Mars Egypt pours $250 million into chocolate factory expansion

Mars Bars, the gooey chocolate candy sold virtually everywhere on Earth, are finding the MENA market to be a sweet spot for sales growth.

Counting on both kids and adult snackers to keep devouring the high-calorie munchies, Mars Egypt – the Middle East subsidiary of McClean, Virginia.-based Mars Inc. – laid out plans this week to invest $250 million in expanding its Cairo-area factory near the pyramids in Giza.

Over the course of an 18-month construction period, the plant’s production capacity is slated to increase from 25,000 to 40,000 tons a year.

Alongside the caramel-infused chocolate bars, Mars currently makes roughly 150 products on the Egyptian factory’s six production lines, including Snickers, Altoids and Juicy Fruit chewing gum.

The expansion will add two new production lines and 15 new products by the start of next year, the plant’s director, Osama Hellal, told the Zawya news agency on a factory tour.