Details about Mars and Hershey, the top two U.S. candymakers:
MARS INC.
Headquarters: McLean, Va.
Founded: By Frank C. Mars, 1911, in Tacoma, Wash.
Original product: Butter cream candies
Owner: Mars family (privately held)
Employees: 48,000 worldwide
Annual sales: $22 billion; 51 percent in Europe
Products: Candy, packaged food and pet food
U.S. chocolate market share: 30 percent
Recent moves: Buying gum maker Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. to become world's largest candymaker
THE HERSHEY CO.
Headquarters: Hershey, Pa.
Founded: By Milton S. Hershey, 1905, in Hershey
Original product: Hershey bar
Majority owner: Hershey Trust Co. (The Milton Hershey School)
Employees: 12,800 worldwide
Annual sales: $5 billion; 86 percent in the United States
Products: Candy, mint and gum
U.S. chocolate market share: 42.5 percent
Recent moves: Trying to revive sales after stumbling two years ago
Source: Mars Inc. 2008 Corporate Fact Sheet; The Hershey Co. 2007 annual report, IRI/Neilsen
