Private-label and branded salty snacks processor Snak King has appointed Michael Axelrod to be its new chief executive officer, succeeding Barry Levin, who led the company for more than 40 years.
Axelrod brings more than 25 years of senior leadership experience to the role, having held executive positions at TreeHouse Foods, Whirlpool Corp. and Kraft/Mondelez Foods. He joins Snak King after a stint as CEO of Del Real Foods, where he oversaw significant revenue growth, national expansion and operational improvements for the company.
Levin grew Snak King from a one-room, one-machine manufacturer of pork rinds into the international company it is today, and he will remain on the board of directors. Snak King was founded in 1978 and produces tortilla chips, rolled tortilla chips, popcorn, potato chips, extruded snacks and nut clusters. Its in-house brands include El Sabroso, The Whole Earth, Granny Goose and Jensen’s Orchard. Snak King is headquartered in City of Industry, Calif.
About the Author
Andy Hanacek
Senior Editor
Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.