Mars Wrigley Confectionery plans to invest $142 million into the company's Cleveland, Tenn., M&M's plant and boost hiring there to make a new product, officials said today.
Mars will hire about 75 more people, pushing its headcount at the plant to more than 800 workers, as it adds M&M's Hazelnut Spread to its product lineup.
"We try to stay in touch with what our consumers are looking for," said Mack Phillips, site director at the plant which is the biggest maker of M&M's worldwide.
The new M&M's will have a hazelnut-filled soft center similar to M&M's Caramel, according to the company.
"Soft center is popular with our customers," Phillips said.
Work on the plant expansion is to start this year, he said. While the size of the plant will increase somewhat, most of the investment will go inside the facility, Phillips said.
Hiring also will start this year, with new jobs paying on average of about $27 per hour including benefits, he said.
Phillips said Mars is working on an incentive package with both Bradley County and state of Tennessee officials.
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