The new senior vp of retail sales and marketing for Mount Franklin Foods most recently was president and owner of F&F Foods, which was bought about a year ago by GemCap, a private equity fund in Santa Monica.

Dave S. Barnett has been appointed to the post, and brings with him the experience of overseeing his former company’s brands, including Smith Brothers cough drops, Daily C and Foxes hard candy rolls.

“Dave is an ideal addition to our team given his successful track record in candy, fruit snacks, and functional foods,” says Gary Ricco, ceo of Mount Franklin Foods, parent company of Sunrise Confections and Azar Nut. “He has a strong grasp of all facets of the business and knows how to serve customers and grow sales.”

Prior to his work at F&F Foods, he was vp of marketing at Farley Foods. While there, Barnett grew fruit snack revenues by securing major product licenses such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Rugrats, and Power Rangers. Prior to Farley, he held management positions in sales and marketing for Keebler and E.J. Brach.

“I am thrilled to join the Mount Franklin Foods team and help grow the business through our talented team, excellent capabilities, and more than 800,000 sq. ft. across three SQF 2000 Level 3 certified facilities,” says Barnett. “We will be bringing some exciting new ideas, licenses, and products to our customers.”