Orbit, a food brand, is owned by Mars (the United States), which acquired the brand on 6 October 2008 from Wrigley, as part of a $23 billion deal that also included Extra, Skittles and Starburst.[1] Before Mars, Orbit was owned by Wrigley to 2008.[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Evidence: Mars, Incorporated — our brands. Last checked .
Orbit gum was introduced in the United States during the Second World War, when sugar rationing meant Wrigley's main brands went entirely to the armed forces and a substitute was needed for civilians. It was relaunched internationally in 1976 as a sugar-free gum and is sold across Europe and Asia.
The USPTO record for the Orbit mark lists Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company as the owner of record (serial number 79056376). A trademark is often held by a group company rather than the listed parent, so the registrant's name can differ from the owner named above.[2]
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
Open the full Mars ownership tree →
See the full Mars brand portfolio (42) →
Mars controls 42 brands on Brandtree, 31 of them in food.
Mars has more brands in gum & mints on Brandtree than any other owner: 5 of 22.
| Brand | Owner | Owner based in |
|---|---|---|
| Menthoplus | Arcor | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
| Läkerol | Cloetta | 🇸🇪 Sweden |
| Fresh | Kenafric | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
| Dubble Bubble | Tootsie Roll | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Tic Tac | Ferrero | 🇮🇹 Italy |
| Biodent | Golrang Industrial Group | 🇮🇷 Iran |
| Ice Breakers | Hershey | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Lotte Xylitol | Lotte | 🇰🇷 South Korea |
Mars is a family-owned company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, United States, founded in 1911. Brandtree records 42 brands under its control.
Mars is one of the largest privately held companies in the world, owned by the Mars family since Frank Mars began making sweets in Tacoma in 1911. It publishes no financial statements. Its four segments are snacking, pet nutrition, food and Mars Wrigley, and it agreed to acquire Kellanova in 2024.
Brandtree records a controlling owner for 2,550 brands that began in the United States. 479 of them (19%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country; Orbit is not one of them.
Mars acquired the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company for $80 a share in cash, financed in part by Berkshire Hathaway and Goldman Sachs. The deal created Mars Wrigley and made Mars the largest confectionery company in the world.
The parent company of Orbit is Mars, a family-owned company headquartered in the United States.
Yes. Orbit originated in the United States in 1944 and its owner, Mars, is also headquartered in the United States.
Mars completed its acquisition of Orbit on 6 October 2008, after announcing the deal on 28 April 2008. The deal, which also included Extra, Skittles and Starburst, was valued at $23 billion.
Before Mars, Orbit was owned by Wrigley until 2008.
Yes. As of 27 September 2026, Orbit is still owned by Mars. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
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