Rich Barrett brings extensive expertise in food distribution and operational leadership to his role as Chief Operating Officer at Whetstone Distribution. With over 25 years of experience in logistics, distribution, and operational planning, Rich is committed to driving efficiency and operational excellence across Whetstone's platform as the company continues to scale.
Prior to joining Whetstone, Rich served as the Region Vice President of Operations for US Foods', where he led his team to achieve significant P&L improvements and also exceeded cost reduction targets, while developing and promoting internal talent for key leadership roles. During his time there, he also managed a large market facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, and later in Dallas, Texas. His operational expertise resulted in a significant reduction in safety incidents, an improvement in on-time customer delivery, and a major boost in productivity all while substantially reducing team member turnover.
Before his tenure at US Foods, Rich held key leadership roles at Heartland Food Products Group, where he oversaw global distribution and logistics, and Dell, Inc, where he specialized in supply chain planning and fulfillment operations.
Rich's strategic vision and deep understanding of operational logistics and excellence make him an integral leader at Whetstone Distribution.
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