Dive Brief:
- Mars North America will spend $31 million to build a research and development facility in Greenville, MS, and expand a food-production plant there.
- The company, part of the Mars Inc. empire, makes Uncle Ben's rice and the Seeds of Change organic food brands on a 110-acre site in the city.
- The news comes just seven months after Mars Inc. said it would build its first new chocolate plant in the U.S. in 35 years.
Dive Insight:
There are few details available so far about the Mars construction project. In particular, it's unclear if the the Greenville site will be LEED-certified. Given Mars' recent investment in renewable energy, and the company's pledge to reduce its carbon footprint, that is expected.