IRVINE, California, April 1, 2016 – McDermott & Bull, a Southern California-based retained executive search firm, announced the successful appointment of Rick Drozek as Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing of Crunchies Natural Food Company, LLC, a manufacturer of freeze dried natural fruit and vegetable snack foods. This executive recruiting engagement was conducted by Scott Meyer, Principal Consultant and head of the Consumer Brands practice at McDermott & Bull. According to Mr. Meyer, “Rick is a perfect fit for Crunchies as the company accelerates its relaunch into conventional and natural/organic retail. His success developing and launching an exclusive natural brand with a national retailer, exceptional foundation in retail merchandising, and strong work ethic make him the ideal person to lead Sales and Marketing.”
Drozlek was previously Director of Sales & Strategy for Natures Path Foods, a privately held organic food manufacturer with products in the breakfast foods and granola categories merchandised in retailers such as Kroger, Whole Foods Market, Meijer, Target, and Albertson’s. Prior to Natures Path, he was Director of Strategic Accounts for Castor & Pollux, a natural pet food division of Merrick. Earlier in his career, Drozlek was Team Leader at MOM Brands (Malt-O-Meal), where he led the development of the Three Sisters brand of natural cereal as an exclusive brand at Whole Foods Market. He started his sales career with Crossmark, a major national food broker, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Alfred University.
“I’m looking forward to joining Crunchies and working with grocery retailers to grow the brand to its full potential in the high growth healthy snack market,” commented Drozlek. “The demand for good-tasting all-natural, healthy snacks has only accelerated over the past several years. Retailers are looking for delicious natural snacks that can be enjoyed by the whole family and Crunchies is the perfect product to help drive this increasingly important segment of the market.”
About Crunchies Natural Food Company, LLC
Crunchies Natural Food Company, LLC was established in 2005 in response to the overwhelming demand for good-tasting and truly healthy natural snacks. Crunchies are freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, with nothing added and only the moisture taken away, keeping full nutritional value. Crunchies is sold across the North American market through major retailers including Walmart, CVS, Walgreen’s, Sprouts, as well as health food and natural products retailers.
Privately held Crunchies was acquired in 2014 by Chaucer Foods, a UK-based global supplier of specialty food ingredients, and Simplepitch, a California-based growth equity firm.
About McDermott & Bull
McDermott & Bull, Inc. (www.mbsearch.com) is a retained executive search firm headquartered in Irvine, California. The firm serves both public and privately held clients in a variety of industries and functional areas. McDermott & Bull has developed expertise in fields including Aerospace & Defense, Technology, Financial Services, Consumer Brands, Industrial Manufacturing, Restaurants/Retail, Entertainment, Food Manufacturing, Healthcare and Life Sciences, the Engineering & Construction/Building Industry, Professional Services, and other areas. Founded by Rod McDermott and Chris Bull in 2001, the firm specializes in recruiting difficult-to-find and critical senior level talent for its clients. McDermott & Bull has worked with a large number of prestigious clients including Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Chicken of the Sea, Western Digital, Golden State Foods, Google, Panda Restaurant Group, Honda Center/Anaheim Ducks, Comerica Bank, Union Bank, and portfolio companies owned by private equity firms including Riverside Company, Sun Capital Partners, ClearLight Partners, Swander Pace Capital, Chicago Growth Partners, and Riordan, Lewis & Hayden.