M&M's Maker Mars Gives Rare Peek Into Its $70 Billion Future

  • Closely held company plans to stay private forever, CEO says
  • Pet push is smart hedge as candy consumption scrutinized more
Rows of M&M candies are displayed for sale at the Mars Inc. M&M's World store in New York.

Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg

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Mars Inc., the closely held company best known for treats like M&M’s and Snickers bars, looks to double the size of the business over the next 10 years as it expands deeper into pet care and non-confectionery nutrition.

Chief Executive Officer Grant Reid announced the goal in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, offering a rare peek into the ambitions of a family-owned company that isn’t required to disclose its financial data. Such an increase could push sales at the 107-year-old company beyond $70 billion, up from about $35 billion now, and it plans to do so without going public. That would make its sales about as big as Target Corp. or Procter & Gamble Co. are today.