[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 114 (Tuesday, September 21, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9438-S9439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        IN HONOR OF MASTERFOODS USA CHICAGO PLANT 75TH BIRTHDAY

 Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today I offer congratulations to 
Masterfoods USA on the 75th birthday of their candy plant in Chicago, 
IL. Masterfoods is the U.S. division of Mars, Incorporated.
  Chicago is America's candy capital. Since 1929, the hard-working 
folks at the Masterfoods plant in Chicago have been making our world 
sweeter.
  The plant is the birthplace of the world's best-selling candy bar--
the Snickers bar as well as home to other favorites, including the 
Milky Way and 3 Musketeers bars. Today, the Masterfoods USA Chicago 
plant produces 20 percent of all Masterfoods USA candy bars about 30 
million bars a day.
  Much like Chicago, the Masterfoods plant has been in a constant state 
of renewal and investment, and is as contemporary today as it was when 
it opened in 1929. Built on a site that was previously a golf course, 
the plant is unlike other factories, with a picturesque, high-windowed 
Spanish-style structure featuring a rich red tile roof and tinted 
walls.
  When it opened in 1929, the plant employed about 200 workers. Today, 
the plant employs about 500 associates, 10 percent of whom have a 
relative who formerly worked there. There are even three people working 
at the plant today who are third-generation plant associates.

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  Beyond creating and retaining jobs, Masterfoods USA is committed to 
community involvement. Each year at Halloween, more than 500 costumed 
children from the surrounding neighborhood converge on the plant to 
trick-or-treat. The company also donates equipment to Chicago Shriners 
Hospital for Children and provides 25 district police stations with 
candy for community outreach. In all, the Masterfoods USA Chicago plant 
assists more than 100 community programs each year. This is a company 
that has not just been an employer, it has also been a good neighbor.
  Today I wish to honor the 75th birthday of the Masterfoods USA 
Chicago Plant. Their success is a point of pride for Chicago and the 
State of Illinois. May their future be as sweet as their past.

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