The Ethel M Chocolate Factory is a chocolate factory in Henderson, Nevada, founded by Forrest Mars Sr. It produces gourmet chocolate for all of the Ethel M and Ethel's brand chocolates. The factory was named after the mother of Forrest Mars Sr. and is owned by

Mars, Incorporated Mars, Incorporated is an American multinational manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products and a provider of animal care services, with US$40 billion in annual sales in 2021. Mars was ranked as the fourth-largest pri ...

History

The early history of the Ethel chocolate factory Forrest Mars Sr. joined the family business

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...

in 1929 and retired in 1969. After a short time of retirement, he created Ethel M Chocolates in 1978, which opened in 1980. The reasons for the foundation are assumed to be wanting to cure the boredom he experienced after retiring and to honor his mother, using chocolate recipes she had created.The Emperors of Chocolate by J.G. Brenner. Published by Random House in 1999. See page 324 According to researcher J.G. Brenner, "Forrest established the venture in Nevada because it is one of the few states that allowed the sale of liqueur-filled cordials." He started Ethel M with two of his past associates, Alan Thomas, as general manager, and Dean Musser, as CFO. Mars commissioned engineer Stephen H. Edelblute to design and build the factory, former candy factory owner Fred Dent to assist in developing his chocolates and Karen Grover, a recent research assistant. Within a few years of its opening "the company had reached annual sales of $150 million, from seventy Ethel M stores throughout the West." In 2007, Ethel M's introduced a new line of 48 different handmade-gourmet chocolates designed by master

chocolatier A chocolatier is a person or company who makes confectionery from chocolate. Chocolatiers are distinct from chocolate makers, who create chocolate from cacao beans and other ingredients. Education and training Traditionally, chocolatiers, ...

Jin Caldwell. In late 2007 the company responded to public demand for the classic line of chocolates by re-releasing six varieties of chocolates in their retail stores in the Las Vegas area.

Company

The main production plant of Ethel is located in Henderson, Nevada. A part of the factory is open to the public and visitors can take self-guided tours. Other than at the factory (at 2 Cactus Garden Drive), Ethel's stores can be found in Nevada at the California Hotel, Town Square Las Vegas Outlets, and Gates A-E of Harry Reid International Airport. The company also has stores in Southern California. At the same location of the plant is the Ethel M Botanical Cactus Garden, which features over 300 species of desert plants.

Products

The company distributes their products mainly via phone and internet on their website, although they also operate several retail outlets in and around

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

Sponsorship

Ethel M sponsored

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

Driver

Kyle Busch Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing and part-time ...

and his No. 18

Joe Gibbs Racing Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is an American professional stock car racing organization owned and operated by former Washington Redskins (today the Washington Commanders) coach Joe Gibbs, which first started racing on the NASCAR circuit in 1991. His ...

Toyota Camry race car at

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada in Las Vegas, Nevada about 15 miles northeast of the Las Vegas Strip, is a complex of multiple tracks for motorsports racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is ...

in the 2021 and 2022 Pennzoil 400. Parent company Mars, Inc. were a primary sponsor of Kyle Busch from 2008 until 2022. In the 2022 race, Kyle Busch led for 49 laps of the 267 lap event, coming within two laps of winning before a caution and subsequent overtime restart saw him fall to fourth.

References

External links

Ethel M Chocolates Official Website
{{coords, 36.073, -115.072, display=title Mars, Incorporated Buildings and structures in Henderson, Nevada Tourist attractions in the Las Vegas Valley Manufacturing plants in the United States