Veetee Foods to invest $35.7 million, create 200 jobs in Johnston County – Business North Carolina

Veetee Foods will invest $35.7 million and plans to eventually create 200 jobs at a new  plant in the Johnston County town of Selma, company officials said Monday. Rochester, England-based Veetee Food Group was founded in 1986 with operations in India and the U.K., selling dry rice and ready-to-heat rice. It has since expanded into pasta, noodles and macaroni and cheese.

Veetee Foods’ project will be aided by a $996,750 Job Development Investment Grant, spread over 12 years. It was approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee Monday. State payments only occur following the company meets job creation and investment targets.

Johnston County agreed to provide $2.28 million in incentives for the project. Veetee had narrowed its site search to locations in Selma and Chester County, South Carolina.

The company expects to pay an average wage of $58,387, which compares with the current average wage in Johnston County of $50,605. The jobs will be filled between 2026 to 2030, according to the state.

“Our state’s talented workforce and worker training systems, along with our infrastructure and transportation networks give companies the confidence they seek in a world-class business location like Johnston County,” Gov. Roy Cooper said in a release.

Veetee employs approximately 1,000 people worldwide, including four in the U.S. at a New Jersey office.

Veetee’s steam-filtered microwave rice trays have been offered in U.S. stores for several years. Last year, the company launched its NoodleHead product in Europe and the U.S., and this year a wide range of HungryHeads lines across multiple ambient foods categories debuted, like the company’s PastaHead and MacNCheeseHead products.

The company’’s Selma plant will be capable of cooking rice, pasta, noodles, spaghetti and a variety of other foods, using many ingredients sourced from California, Arkansas, North Carolina and South Carolina. It may import rice from India and other nations, according to the state release.

“We are delighted to see our ambitious expansion vision reach the USA, and we see Johnston County as our perfect partner,” said Moni and Rajiv Varma, the company’s chair and managing director, respectively.

The project’s projected return on investment of public dollars is 90%, meaning for every dollar of potential cost, the state receives $1.90 in state revenue.