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M&M’s maker cuts 307 jobs and leaves New Jersey

Mars Wrigley is relocating its headquarters from Newark, New Jersey, to Chicago, resulting in 307 job cuts. ©Image Credit: Unsplash / Sergey Sokolov

Mars Wrigley, the company behind M&M's, Snickers, Twix, Skittles, and Milky Way, is officially saying goodbye to Newark, New Jersey, after announcing plans to relocate its headquarters to Chicago. Along with the move come 307 job cuts at its Newark office, marking the end of the company's corporate presence in the city.

No, your M&M's aren't going anywhere, but here is all we know about the development.

The candy giant is leveling up in Chicago

Mars Wrigley has been laying the groundwork for this move for a while. The company recently invested $100 million to expand its Chicago campus, which now serves as its global headquarters. According to Mars, consolidating operations there is part of a broader strategy to fuel long-term growth across North America.

Employees affected by the move will be offered relocation opportunities where possible, while the company says its manufacturing facility in Hackettstown, New Jersey, will continue operating.

Why Chicago?

Mars acquired Chicago-based Wrigley back in 2008, giving the city an increasingly important role in its business. Then last year, the company added another Chicago heavyweight to its snack empire by acquiring Kellanova, the company behind brands like Pringles and Cheez-It.

Instead of spreading executives across multiple cities, Mars appears to be putting all its corporate snack eggs into one basket.

New Jersey isn't taking the breakup well

According to the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, the state has already seen more than 9,700 jobs affected by WARN notices this year. Mars' exit follows other headline-making corporate moves, including Samsung relocating its New Jersey headquarters to Texas and ExxonMobil moving its legal home from New Jersey to Texas after more than a century.

To officials, this is yet another signal for the state to improve its business climate. As NJBIA CEO Michele Siekerka pointed out: “We need to wrap our arms around this and do something now that sends a message to our largest employers that things are going to change so we can stop this disturbing trend.”

If your concern is whether your M&M's will taste the same and continue recruiting colorful candy spokescharacters, they still will. Your next bag of Skittles or Snickers will also still taste the same.

Source: Fox Business

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