In 1973 Forrest Mars Sr. retired and in 1980 he opened Ethel M. Chocolates in Nevada. He was the person responsible for creating Milky Way in 1923 , Mars in 1932, and M&M’s in 1941. You know the candy that “melts in your mouth, not your hands.” Peanut M&M’s were introduced in 1941 and almond M&M’s in 1988. There are many flavors and varieties today and were brought into space in 1982. Ethel M. Chocolate factory makes approximately 8 million handcrafted chocolate pieces a year. The cocoa beans are grown in West Africa and Central/South America. Over 77,140 pounds of milk chocolate and over 55,100 pounds of dark chocolate is produced and molded each year More than 2,500 pounds of peanuts are ground for peanut butter filling and over 1,000 pounds of fruit purees are used each year. Here are some photos from the cactus garden and a few from the factory.