk-Bone, and Meow Mix in the US pet food market. Smucker's portfolio of branded pet food and treats makes it a focused direct peer in the Mars Petcare segment.
- Mondelez International: Mondelez is the largest pure-play global snacking competitor to Mars Snacking, with brands like Cadbury, Oreo, Toblerone, Trident, and Sour Patch Kids directly competing with Mars, Snickers, M&M'S, Twix, and Skittles in confectionery and gum.
- Colgate-Palmolive Company: Colgate-Palmolive owns Hill's Pet Nutrition, a direct competitor to Mars Petcare brands like Pedigree, Royal Canin, and Whiskas in the premium and veterinary-channel pet food market. Hill's is among Mars's most direct pet nutrition competitors globally, especially in the vet-recommended channel.
- General Mills: General Mills owns Blue Buffalo (a major US pet food brand competing with Mars Petcare) and now competes with the newly-acquired Kellanova cereals and snacking business. General Mills is a direct peer in both pet nutrition (via Blue Buffalo) and in cereals/snacking after the Kellanova integration.
- WK Kellogg Co: WK Kellogg Co was created when Kellogg Company split into two businesses, with Kellanova (now acquired by Mars) housing the snacking business and WK Kellogg retaining North American cereal. WK Kellogg is a direct peer in the cereal category and a relevant comparable for the recently-acquired Kellanova business.
- Hershey Company: Hershey is one of the largest pure-play chocolate and confectionery competitors in North America, directly competing with Mars brands like M&M'S, Snickers, Twix, and Reese's. Hershey is among the most direct peers for the Mars Snacking segment.
- Nestlé S.A. Nestlé operates Purina (Mars Petcare's largest direct competitor in pet food) and competes with Mars in confectionery and prepared foods. Both companies are massive global CPG conglomerates with overlapping pet care, confectionery, and food portfolios, and Nestlé is the closest peer for the Mars Petcare segment specifically.
Market position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mars, Incorporated social profiles
Digital presenceMars, Incorporated financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mars, Incorporated leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Mars, Incorporated subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Mars, Incorporated funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mars, Incorporated M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mars, Incorporated
What does Mars, Incorporated do?
Mars, Incorporated manufactures and sells branded consumer packaged goods worldwide across three core segments: Petcare (pet nutrition brands such as Pedigree, Whiskas, Sheba, Cesar, and veterinary hospital services through Banfield, BluePearl, and VCA), Snacking (chocolate, confectionery, gum and mint brands including M&M'S, Snickers, Mars, Twix, Skittles, Starburst, Galaxy, Maltesers, Extra, and the recently acquired Kellanova portfolio including Pringles), and Food & Nutrition (Ben's Original rice and Dolmio sauces). It also provides animal care services through its network of veterinary hospitals.
Is Mars, Incorporated a public or private company?
Mars, Incorporated is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Mars, Incorporated founded?
Mars, Incorporated was founded in 1911.
Where is Mars, Incorporated based?
Mars, Incorporated is headquartered in Hackettstown, United States, in the North America region.
How does Mars, Incorporated make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Petcare Products & Services are the primary driver. The others are confectionery & Snacking and food & Nutrition.
Who are Mars, Incorporated's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Procter & Gamble Co., Unilever PLC and Cargill, Incorporated. Direct peers are The J.M. Smucker Company, Mondelez International, Colgate-Palmolive Company, General Mills, WK Kellogg Co, Hershey Company and Nestlé S.A..
Does Mars, Incorporated have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mars, Incorporated.
What industry is Mars, Incorporated in?
Mars, Incorporated's product category is Confectionery and Pet Food. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAFAE, Treats & Chews, with a secondary code of CRADAFAG, Life-Stage & Breed/Size-Specific Formulas. Its NAICS code is 311111 and its SIC code is 2000.