Mars Supply Reaches 100 Year Milestone

March 26, 2024

W.P. & R.S. Mars Co. (dba Mars Supply) is proud to announce that they are celebrating 100 years in business in 2024.

Prescott & Mars Hardware Co. was founded in 1893 in Virginia, MN by W.P. (Bill) Mars and his wife. They started the business to provide general industrial supplies to the burgeoning iron ore and timber industries in northern Minnesota. In 1924 their son Bob Mars Sr. came on board, and at that time the company moved to Duluth and was renamed W.P. & R.S. Mars Co.

In 2017 W.P. & R.S. Mars Co. re-branded as Mars Supply, entering into the ecommerce world with www.marssupply.com, their new website. They currently have over 500,000 items on the site and do several million dollars of online business annually.

Today, the company operates out of distribution centers in Duluth and the Twin Cities, serving foundries, machine shops, mining companies, railroads, power companies and manufacturers. Conveyor Belt Service, a wholly owned subsidiary in Virginia, MN, installs and repairs conveyor belting across the Iron Range, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and on the Great Lakes iron ore carriers.

Three of the founders great-grandsons are in the business. Bob Mars III is the company president, Bruce Mars runs Conveyor Belt Service and Steve Mars oversees business development. The 5th generation is in place as well, with Bob’s two sons-in-law holding significant positions at the company.

All three great-grandsons feel that the secret to the company’s success has been a long history of really good employees, a healthy, diverse customer base, and solid, long term relationships with their suppliers. They are optimistic about the future and are looking forward to the next 100 years.

For further information contact Bob Mars at 1-952-334-8972 or rmars3@marssupply.com