MADISON HEIGHTS, MICH. — Victor Mehren has been named chief executive officer of Kar’s Nuts, a manufacturer of products under the Kar’s, Second Nature and Sanders Fine Chocolatiers brands. He succeeds Nick Nicolay, who remains involved with the company as chairman.

“We recruited Vic to lead Kar’s Nuts’ next phase of growth and innovation,” said Mr. Nicolay, who has been president and c.e.o. since 1995. “Vic is a proven consumer packaged goods executive with over 26 years of experience successfully leading and growing innovative snacking and confectionery brands, with a focus on strong sales, marketing, innovation and brand-building strategies.”

Before joining Kar’s Nuts, Mr. Mehren spent 17 years at Mars Wrigley Confectionery, where he most recently was the chief operating officer, U.S., and was responsible for operations and integration of the newly merged Mars and Wrigley business units. He previously was general manager of Wrigley, general manager of Mars Ice Cream and Substantial Snacks and general manager of Mars Chocolate Canada. Earlier in his career, Mr. Mehren held several senior sales and marketing positions with Wrigley, PowerBar and other companies.

“I am excited to join the Kar’s Nuts team and look forward to leading a category-leading business with strong tailwinds and exciting innovation capabilities,” Mr. Mehren said. “Kar’s Nuts has an incredible brand and has been a snacking staple for over 85 years.”