When government, companies and other partners work together, the results can be amazing. At Mars, we call this Mutuality, and we were delighted today to honor Governor Bill Haslam for bringing this principle to life here in our Mars Petcare headquarters state of Tennessee.

At an event attended by hundreds of Mars Petcare Associates, Governor Haslam received a 2016 Mars Five Principles Award for his outstanding service to our state and ongoing support of business and growth.

This award – given to only three officials each year across all of Mars and its business segments – recognizes government partners for their dedication to serving their constituents and being a thoughtful partner and advocate on behalf of our company.

Under Governor Haslam’s leadership, Tennessee has been recognized as a national leader in education, economic development, efficient government and fiscal strength. Since he took office in 2011, more than 330,000 private sector jobs have been created and Tennessee has been ranked No. 1 for advanced industry job growth and jobs created through foreign direct investment.

That’s great for our community, and it’s good for our business, too, since having a healthy economy means more potential Associates, suppliers and other partners want to come to Tennessee, put down roots and grow.

We’re grateful to Governor Haslam, too, for his personal support of our operations in Tennessee. He joined us for the groundbreaking of our Innovation Center in Thompson’s Station; visited our Mars Chocolate plant in Cleveland, TN; and helped us recognize Mars Advocacy Day at the Capitol last spring.

It was an honor to have Governor Haslam with us today at Mars Petcare headquarters, and a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Mutuality. We look forward to more partnership in the years ahead to help Tennessee, its people and pets continue to thrive.

Governor Haslam receives the 2016 Mars Five Principles Award from Mark Broadhurst, Director of Public Affairs (left) and Mark Johnson, President of Mars Petcare NA (right).

Members of the Mars Petcare US team with Governor Haslam (left to right): Frederic Steunou, Finance; Michel Oostwal, R&D; Bo Segers, Legal; Brad Jaffe, Corporate Affairs; Governor Haslam; Douglas Korn, Strategy; Cheryl DeSantis, P&O; Craig Neely, Marketing; Ray Evans, Sales; and Mark Johnson, President.

About Mars in Tennessee
More than 2,600 Mars Associates work in Tennessee supporting our Petcare and Candy businesses. This includes the U.S. headquarters for Mars Petcare, in Franklin; the Mars Petcare Innovation Center in Thompson’s Station; three manufacturing facilities; and hundreds of  BANFIELD® Pet Hospital and BluePearl® Associates working throughout the state.

About Mars’ Five Principles
The Five Principles are the key to Mars’ culture, and we strive to live by them each and every day. They serve as a compass to help guide our business decisions and unite us across geographies, languages, cultures and generations. The result is stronger relationships with everyone — our consumers, customers, business partners, communities and each other. They are: Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom. Learn more about them here.

Learn more about Mars Petcare
See more about our vision to create A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS® by visiting us at https://www.facebook.com/ABetterWorldforPets.