MARS, Incorporated, first set up shop in France in 1951, the year the first Mars® chocolate bar was sold. In fact, MARS, Incorporated, was the first to sell chocolate bars in France. In 1962, we began importing dogfood (Chappie®) and catfood (Kitekat®)
1967: Mars, Incorporated, purchases the Strasbourg-based petfood company SABI and renames it UNISABI SA. SABI had pioneered petfood in France in 1959 with its brands Canigou® and Ronron®. In those days, cans were filled with ladles, sealed on a pedal-driven machine and their labels were typed on typewriters.
1973: we lay the first brick of our petfood factory in Saint-Denis-de-L’Hôtel, in central France. Soon the future star brands appear : Kitekat®, Pedigree®, Frolic®, Whiskas® and Loyal®, always aiming to bring our four-legged friends health and well being.
The development of Mars, Incorporated, in France continued at a rapid pace:
· 1974: we inaugurate the Haguenau factory in Alsace, making chocolate confectionery for the European market
· 1977: we build the Chapelle Vendômoise plant near Blois to produce dry petfood including Brekkies® and Pedigree® ,
· 1981: we open the Ernolsheim-sur-Bruche plant, also in Alsace, to produce wet petfood such as César® and Sheba®,
· 1989: we open the Steinbourg plant – still in Alsace – to make the Doveurope ice creams.
1996: the Food business (Mars Alimentaire) and the Petfood business (Unisabi) come under a single roof at Saint-Denis-de-L’Hôtel.
2000: we invest in an innovation co-developed by French farmers and the INRA research lab: Ebly®. Mars, Incorporated, markets this promising grain of wheat produced at a plant in Chateaudun... A joint venture with the farmers cooperative is created on this occasion.
2001: new entity Masterfoods France manages the Unisabi, Doveurope and Mars Alimentaire plants. Mars has 84 plants and 175 sites in the world at this date.
2002: we purchase Royal Canin, a French specialist of pet health & nutrition. We sell our kibble plant in Chapelle Vendômoise. The same year, we acquire French fischare company Rena.
May 1, 2007: Masterfoods is split into two entities:
- MARS Petcare & Food France, based in Saint-Denis-de-l’Hôtel (petfod and food for humans).
- MARS Chocolat France, based in Haguenau (chocolate confectionery, cookies and ice cream).
2008: Mars, Incorporated, buys Wrigley, which has a chewing gum plant in Alsace (Freedent®, Juicy fruit®, Airwaves®…).
