Mars Jobs to Topeka

August 28, 2011, by Lynn Jenkins of US 2nd District of Kansas

This Tuesday, I had the pleasure of attending the ground breaking ceremony  at the site of the new Mars Chocolate Factory to be built in Topeka.  This new plant is the first Mars Chocolate facility to be built in the United States in 35 years, and Mars expects to make a $250 million capital investment in our community, creating more than 200 full time jobs in Topeka during the first phase of development. When the new facility is completed in 2013, Topekans will initially be producing M&M’s and Snickers brand candies, but there are plans for additional phases of development which will expand the capacity of the facility and bring other product lines to the plant.

I was so pleased to be on hand with Governor Brownback and Senator Moran to welcome the good people at Mars to our state.  This is a fantastic development for the Topeka community and the state of Kansas.  Governor Brownback should be congratulated for creating a climate of growth in our state and clearly stating that Kansas is open for business.  The people of Topeka, especially the Topeka Chamber of Commerce, GO Topeka, and the Topeka Public School system, also deserve a pat on the back for all their hard work making this community so welcoming to investment and new business.   All the good efforts from the people at Mars and the people in Kansas provide a perfect model of how to get this country back to work, and I look forward to returning to Washington to share this “sweet” success story with members from across the country.

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