Ironside Newark at 110 Edison Place in Newark — File photo / Courtesy: Edison Properties
By Joshua Burd
Mars Snacking is closing its Newark office, the site of its U.S. headquarters for the last six years, following a lease that helped the city land one of its best-known corporate tenants in recent memory.
The company — the maker of M&Ms and other iconic candy and snack brands — confirmed late Friday that it would shift operations to its growing North American headquarters campus in Chicago. That will take place by December 2027, a spokeswoman said, leaving behind a 110,000-square-foot office space at 110 Edison Place that has anchored a growing section of the downtown.
The move, first reported Friday by NJBIZ, impacts more than 300 employees and marks a disappointing end to what was an economic development success story in Newark. The former Mars Wrigley announced in late 2017 that it would move to what’s known as Ironside Newark, the site of a historic industrial building converted by Edison Properties, with the help of a 10-year, $31.5 million tax credit package from the state that it will now likely have to repay.
It’s also the latest in a string of blue-chip companies that have moved their corporate offices out of New Jersey in favor of lower-cost states. In late May, Samsung Electronics America said it would shift its headquarters to Texas, leaving the Garden State after more than four decades and vacating an office in Englewood Cliffs that it moved into less than a year ago.
Mars’ decision followed a “comprehensive review” of the snacking division’s North American office footprint, according to a company statement, adding that it aligns with a previously communicated move to and expansion in Chicago. The move seemingly will not have a significant impact on its historic Mars Chocolate factory in Hackettstown, where many of the Newark-based jobs were previously housed, which it recently updated in conjunction with the move.
“This decision is part of our broader strategy to position Mars Snacking for long-term growth and strengthen our operations in key locations across North America,” the statement read. “We recognize the impact this will have on our Associates in Newark and are committed to supporting them through this transition, including providing relocation opportunities and support where appropriate.
“Mars has a rich history in New Jersey. We remain committed to the state and will continue to invest in our operations, including our ongoing innovation and manufacturing work in Hackettstown. We remain focused on serving our customers and consumers without disruption during this transition.”
Mars Inc. has called New Jersey home since 1940, when the company opened its U.S. headquarters and the first M&M’s factory in Newark. City officials hailed its move to Ironside Newark as a homecoming, one that also helped energize a growing neighborhood around the Prudential Center and steps from Newark Penn Station.
The company was also a major addition to Newark’s roster of corporate tenants, joining the likes of PSE&G, Prudential Financial, Audible and others that have long anchored the business community. It’s now set to vacate a space that served as its marketing and sales hub since about mid-2020, having signed a lease that was initially reported to be 15 years.
The New Jersey Business & Industry Association and Michele Siekerka, its CEO and president, noted Friday that New Jersey is losing 9,700 jobs this year alone according to so-called WARN notices that employers file with the state.
“On a summer Friday when people should be getting excited about the weekend ahead, we are instead hit with the news of another unfortunate exodus of a job creator in New Jersey,” Siekerka said. “We need to wrap our arms around this and do something now that sends a message to our largest employers that things are going to change so we can stop this disturbing trend.”
It’s official: Edison, Mars Wrigley ink lease for Ironside Newark
