Colorful. Crunchy. Sweet. There's probably no candy in America more iconic than M&M's. The hard-shell, chocolate candies debuted 76 years ago. At first, they were sold only to the U.S. military as part of soldiers' food rations during World War II.
M&M's is a billion dollar global brand - one of ten billion dollar brands in Mars' food and pet-care businesses. The others include: Snickers, Twix, Orbit/Extra, Dove/Galaxy, Banfield, Pedigree, Whiskas and Royal Canin, and VCA Inc.
Mars is Virginia-based, operating from its corporate headquarters in McLean. The two-story, brown-brick building isn't plush as headquarters go, but there is a tasty perk: free snacks, including a cold case in the reception area stocked with Mars ice-cream confections.