The acting leader of Leicestershire County Council, Kevin Crook, has welcomed the huge £161m investment from Mars into their Melton Mowbray factory.
Mars has been part of the Melton Mowbray community for 75 years, and is the birthplace of iconic brands including Whiskas and Pedigree.
The Melton Mowbray site is one of the region’s largest employers and a vital production hub for Mars Petcare, supplying 95% of its output to British households and exporting the remaining 5% to key European markets.
“This is absolutely fantastic for Melton Mowbray – Mars has been an important part of the local community for eight decades and this significant investment highlights their commitment to the area.
We want to help make this a success for Mars and Leicestershire, which is why we’re working to bring partners together to help increase employment opportunities for local people and opportunities for local suppliers and contractors to be a part of this investment.
Melton Mowbray has helped to make Mars the successful business it is today, and I’m sure this will continue over the coming years.”Person:Kevin Crook, acting leader of Leicestershire County Council
Running through 2031, the modernisation programme will establish Melton Mowbray as Mars, Incorporated’s primary pouched pet food factory in the UK.
Over the last five years, more than 50 apprentices have completed their programmes at the Melton Mowbray site.
Sharon Ross, Plant Manager at Mars Melton Mowbray, said: “Melton Mowbray holds a unique place in Mars history as our first pet care site. Having celebrated 75 years of manufacturing this year, this £161 million investment is a profound vote of confidence in our site, our Associates, and the wider community.
"By integrating cutting-edge technology and expanding our apprenticeship programme, we are building on our proud heritage, equipping the next generation with future-ready engineering skills, and writing an exciting new chapter for the iconic brands like Whiskas made right here.”