Mars Wrigley Australia is investing $25.5 million into its Ballarat factory over the following 12 months to bolster local manufacturing capabilities and continue driving innovation across its Bitesize Portfolio, which includes brands such as M&M’s, Maltesers and Pods.
The new funding, which builds on $67 million invested by Mars Wrigley over the last two years, will enable the company to better respond to evolving consumer demands through product innovation across the Bitesize Portfolio.
As a proud Australian manufacturer, the investment will additionally help future-proof Mars Wrigley’s local operations by bolstering its manufacturing capabilities, improving its raw cocoa and melted chocolate production, drive forward its local sustainable packaging efforts and create greater operational efficiencies.
Mars Wrigley Australia General Manager Andrew Leakey says: “We have a commitment of making the majority of our product portfolio here in Australia, and we are cementing this further by unlocking greater capabilities to create new consumer-led product innovation whilst accelerating our sustainable packaging focus locally. This new round of investment will support this ambition by improving our domestic processing and manufacturing capabilities and continue our long and proud legacy of manufacturing in Ballarat.
“As one of Australia’s largest snacks and treats manufacturers, we strive to respond to evolving consumption habits and new consumer trends in the market. This latest investment will allow us to bolster our production capabilities for our Bitesize Portfolio, which will be critical to our growth over the coming three years. We see substantial opportunities in this space, with a number of exciting projects currently underway,” Mr Leakey said.
Mars Wrigley Australia has been manufacturing locally in Ballarat for more than 40 years. This recent investment continues to drive forward the company’s commitment to Australian manufacturing and providing world-class regional employment opportunities to Australians.