Mars Petcare Fort Smith Site Honored with Safety Award

FORT SMITH, Ark., Feb. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Mars Petcare's Fort Smith facility is being honored with a Two Million Man Hour Safety Award from Arkansas Department of Labor for accumulating two million work hours over five years without a lost day away from work due to a work-related injury or illness.

Fort Smith Mayor Sandy Sanders, Arkansas State Senator Terry Rice and Arkansas State Representative Mat Pitsch will visit Mars Petcare's Associates for a presentation ceremony to honor their achievement and commitment to creating a safe work environment. Additionally, Mayor Sanders, Senator Rice and Rep. Pitsch are issuing proclamations congratulating the site on this accomplishment.  

"We pride ourselves on our unwavering commitment to safety, and this award truly speaks to the efforts that all of our Associates make to put safety into action every single day," said Russ Hayes, Mars Petcare Fort Smith Site Director. "Creating a safe work environment is paramount to our values, and our growing team will remain steadfast in maintaining a laser-focus on the safety of our Associates and our site."

Mars Petcare has always strived to be a company that great people in Northwest Arkansas want to join, stay and grow with, and this commitment to safety is one of many ways the company is delivering on that endeavor.

"While continuing to grow and create jobs in Arkansas, Mars Petcare is setting a safety standard that is a great example to companies throughout the state," said Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. "The fact this facility has operated for five years without one lost day from a work-related illness or injury is a testament to the importance the company places on their employees' well-being. Congratulations to Mars Petcare for reaching this significant milestone."

This achievement comes on the heels of Mars Petcare's announcement of growing its presence in Fort Smith. In December, Mars Petcare announced a commitment to expanding its Fort Smith manufacturing facility, investing up to $110 million in the location and creating 130 new jobs over the next few years, as one of many significant economic investments Mars has made in local communities. In the last five years alone, the company has invested more than $1B in U.S. factories and operations and created more than 1,000 U.S. jobs.

Locally, Mars Petcare is very active within the community, participating in volunteer projects with organizations such as Sebastian County Humane Society, Next Step Homeless Services and Antioch Discovery Garden.

"Mars Petcare has been a strong corporate citizen and member of the Fort Smith community for years," said Mayor Sanders. "The company has made a strong impact on our local economy, and we're glad to celebrate this significant achievement of their many Associates and our residents."

Outside of Fort Smith, Mars Petcare continues to be a global leader in food and quality safety by giving back to all of the communities in which it operates. In 2016, the company was named one of the World's Best Multinational Workplaces by Great Place to Work by Fortune magazine for the sixth consecutive year.

As part of its ongoing charitable work, Mars Petcare has donated more than $5M in cash and product to organizations across the U.S. to find homes for pets and ensure that pets and their families have nutritious food on hand. It also created the PEDIGREE Foundation® to change perceptions about dogs in shelters and to help those dogs find loving homes. Since its inception, The Pedigree Foundation® has awarded more than $5M in grants while the brand has donated more than 20 million pounds of food to shelter dogs.

About Mars Petcare US
Mars Petcare is the world's leading pet nutrition and health care business. A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS® is the vision statement held by Mars Petcare as we believe that pets make our lives better and that pet ownership brings joy and benefits which should be accessible to everyone. In the United States, Mars Petcare food brands include PEDIGREE®, IAMS®, ROYAL CANIN®, GREENIES®, CESAR®, NUTRO® and SHEBA®. Veterinary practices include BANFIELD® and BLUE PEARL®. Specialty brands include WISDOM PANEL® Canine DNA Tests and WHISTLE® GPS Pet Tracker. The company's WALTHAM™ Centre for Pet Nutrition is a leading scientific authority on pet nutrition and wellbeing. Mars Petcare has more than 37,000 Associates worldwide. For more information about Mars Petcare's vision: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS®, visit https://www.facebook.com/ABetterWorldforPets.

SOURCE Mars Petcare