Mars is investing $109 million to expand production capacity at its plant in Veghel, in the Netherlands over the next ten years.
The planned expansion is targeting the ability to produce miniature versions of its top brands, to suit consumer demand in Western Europe as health-conscious consumers limit calorie intake.
The group’s plant in Veghel currently has the ability to produce 27 million chocolate bars per day, or 8.5 billion bars per year. Of this total production, between 25% and 30% are miniature products, however the volume of miniature output will increase by 4% to 5% over the next few years.
“This is due to the fact that in West Europe calorie intake is trending to lower down and sharing is getting more important. Miniatures are the right answer for that trend,” says Marissa Roodenburg, corporate affairs coordinator at Mars Netherlands.
The first phase of the project, which will modernize the facility, create technological innovations, and cluster and integrate several company divisions has already begun. The remaining five phases will continue until the completion of the project in 2025.
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