Mars pours $60 million into expanding Tru Fru production

What Mars announced

Privately owned Mars Inc., known for food and pet care, will expand Tru Fru capacity with a $60 million investment. The money will establish two new lines inside the Nature's Bakery snack bar plant located in Salt Lake City, Utah.

According to the company, the lines are expected to be operational before year-end and will create 100 new jobs. Tru Fru now reaches 20 markets worldwide, with Australia as the latest entry.

How Tru Fru is performing

Tru Fru makes sweet snacks built from frozen and freeze-dried fruit covered in chocolate and other coatings. According to Mars, the brand's yearly revenue is now about $500 million, compared with around $100 million before the deal closed in early 2023.

"This will be a billion dollar brand in our portfolio before long," Chief Financial Officer Claus Aagaard told Bloomberg News. "It's got a lot of health cues," which attracts shoppers seeking healthier options, while "you get a little bit of chocolate or creamy layer that makes the treat out of it," he said.

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The bigger manufacturing push and why it matters

Mars said it will also put $49 million into a Columbus, Ohio pet food plant to grow Temptations Lickable Treats for cats, as one element of a larger $1.4 billion U.S. manufacturing push slated for 2027. Aagaard noted that demand for food targeting small dogs and cats has been gaining traction, adding that cats often need less upkeep, handle apartment living better, and cost less to feed on a per meal basis.

Cat treats remain underpenetrated: company research indicates just 53% of US households with cats purchase them today. Aagaard also said that 94% of the company's product lineup is manufactured in the US, its biggest market. Why does that matter? More domestic production can shorten supply lines, while Tru Fru's fast growth hints at durable demand in better-for-you sweets.

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