Iconic candymaker to lay off hundreds, move US headquarters out of New Jersey

Mars Wrigley signaled it will lay off hundreds of workers as it relocates its headquarters from Newark, New Jersey, to an expanded facility in Chicago. The company on Friday submitted a WARN filing with the state of New Jersey that indicated it will eliminate 307 jobs at its Newark headquarters by mid-October, which will end the company's presence in the city. The candymaker, which is a division of Mars Incorporated, has a brand portfolio including M&M's, Snickers, Milky Way, Twix and Skittles. The move comes after the company spent $100 million to expand its footprint in Chicago, where its global headquarters is now located. Mars Wrigley's layoffs will impact its Newark headquarters as it relocates corporate operations to Chicago. The New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA) said the news of another departure of a high-profile company comes as another warning sign that the state needs to improve its business climate. Mars Wrigley has indicated it will continue to operate its manufacturing facility in Hackettstown, New Jersey, despite shifting corporate operations to Chicago. NJBIA noted that New Jersey has lost over 9,700 jobs disclosed through WARN notices this year alone, and it comes against the backdrop of other high-profile corporate departures. In June, Samsung announced it would relocate its corporate headquarters from Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, to Texas this year. Additionally, ExxonMobil shareholders voted to switch the energy giant's state of incorporation from the Garden State, where it has been domiciled for 144 years when it began as Standard Oil of New Jersey, to Texas.