Mars

Mars Inc., one of the largest family-owned businesses in the United States and a global confectionery giant, began when Frank C. Mars (1883–1934) launched the Mar-O-Bar Company in 1911, making buttercream candies in his home in Tacoma, Washington. In 1920, Mars moved his company to larger quarters in Minneapolis, introducing Snickers (minus the chocolate coating) and Milky Way (1922) candy bars. Relocating again outside Chicago and renamed Mars Candies in 1926, the company prospered even during the Depression, when it successfully introduced Mars Almond Bar, chocolate-covered Snickers, and 3 Musketeers.