"They've indicated to us that they've outgrown their facilities, and they've hired us to help them understand what would be the most cost-effective strategy and best environment to work in going forward for next 25 years," Kevin P. Welsh, first vice president in CBRE's main New Jersey office in Paramus, tells GlobeSt.com. Welsh is teaming up on the project with Jeff Waters and Lucy Allard of CBRE's Global Consulting Group in New York, which has done similar surveys for a number of Fortune 500 companies. Indeed, the Global Consulting Group recently completed a similar study for Tyson Foods, the Arkansas-based chicken empire that has in recent years added other food products to its roster.

The privately held Mars, of course, makes a number of the most well-known consumer products, including such snack food brands like M&M, Mars, Snickers, Twix, 3 Musketeers, Starburst, Combos and Dove. Other divisions of the company produce the Uncle Ben's brand of prepared foods, as well as vended beverages Klix and Flavia and pet product brands like Whiskas and Pedigree.

"They're asking questions like, 'does it make sense for us to be under one roof?'" according to Welsh. "It's exciting to be part of that analysis. You have to get inside the heads of how corporations think and how they view business space. There is a very dynamic group of people at M&M Mars."

M&M Mars has also partnered CBRE up on the project with Hewitt Associates, the Lincolnshire, IL-based HR consulting firm, which has a regional office in Bridgewater, NJ. "Their role is assisting with growth planning in terms of employee growth," Welsh explains. "Our job is to analyze their real estate needs and requirements.

"Hopefully, it will turn into a big requirement," Welsh says. "Still, you have to be careful how you prejudice the outcome. You have to go through the process, and we're really just beginning to understand their business strategy. That's as much a part of this as anything."