Trü Frü plans Salt Lake City manufacturing plant with 100 jobs

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Trü Frü started in Utah in 2017 by freezing fruit and dipping it in chocolate. On Nov. 11, 2026, the company said it will build a Salt Lake City manufacturing plant that produces an estimated 17 million packages a year and adds 100 jobs.

The plant will make Trü Frü products in the state where the brand began. Mars bought the company in February 2023, and the facility tests whether the multinational can scale a local snack brand without moving production out of Utah.

Why it matters

The plant adds 100 factory jobs and shows how a Mars-owned brand plans to scale a Utah-born snack.

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Key Indicators

100

New jobs

Positions expected at the Salt Lake City facility.

17 million

Annual packages

Estimated production from the new plant.

New manufacturing plant

Salt Lake City facility announced.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Organizations Involved

Trü Frü

Frozen snack company

Planning new Salt Lake City manufacturing facility

Utah-founded frozen snack brand known for chocolate-covered fruit.

Mars, Incorporated

Private food conglomerate

Owner of Trü Frü since February 2023

Privately held food and pet care company that owns Trü Frü.

Timeline

2017 November 2026

3 events Latest: Today

November 2026
Trü Frü announces Salt Lake City plant
Today Expansion

The facility is expected to create 100 jobs and produce 17 million packages a year.
Today
February 2023
Mars acquires Trü Frü
Acquisition

Mars bought the Utah snack brand, giving it broader distribution and resources.
February 2023
2017
Trü Frü founded in Utah
Company founding

Trü Frü started by freezing fruit and dipping it in chocolate.
2017

Scenarios

Trü Frü plant opens and hits 100-job target

Likely Resolves by End of 2028

Discussed by: The Salt Lake Tribune and company announcement

Construction proceeds, the Salt Lake City facility begins production, and Trü Frü employs at least 100 workers. The company would cite the plant as proof it can scale under Mars ownership while keeping manufacturing in Utah.

Plant delayed or job target cut

Possible Resolves by End of 2028

Discussed by: Food industry trade press and local economic development officials

Construction costs, equipment delays or slower demand push the plant past 2028 or reduce the promised 100 jobs. Trü Frü may revise the timeline without canceling the project.

Mars expands Trü Frü production again in Utah

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2030

Discussed by: Food industry trade press

After the first plant opens, Mars announces a second production line or additional Utah investment. That would signal Trü Frü has become a core frozen-snack brand for Mars.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

October 2008

Mars acquires Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company (2008)

Mars bought chewing-gum maker Wrigley for about $23 billion, with financing from Berkshire Hathaway. The deal made Mars the world's largest confectionery company and kept Wrigley's Chicago headquarters and factories in place.

Then

Wrigley became a Mars subsidiary and continued producing gum in Chicago.

Now

The deal showed Mars could absorb a large family-owned brand without closing its local plants.

Why this matters now

Mars's 2023 purchase of Trü Frü follows a similar pattern: a multinational buying a regional brand and keeping its production base.

December 2012

Chobani opens Idaho yogurt plant (2012)

Chobani, then a fast-growing Greek yogurt startup, opened a large manufacturing plant in Twin Falls, Idaho. The plant used local milk and created hundreds of jobs in a rural area.

Then

The plant helped Chobani meet national demand and reduced shipping costs.

Now

Twin Falls became a dairy processing hub, and Chobani remains one of the area's largest employers.

Why this matters now

Trü Frü's Salt Lake City plant is a similar bet: a young food brand building its own Western manufacturing base to scale.

April 2000

Ben & Jerry's acquired by Unilever (2000)

Unilever bought Ben & Jerry's for $326 million. The deal kept the ice cream maker's Vermont factory and its independent board focused on social mission.

Then

Ben & Jerry's expanded globally while maintaining its Vermont production.

Now

The brand's social activism and local identity survived the acquisition, though Unilever controlled distribution and finances.

Why this matters now

The question for Trü Frü is whether Mars ownership can scale production while preserving the brand's Utah roots.