As Mars celebrates its 115-year journey, we sat down with Theresa McCulla, Mars Museum Curator, to discuss the rich, surprising and far-reaching history of the business.
From our humble beginnings in a Tacoma kitchen to scanning the world's very first barcode and launching beloved treats into orbit, Theresa shares the fascinating stories behind some of the company’s most iconic moments, innovations and global legacy.
The Mars journey began with a mom teaching her son her favorite recipes. Then, in 1911, Frank C. Mars began making and selling butter cream candies in his kitchen in Tacoma, Washington. Little did he know that the business he was starting would become a global company, Family-owned now for more than a century.
More than one Mars product has gone to space. M&M’S® Chocolate Candies first went to space in 1982, M&M’S Peanut Chocolate Candies first went to space in 1984, and astronauts have also brought LIFE SAVERS® to space since the early 1980s.
Most people don’t realize that a Mars Snacking brand was at the center of modern retail history. At a Troy, Ohio, supermarket in June 1974, a 10-pack of Wrigley's JUICY FRUIT® gum became the first product in the world to be scanned with a UPC barcode. A 10-pack of JUICY FRUIT gum and a scanner are preserved in the collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History today.
Our history of making high-quality pet food is much longer than many people know. In 1935, Forrest Mars Sr. launched CHAPPIE™ dog food and KITEKAT™ cat food in the UK. Since then, Mars has grown to nourish the world's pets through trusted brands like ROYAL CANIN®, PEDIGREE® and WHISKAS®, and care for those pets with our networks of leading veterinary clinics and hospitals, including BANFIELD PET HOSPITAL®, VCA™ and BLUEPEARL™ Pet Hospital
Many are surprised to learn that Mars pioneered canine DNA testing. In 2007, we launched WISDOM PANEL™, which was one of the first genetic tools developed for dogs. What began as a way to identify breed-specific health needs has since helped millions of pet owners and veterinarians create highly personalized care plans, proving that knowing more about our pets helps us care for them better. Additionally, our BANFIELD PET HOSPITAL providers invented a life-saving anesthesia safety relief valve, which continues to safeguard pets' lives during surgical procedures today.
In 1942, Mars developed converted rice, known today as BEN’S ORIGINAL™. A unique parboiling process locked in essential nutrients while making the rice highly stable, pest-resistant and easy to transport. Because of these qualities, our rice served as crucial fuel for Allied troops during World War II, then became a household favorite in kitchens across the globe.
It’s important because it's the story of both the global and the personal. It's incredibly powerful that we can look at something like a small cardboard tube of M&M’S from 1941 and understand things like technological change, innovations in production and changes in consumer taste. At the same time, these artifacts speak to the histories of our families and ourselves. Preserving things like a recipe book from the 1930s reminds us of where it all began and of the Associates who came before us.
