One of the three heirs of the sweet empire, John Mars, like his brother and sister, was brought up in severity, not even trying candy in childhood. Having become an adult, our hero turned out to be a wise manager, able to help pull the company out of crisis moments.
One of the richest people on the planet, John Mars, will give odds to the mysterious owner of the confectionery factory of wonders Ville Wonka. Just like the literary hero, John is a non-public person. But real – we all know the sweets produced by his brands.
The strict childhood of the heir to a sweet empire
Business tycoon John Mars bears a surname that has already become a household name. However, the history of his success shows that it is not enough to be born into a wealthy American family, to be the grandson and son of people with a “name”. His father taught him from childhood: fame, honor, and wealth still need to be earned.
A brief biography of the hero: American by nationality, John Franklyn Mars (John Franklyn Mars) was born on October 15, 1935, in the city of Arlington, Virginia. Even though his father already had a large confectionery business, he raised his children in severity. Forrest Mars’ hedgehog mittens meant that the heirs of the sweet empire were not allowed to touch the sweets.
A little historical background: the foundation of the organization was laid by John’s grandfather Frank, who in 1911 became the founder of the production of creamy caramel. The hero’s father, Forrest, continued his successful work. You can learn more about the history of the company in the following video:
There were other serious restrictions: no fashionable clothes, expensive cars, or other luxury attributes. The father taught the children to a useful habit – to work.
On this occasion, you can even quote the following statement by Forrest Mars: “Everything in life must be earned.” Despite asceticism, some modern billionaires saw this approach as a reasonable seed for educating the younger generation – in particular, Bill Gates took this philosophy as a basis for education.
Separately, it is worth mentioning education. In 1953, John graduated from the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut. Then Yale University was waiting for him. Even after leaving the walls of the university, John Mars and his brother will financially help their alma mater. For example, in 1999 they supported EPE, the university’s program in ethics, politics, and economics ($ 2 million was allocated for this project).
The beginning of working days
After graduating from university, John served in the US Army for two years. And then it was time to learn the basics of business in a family company. But even the grown-up son, the father was not going to give any indulgences. The very first assignment – developing animal feed – was not at all suitable for a beginner, but John Mars was not afraid of the challenge and coped with the set business challenge with dignity.
The father “did not give a descent” to the offspring – he threw more and more new orders. And, despite the decent work of John and his brother, he always found something to find fault with. Old-timers recall that the boss’s screams were heard on all floors of the factory.
And you can start the production of sweets with the opening of a confectionery shop.
In 1969, Forrest resigned – management was transferred to his sons. The only condition that the head of the family sets for children is that the company cannot be sold while he is alive.
John Mars is the brain of the company
It was the policy of Mars Incorporated to be sufficiently close to the press. So the degree of our hero’s involvement in the management of the family business can only be understood from the scant facts. One thing is known: he was responsible for the development and launch of new products. Until the late 1980s, even the Mars family’s lawyers and bankers had no access to the company’s papers.
As chairman of the board, John has been very successful in diversifying products by expanding his product line. Simply put, John focused on strategic marketing – and he was right.
