CHICAGO - February 14, 2012. To celebrate Valentine's Day, Governor Pat Quinn visited the Mars, Inc. Chicago candy factory to announce the company's recent growth in Illinois. The facility, which has added 65 new jobs, also donated candy to children at the nearby Shriners Hospital for Children. After touring Mars' facility, the Governor visited children at the hospital and hand-delivered Mars candy valentines.
"I want to thank Mars for their continued commitment to growing and creating jobs in Illinois," Governor Quinn said. "Right here in Illinois, Mars is manufacturing Snickers, Milky Way and 3 Musketeers and it is only fitting that we celebrate this Valentine's Day with Mars."
Mars recently invested $48 million in its Chicago-based factory to create a new line of products and hire 65 employees to work on a new manufacturing line. The factory has been in full production since 1929, and this recent investment extends the company's commitment to another 100 years of growth in Illinois. Mars Chicago-based factory employs about 250 associates and manufactures about 25 million candy bars a day.
Governor Quinn toured the factory's new line where employees help produce Mars' world-famous products like 3 Musketeers, Mars Bars, Milky Way and Snickers.
After the tour, Governor Quinn visited the nearby Shriners Hospital for Children, which is one of busiest hospitals in the Shriners network. The hospital treats children with orthopedic and neuromusculoskeletal conditions. Patients can also receive treatment for spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate. Shriners Hospitals for Children provide specialty healthcare for children around the country, regardless of a patient's ability to pay. Governor Quinn visited children at the hospital today to deliver Valentine's Day candy donated by Mars.
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