Mars Candy’s Waco Plant Getting $12 Million In Upgrades

WACO, Texas (AP) — The Central Texas plant that makes most of America's Starburst, Skittles and Snickers candies is getting some upgrades.

Mars Chocolate North America is spending $11.7 million to improve its candy-making ant in Waco. The Waco Tribune-Herald reports (http://bit.ly/J9XXEV) that the city will give Mars about $190,000 in tax breaks over the next five years.

About $4 million of Mars' investment will be spent on an enrobing machine that coats candy in chocolate.

Mars employs 450 full-time employees at its Waco facility, which makes all of the Starburst and Skittles candies sold in the United States and 85 percent of the Snickers bars.

A spokesman for Mars confirmed the tax breaks and called Waco "an important site to Mars Chocolate."

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Information from: Waco Tribune-Herald, http://www.wacotrib.com

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