- Nature's Bakery is set to open a $240 million facility in Salt Lake City, which is creating more than 200 new jobs.
- The facility will produce nearly 1 billion snack bars annually.
- Mars, Inc. said it plans $2 billion in U.S. manufacturing investment through the end of 2026.
SALT LAKE CITY — A massive Nature's Bakery facility is opening this week as part of its parent company's pledge to invest $2 billion into U.S. manufacturing over the next year and a half.
The new 339,000-square-foot facility, located at 2331 N. 2200 West in Salt Lake City, will open on Wednesday, bringing with it more than 230 new jobs to Utah. The $240 million facility will also help the snack maker produce close to 1 billion new bars every year, Mars, Incorporated officials said on Tuesday.
"I am thrilled for our strategic expansion with the establishment of a cutting-edge baking facility in Salt Lake City," Nature's Bakery CEO Steve Gardiner said in January 2024. "This investment marks a significant milestone in our brand's ability to drive greater capacity to meet growing consumer and retailer demand."
City and state officials celebrated the decision to build the facility in Utah and said it could give a boost to the local economy.
Mars, Inc. acquired Nature's Bakery in 2020 during a shift to healthier snacks. The acquisition was announced a month after the global company finalized a deal to purchase Kind Healthy Snacks. Nature's Bakery, which is based in Reno, Nevada, then became a subsidiary of Kind.
It's not Mars's only tie to Salt Lake City. The manufacturer furthered its dive into healthier snacks in 2022 by buying Utah-based Trü Frü. The brand opened a new headquarters downtown earlier this year after doubling its business since the acquisition. Decisions on how to push the product into the global market are being made in that office.
"We are so grateful that Mars is feeling the home vibes in Salt Lake City — a huge amount of investment," Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in March.
Mars also noted Tuesday that it opened a new $450 million Royal Canin dry pet food facility in Ohio this month. Both it and the new Nature's Bakery facilities are part of the $2 billion the company plans to invest in U.S. manufacturing through the end of 2026, company officials said. That's on top of $6 billion it has already invested in the past five years.
