Veetee USA has named Kevin Stitt as its US Executive, a move that underscores the company's commitment to expanding its ready-to-eat rice products into major U.S. retail chains. Stitt, whose career spans senior roles at Flora Food Group, BodyArmor, Coca-Cola, and Jack Link's, will lead the company's efforts to secure distribution at Walmart and Publix. The appointment is part of Veetee USA's broader CPG expansion strategy, which includes full localized production at its Selma, North Carolina facility, targeted for February 2028.
Stitt's background in navigating large-scale retail relationships and managing complex distribution networks is seen as critical to Veetee's ambitions. His experience with brands that have successfully grown shelf presence in competitive categories positions him to engage directly with buying teams and supply chain requirements at major retailers. "Veetee's product technology and manufacturing approach create a genuine point of difference on shelf," Stitt said. "The opportunity to build distribution at Walmart and Publix from a dedicated domestic production base is exactly the kind of platform I have spent my career preparing for."
At the heart of Veetee's retail pitch is its 10-Stage Steam Filtration cooking process, which uses open steam cooking rather than the retort pouch method common in the ready rice category. Retort processing, where product is sealed and heat-treated inside its final packaging, can affect texture and flavor, whereas Veetee's approach preserves the grain's natural characteristics by cooking before packaging. The product is shipped in transparent clear trays ranging from 9.9oz to 10.6oz, allowing consumers to see the rice before purchase—a deliberate departure from opaque or foil-based packaging that dominates the shelf. In fast-paced retail environments like Walmart and Publix, this visual transparency is designed to communicate quality at a glance.
The appointment of Stitt is directly tied to the timeline and ambitions of Veetee USA's domestic production investment. The Selma, North Carolina manufacturing hub is being developed as the operational backbone of the company's U.S. strategy, enabling supply from a domestic location rather than relying on imported inventory. Full production at the facility is targeted for February 2028, a milestone that would give Veetee greater control over lead times, logistics costs, and the ability to respond to retailer replenishment demands at scale. Selma, located in Johnston County in eastern North Carolina, sits within proximity to major distribution infrastructure serving the Southeast and mid-Atlantic, regions where Publix has a dense store footprint and Walmart operates numerous supercenters. The facility's geographic positioning was a key factor in site selection.
Stitt's immediate focus will be advancing conversations with Walmart and Publix buyers, a process that requires demonstrating not only product performance but also supply chain readiness. His experience with organizations that manage national retail distribution at volume—including the logistics and compliance requirements set by large-format grocery and mass merchant retailers—is considered central to his role. The Veetee USA CPG expansion represents the company's broader effort to establish a foothold in the U.S. ready rice market, using domestic manufacturing as a competitive lever alongside its differentiated cooking process and packaging format. As Veetee USA moves toward its 2028 production target, the industry will be watching to see if this combination of leadership, technology, and local production can translate into meaningful shelf space at two of the nation's most influential retailers.
