It's been more than three decades since McLean, Va.-based Mars Inc. has built a new chocolate factory in the United States. In August, the privately owned maker of Snickers and M&M's broke ground on a 350,000-square-foot manufacturing facility—in Topeka, Kan. At first blush, Topeka might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of chocolate manufacturing. But during the Aug. 23 groundbreaking of the company's new facility in Topeka, executives from Mars made it clear that the two are as natural a fit as caramel and nougat. Or milk chocolate and peanuts. "I look out, and there are about 500 people here at 8 a.m.," said Todd Lachman, president of Mars Chocolate North America and Latin America, who was flanked by costumed M&M characters.
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