RiceTec appoints Van McNeely to lead the US Business

RiceTec has announced the appointment of Van McNeely as President, Head of US for the US Business Leadership Team. In this new capacity, McNeely will lead RiceTec’s high-quality seed business in the US across production, marketing, and sales.

″I’m very excited for Van to take on the leadership of our US business,″ stated Karsten Neuffer, RiceTec CEO. ″His more than 20 years of experience in RiceTec, intimate know-how of Rice agriculture, and close relationships with US Rice Growers and the US Rice Industry make him the perfect, trusted leader. I am convinced that under his leadership RiceTec will continue to help US farmers get the best technologies to sustainably grow a high-yielding and profitable rice crop.″

Since first joining RiceTec in 1997, McNeely has been instrumental in building the company’s Technical Services department before transitioning into Sales. When RiceTec introduced the first commercial hybrid rice seed to the US market in 2000, McNeely led the team that has grown the product to be a market leader.

″I look forward to leading RiceTec’s US business and being a part of the company’s continued work to bring innovative products to our customers,″ said McNeely. ″It is special to be a part of a company that consistently provides new high-yielding products, and technologies, and participates in additional markets such as medium grain rice. The future is full of exciting opportunities for RiceTec to work with our customer base in generating value for the US rice market.″

McNeely earned his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Arkansas and his Master of Science in Biology from Arkansas State University. In his free time, Van enjoys a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, boating, hunting, and fishing. He also enjoys traveling with his family and doing home improvement projects.

Headquartered in Alvin, Texas, RiceTec leads the transformation towards a more sustainable rice agriculture globally through unparalleled innovation in rice seeds and traits technology, creating value for farmers, consumers, and the planet. RiceTec has been developing hybrid rice seed since 1988. It is also the first company to commercialize hybrid rice seed in North and South America and has expanded in Europe and India. The company was recognized most recently for technological advancements for their FullPage^® and Max-Ace^® Rice Cropping Solutions.