INDIANAPOLIS — Andy Van Ark has been named the new chief marketing officer of zero-sugar cereal brand Catalina Crunch.
Mr. Van Ark most recently led the sales and marketing efforts at Red’s All Natural. According to Catalina Crunch, his leadership allowed the company to significantly grow its brand presence and make way for private investment firm Bansk Group to acquire it.
“We are extremely fortunate to have Andy join us in the newly developed role of chief marketing officer,” said Joel Warady, president of Catalina Snacks. “Our marketing team has done a great job over the past few years growing the Catalina Crunch brand to its current category leading status. With Andy’s expertise and creative thinking, along with the extensive data gathering tools that we have developed, we are certain we will continue to dominate the categories in which we participate.”
Catalina Crunch was founded in 2017 as a direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand and is now sold in more than 20,000 stores across the United States. As more pack sizes become available, this product line is gaining wide acceptance in convenience stores, foodservice and airport locations, according to the company.
“I am excited to be joining the great team at Catalina Crunch,” Mr. Van Ark said. “Catalina Crunch is driving unprecedented growth through innovative product launches that are disrupting stagnant categories. I look forward to bringing my experience to Catalina Crunch and taking the brand to the next level.”
Catalina Crunch said it will introduce a new product line at the Natural Products Expo West trade show in March.
Catalina Crunch includes many keto-friendly, low-sugar, low carb and high protein food products including cereal, sandwich cookies and crunch mixes.