Mars Wrigley Australia has announced it will invest $30 million into its Ballarat factory over 2021-22 to continue advancing its local manufacturing capabilities and future-proof its Australian operations.
The new investment will go towards the continued expansion of Mars Wrigley’s local chocolate making capabilities by allowing the manufacturer to introduce more variants to its chocolate bar line, including the new Mars Raspberry Smash which is available at major retailers nationwide.
It will also allow for Mars Wrigley to roll out asset improvements and enhancements to both the M&M’s and Pods lines. Mars Wrigley’s Ballarat factory is the only manufacturing site in the world that makes Pods, and these equipment upgrades will allow the business to continue manufacturing and distributing the product throughout Australia.
The investment will also introduce a new packaging line for Maltesers to allow for increased volume of production, unlocking increased export opportunities to growth markets across Asia during peak season demand.
Mars Wrigley Australia General Manager Andrew Leakey says: “While the majority of our products are made in Australia today, our ambition is to make even more of our products here in the future. The new AU$30 million investment into our Ballarat factory will support our ambition by enhancing our on-shore manufacturing technologies and capabilities to ensure our Australian business remains globally competitive.”
“As one of Australia’s largest manufacturers, we recognise that we have an important role to play in helping future proof not only our business, but also the food and beverage manufacturing industry. The new technological advancements at our Ballarat factory from this latest round investment will feed into our ongoing commitment to upskilling our Associates and building a robust talent pipeline.”