Market Summaries
Mars Australia and New Zealand
Key Facts
- Launched in Australia in 1954 and in New Zealand in 1983
- Four business segments: Chocolate, Food, Petcare and Wrigley
- 2,200+ Associates
- 14 factory and office locations
- The GCC Marketing and Advertising to Children Pledge
- Popular brands include M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, MASTERFOODS®, DOLMIO®, PEDIGREE®, UNCLE BEN'S®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA® and STARBURST®
MARS IN AUSTRALIA
The MARS® bar first appeared in Australia in 1954, produced under license by McRobertsons. Mars launched PAL® and WHISKAS® in 1965 and built our pet food factory in Wodonga, Victoria, in 1966. In 1967, Mars bought MASTERFOODS® of Australia, which produced herbs and spices.
The Chocolate, Petcare and Food segments all continued to grow. In 1979, we opened our first confectionery factory in Ballarat, Victoria, and in 1990 MASTERFOODS® moved to a state-of-the-art facility in Wyong, New South Wales. The global acquisition of Wrigley in 2008 brought additional iconic brands such as EXTRA® and JUICY FRUIT® into our portfolio.
Mars Chocolate is now the second-largest confectionery company in Australia, employing more than 620 people and exporting to more than 30 countries in Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Our investment in the region continues, with our pet food plants in Bathurst, New South Wales and Wanganui, New Zealand, both undergoing major development projects.
Principles in Action
Mars Australia has a long history of putting our Five Principles in Action. In 1989, Mars Petfood was named Victorian Employer of the Year for its Associate development and community involvement. Mars Chocolate has more than halved water use in its factories since 2001 and, in 2006, was one of the first companies in Australia to introduce guideline daily amount and front-of-pack calorie labeling. In 2010, Wrigley launched its "Eat. Drink. Chew." and "Dentists Recommend" campaigns for EXTRA® after signing an agreement with the Australian Dental Association. These are just a few achievements chosen from many.
Our business segments also sponsor events and good causes, including World Animal Day, Seeing Eye Dogs Australia, Earth Hour, Keep Australia Beautiful and the TV show "Junior Masterchef."
Encouraging better health and improved nutrition is a priority for all our segments. Through our membership in the Australian Food and Grocery Council, Mars has signed the Australian Marketing Initiative, which includes a code for marketing to children. We have renovated MILKY WAY® and MARS® bars to reduce saturated fat content by between 19 percent and 22 percent, and Mars Food has removed 70 tonnes of salt from Australia's diet by reducing salt in its products.
We encourage Associates to have healthy, active lifestyles by offering benefits like discounted gym memberships, smoking-cessation plans, vaccinations, fitness boot camps, health checks and more. In 2010, ROYAL CANIN® introduced "Health Hours" for Associates to further encourage well-being. Our Associates contribute to their local communities in many ways, including the creation of a local community dog park in Wodonga and through a Community Angels program, with Associates reaching out into the community to help those experiencing hardship.
Environmental protection is also important. Mars Food Australia won a Global Water Award in 2010 in recognition of its water reductions, while our confectionery factory in Ballarat recycles 95 percent of its production waste. In 2009, Mars Chocolate launched its "Mars on Earth" program to raise awareness of environmental sustainability among Associates, while Wrigley launched its similar "Go Green" program in Australia in 2010. Mars Petcare Australia was instrumental in an initiative that has resulted in all major canned-fish marketers in Australia signing a sustainably sourced tuna products code.
We are working toward Mars Chocolate's global commitment to source 100 percent of the cocoa used to produce our chocolate from certified sources by 2020 and introduced Rainforest Alliance certification for the cocoa in our MARS® bars in June 2011.
MARS IN NEW ZEALAND
Mars New Zealand has four business segments: Chocolate, Food, Petcare and Wrigley. Mars has been registered as a business in New Zealand since 1983; Wrigley, acquired by Mars in 2008, has been present in New Zealand since the DOUBLEMINT® brand was launched in 1923.
We import most of our products, including famous brands such as M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, MASTERFOODS®, UNCLE BEN'S®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA® and PK®. But as New Zealand is a growing market for Mars, we recently committed $10 million in developments to our Wanganui pet food plant.
PRINCIPLES IN ACTION
Like all Mars business units, Mars New Zealand applies the Five Principles both internally and in our dealings with our business partners and suppliers.
We partner with Mars Australia on initiatives, such as Rainforest Alliance certification for the cocoa in our MARS® bars and our efforts to reduce the saturated fat content of MILKY WAY® and MARS® bars.
Mars New Zealand has introduced many sustainability initiatives, including energy reductions and paper-saving and recycling programs. We offer Associates ways to improve their health and fitness, such as health checks to measure fitness level, cholesterol and blood pressure. More than 80 percent of Associates have also joined the Kiwi Workplace Challenge, which encourages exercise.
In 2010, Mars New Zealand was the overall winner of the JRA Best Places to Work Award. JRA (formerly John Robertson & Associates) is New Zealand’s leading provider of employee surveys.
