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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/96770
M&M's on Main Street Mars Chocolate North America Opens 1st Temporary M&M's World Store By Jennifer Quail n a sweet celebration of a long -standing commitment, Mars Chocolate North America brought M&M's to Main Street with its first-ever temporary M&M's World Store. The pop-up shop was opened very appropriately at 160 Main Street in Hackettstown, N.J., a location selected in honor of the company's long-term connection to the community. The Hackettstown facility has produced M&M's since 1958 and employs more than 1,200 associates. Chocolate avenue Proving Hackettstown is equally committed to Mars, Hackettstown Mayor Maria DiGiovanni ceremoniously renamed a stretch of High Street in front of the Mars site "M&M's Chocolate Avenue" and presented the company with a street sign bearing the new name. The name was chosen by local residents and Mars associates as part of a special contest coordinated by Mars Chocolate North America. The dedication took place on the day of the opening. "We're extremely proud to call Hackettstown home, said Debra Sandler, president of Mars Chocolate North America. "The communities where we live and work are as much a part of our identity as the products we make. We appreciate 14 | nov + dec 2012 | Professional C andy Buyer | CandyBuyer.Com the recognition from the town and Mayor DiGiovanni." Beyond its employees and neighbors and, of course, a commitment to confections, the Hackettstown facility also has the environment in mind. The facility was recently named the first private sector Commercial Interiors project in New Jersey to receive LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The office is the first existing Mars site globally to achieve this designation. LEED Certification is an internationally accepted benchmark for designing, constructing and operating green buildings. Chocolate and Beyond The Hackettstown temporary store was designed to feature many of the same fixtures and merchandise fans of the varied Mars' brands are able to find in the flagship M&M's World stores. Mars also developed special merchandise featuring a "Made in Hackettstown" logo in partnership with Abilities, a statewide agency that is dedicated to improving the employability and quality of life for people with disabilities. Further, a percentage of the profits from specially marked merchandise will benefit the Hackettstown Business Development fund. As with the permanent locations, the pop-up shop concept