Confectionery giant Mars Wrigley is injecting US$2 million over the next 3 years to buy new equipment and upgrade its infrastructure and packaging at its Antipolo plant, located 21km east of Manila.
Last year, Mars Wrigley invested US$1 million for a biomass boiler to allow the Antipolo plant to move away from diesel as an energy source and shift to renewable energy through the use of rice husk.
Mars Wrigley established its presence in the Philippines in 1965, and it shifted its manufacturing operations from Pasig to Antipolo in 1999. Presently, its Antipolo plant produces up to 30 metric tons of chewing gum products such as Doublemint, Juicy Fruit and CoolAir daily. The bulk or 86% of its production is exported, mainly to Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei and Bangladesh.
Mars Wrigley is also planning to expand deeper into the Philippine general trade sector, including ‘sari-sari’ stores and local key accounts, as part of its broader strategy to strengthen its nationwide presence.
Kalpesh Parmar, Regional General Manager for Mars Wrigley Asia, said the company has established a solid presence in modern trade channels and major retail chains such as Robinsons, SM, S and R, Puregold and 7-Eleven. However, he emphasized that significant growth opportunities remain in the general trade network, which continues to expand even amid market volatility. These traditional channels have proven resilient, especially during economic uncertainties. Currently, these small neighborhood stores account for up to 20% of the retail market.
This year, Mars Wrigley also celebrates its 60th year of manufacturing in the Philippines. It attributed its continual success to its dynamic brand strategy, and narrowing of its focus to 2 core confectionery lines which include chewy candy/gum and chocolate confectionery. Mars Wrigley is also responsive to ongoing consumer trends, like for example its leaning onto the rising influence of K-Pop culture and celebrities to fuel engagement for its brands like Snickers.
Its Antipolo plant however focuses mainly on the manufacturing of chewing gum brands and presently, there are no plans to expand production into other product segments. The Antipolo plant has an area of 7,030 sq.meters within a 37,339 sq.meter compound, and it serves a key role in producing and exporting of chewing gum products to Southeast Asia.
