Mars is a family-owned company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, United States that owns 42 consumer brands across 2 categories through 1 subsidiary, and has 9 recorded transactions.[1]
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.
Mars agreed in August 2024 to buy Kellanova for $83.50 a share in cash, a total enterprise value of $35.9 billion including assumed net leverage, and completed the purchase on 11 December 2025 after the last regulatory approvals arrived three days earlier. Kellanova became a wholly owned subsidiary of Mars and its shares left the New York Stock Exchange. The brands did not change hands individually: Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, RXBAR and the international Kellogg cereals stay with Kellanova, which is now a private family-owned company's snacking arm rather than a listed business.
Mars took full ownership of KIND, having held a minority stake since 2017. The snack bar company had built its position on visible whole ingredients through a transparent wrapper, and its founder stayed on to lead it.
Mars renamed Uncle Ben's to Ben's Original and removed the image of an elderly Black man from the packaging, after criticism during the 2020 racial justice protests that the branding drew on a servant stereotype.
Mars acquired VCA Inc., the largest chain of veterinary hospitals in the United States, for about $9.1 billion including debt. Mars already owned Banfield, and the combination made the largest pet food company in the world also the largest provider of veterinary care.
Mars acquired the IAMS and Eukanuba pet food brands from Procter & Gamble for about $2.9 billion, covering North America and several other markets. Spectrum Brands bought the European rights separately, so the brands have different owners by territory.
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.
Mars acquired Nutro Products, a Californian natural pet food maker founded in 1926 and sold through specialty retailers rather than supermarkets. It sits above Pedigree and below the veterinary lines in the company's pet food hierarchy. The price was not disclosed.
Mars acquired S&M NuTec, maker of Greenies dental chews, which are shaped like toothbrushes and were developed after a dog owner grew tired of his pet's breath. They are accepted by the Veterinary Oral Health Council for reducing plaque, unusual for a product sold as a treat. Only the year is documented here.
The Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF) keeps an open register of legal entities. Each entity reports its own parents. We show it as a cross-check on the ownership recorded on this page, which is built from filings.
3 recall notices from government regulators matched to Mars.
Each applies to the specific products, sizes and lot codes named in the notice, not to every product sold under the name.
Matched automatically from FDA, USDA FSIS, UK Food Standards Agency and CPSC records only when the recalling firm corresponds to this ownership record and, for a brand, the brand name appears in the product description. Check the linked notice for exact products and lots. Method.
Frequently asked questions
What brands does Mars own?
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Mars owns 42 consumer brands tracked here, including Juicy Fruit, IAMS, Nutro, Maltesers, Orbit and Mars.
Is Mars an American company?
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Yes. Mars is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, United States and was founded in 1911.
Who owns Mars?
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Mars is privately held. 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.
What was Mars' most recent acquisition?
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The most recent completed acquisition recorded here is Kellanova, Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, RXBAR, Nutri-Grain, Special K and Crunchy Nut on 11 December 2025.
Sources (9) & corrections
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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