Mars Wrigley Australia announced it will invest $30 million into its Ballarat factory over the coming two years.
The investment, which comes after a $37 million investment in 2020, will advance Mars Wrigley’s local manufacturing capabilities and future-proof its Australian operators.
Andrew Leakey, General Manager of Mars Wrigley Australia, said: “While the majority of our products are made in Australia today, our ambition is to make even more of our products here in the future. The new AU$30 million investment into our Ballarat factory will support our ambition by enhancing our on-shore manufacturing technologies and capabilities to ensure our Australian business remains globally competitive.”
The new investment will be used to introduce a new packaging line for Maltesers which will allow for increased volume of production and open export opportunities to growth markets across Asia during peak season.
Mars Wrigley will also roll out enhancements and asset improvements across the M&M’s and Pods lines. The upgrades will allow the Ballarat factory, which is the only manufacturing site in the world that makes Pods, to continue manufacturing and distributing the product throughout Australia.
“As one of Australia’s largest manufacturers, we recognise that we have an important role to play in helping future proof not only our business, but also the food & beverage manufacturing industry. The new technological advancements at our Ballarat factory from this latest round investment will feed into our ongoing commitment to upskilling our Associates and building a robust talent pipeline,” said Leakey.