In this article, we take a look at the 5 biggest chewing gum companies in the world. If you want to check out our detailed analysis of the chewing gum industry, go instead to 10 Biggest Chewing Gum Companies in the World.
5. The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY)
Annual Revenue: $8.9 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 42
The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) is an American sweets maker based in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1894 as Hershey Chocolate Company. It manufactures and sells items like chocolate, gums, candy and baked products. The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) is one of the biggest chewing gum companies in the world as well.
Its main lines of chewing gums includes brands like Bubble Yum, Ice Breakers and Ice Cubes. All of these brands come in different flavors each, as well as with sugar-free versions. Overall, the company produces more than 90 brands of chocolate, candy and gum.
The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) sells its products across the US as well as in over 60 other countries around the world. It operates three large distribution centers that are equipped with modern labor management systems and employs around 19,000 people as of 2022.
As of the third quarter of 2022, 42 hedge funds own equity worth $1.58 billion in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY), with Renaissance Technologies being the leading holder with a stake worth a little over $670 million.
4. Yıldız Holding
Annual Revenue: $12 billion
Yıldız Holding is a Turkish food conglomerate that manufactures chewing gums and other confectioneries mostly through its British subsidiary Pladis Global. Its prominent chewing gum includes Ülker Oneo which sells around the world, especially across Europe. The conglomerate also manufactures Yıldız “stick” chewing gums through its daughter company Ülker. These come in flavors like strawberry and spearmint.
Yıldız Holding employs over 63000 people as of 2022 and operates 68 factories worldwide, 45 of which are based in Turkey. As of 2018, the company owned 164 different food production companies and had a consolidated revenue of $12 billion.
It also operates Eight Research & Development centers around the world, five of which are in Turkey. In terms of chewing gums, Pladis remains its most important holding.
3. Ferrero
Annual Revenue: $13 billion
Ferrero Group, also simply known as Ferrero, is an Italian confectionery and chocolate manufacturer based in Luxembourg. The company was founded in 1946 in Piedmont, Italy. Several of its brands are world renowned. One of them is Nutella, the iconic chocolate spread found in many households.
Its brand of hard mints and chewing gums, called the Tic Tac, is also equally popular around the world and comes in a variety of unique flavors and functional versions, including mouth freshening and sugar free gums. The flavors include watermelon, mint and blueberries among others.
Ferrero had an annual revenue of $13 billion in the fiscal year 2021. As per the latest figures from 2022, the company employs close to 39,000 people from around the world and sells its products in over 170 countries.
2. Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ)
Annual Revenue: $28.7 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 52
Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) is one of the largest American confectionery and snack manufacturers. The company is based in Chicago and operates across the whole of the United States and Canada in addition to 160 other countries.
When it comes to chewing gums, it’s most famous for the brands Trident, Strident and Clorets, which also happen to be three of the most popular chewing gums across the world.
These are produced through the world renowned company called Cadbury, a subsidiary owned by Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) since 2010. Trident, Strident and Clorets come in various flavors as well as in healthier functional versions, like zero-sugar gums, teeth whiteners and mouth fresheners.
The flavors generally include peppermint and spearmint among others. Cadbury alone holds 26% global market share of the chewing gum industry, placing Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) second on the list of biggest chewing gum companies in the world.
Mondelez International had an annual revenue of $28.7 billion in the year 2021 with chewing gums as well as candy accounting for 10% of its global net sales. 29% of its revenue was generated from the North American region. As of Q3, 2022, 52 hedge funds hold a total equity worth $1.4 billion in the company.
1. Mars Wrigley
Annual Revenue: $45 billion
Mars Wrigley is an American confectionery manufacturer and the biggest chewing gum company in the world. It accounts for 35% of the entire chewing gum global market.
Its iconic DoubleMint, as we’ve already mentioned previously, was the 2019’s most popular chewing gum in the world, generating $100 million in sales. Its other chewing gum brands include Wrigley’s SpearMint, Winterfresh, BigRed and Orbit. The gums also come in functional versions like zero-sugar.
Mars Wrigley sells its product in over a whopping 180 countries. The company directly operates in more than 50 countries and has 21 production houses in 14 countries. In addition to the United States, some of the prominent of these countries include Russia, China, France and India. It made $45 billion in sales in the fiscal year 2021.
Mars Incorporated has well over 130,000 employees as of 2021 and its Wrigley subsidiary employs roughly 16,000 people out of those. The company has an optimistic outlook in leading the industry through innovation. In the summer of 2022, it announced an investment of $40 million for its new global R&D hub in Chicago, whose construction is set to be completed sometime in 2023.
You can also take a peek at Top 5 Chocolate Companies in the World and 5 Most Valuable Beverage Companies in the World.
