What JFC International does

JFC International Inc. is a privately held B2B wholesale distributor of Asian food and beverage products, headquartered at 7101 East Slauson Avenue, Los Angeles, California, and operating as an affiliate of Kikkoman Corporation since 1969. The company traces its origins to 1906 when it was established as Dupont Company, an importer of Japanese foods, and has evolved through multiple corporate name changes into one of the largest international Asian food and beverage distributors in the world. JFC distributes more than 15,000 products sourced from across Asia through five owned consumer brands (Nishiki, J-Basket, Dynasty, Wel•Pac, and Hapi) and a deep portfolio of partner brands including Kikkoman, Calbee, Sapporo, Kewpie, and Ajinomoto.

The company does not sell directly to consumers; instead, it serves retailers, restaurants, and other distributors through a four-channel go-to-market model: restaurants/foodservice, Asian grocers, mainstream supermarkets and mass merchandisers, and the military market. It holds designated category roles at major US retailers, including Asian Food Category Advisor to approximately 5,000 Walmart stores, Vendor Partner to approximately 2,200 Safeway stores, and Leading Vendor to approximately 2,600 Kroger stores. Distribution is enabled by owned subsidiaries and sales offices across the US (Atlanta, Charlotte, Baltimore, Chicago, Columbus, Hawaii, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego, Miami, Orlando, New York, Boston, San Francisco, Sacramento, Seattle, Portland), Canada (Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal), Mexico, Brazil, Chile, eight European countries (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden), Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and several Asian and Middle Eastern markets.

JFC's revenue model is straightforward wholesale distribution with transactional product sales to business customers; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company employs 501-1000 people and is led by President Kazuhiro Shimizu. Its value proposition rests on century-long category expertise, an extensive global distribution footprint, owned brand equity (notably Nishiki as America's #1 premium medium grain rice), and marketing support for retail partners including recipes, social media, trade shows, and in-store cooking demonstrations. Recent strategic emphasis has included consumer-facing digital initiatives such as the Rice Expert platform, Sake Expert platform, and a branded mobile app.

Name

JFC International

Legal name

JFC International Inc.

Website

https://jfc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

JFC International is a privately held B2B wholesale distributor of more than 15,000 Asian food and beverage products, serving retailers, restaurants, and other distributors across 23+ countries under its own brands (Nishiki, J-Basket, Dynasty, Wel•Pac, Hapi) and as an affiliate of Kikkoman Corporation since 1969.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Asian Food Distribution

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Imported Foods Wholesale (AFAIAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Institutional Foodservice Distribution (Education, Healthcare, Government) (CRAOABAM), Ethnic & International Foods Distribution (CRAOABAG)

Keywords

• Asian food distribution
• Wholesale food supply
• Japanese specialty foods
• B2B food distribution
• Ethnic food wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Commerce

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices40 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. B2B Distribution: JFC operates as a wholesale distributor of Asian food products, selling to retailers, restaurants, and other distributors. They do not sell directly to consumers. Revenue is generated through the sale of food and beverage products to business customers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

JFC International is a wholesale distributor of Asian food and beverage products, sourcing, importing, and distributing more than 15,000 products across rice, noodles, sauces, beverages, sake, frozen and dried goods, snacks, and specialty ingredients. The company serves Asian-American retail outlets, restaurants, mainstream supermarkets, mass merchandisers, and military commissaries across North America and globally, distributing both its own owned brands (Nishiki, J-Basket, Dynasty, WelPac, Hapi) and a wide portfolio of partner brands (Kikkoman, Calbee, Ozeki, Sapporo, Kewpie, Ajinomoto, etc.).

Product overview

JFC International is a food and beverage distribution company offering over 15,000 Asian food products through a multi-brand portfolio. The company's own brands include Nishiki (America's #1 premium medium grain rice), J-Basket (Japanese cooking essentials), Dynasty (Asian specialty ingredients for Chinese, Thai, and Southeast Asian cooking), Wel•Pac (frozen and dried Japanese goods), and Hapi (Asian snacks). The Rice Expert and Sake Expert platforms provide specialized knowledge resources. JFC also distributes an extensive range of partner brands including Kikkoman, Calbee, Ozeki, Sapporo, and others, spanning rice, noodles, sauces, beverages, alcoholic beverages, and prepared foods across categories including canned food, coffee, confectioneries, drinks, frozen food, liquor, mayonnaise, meat, noodles, oils, prepared foods, rice, sauces, seafood, seasonings, seaweed, tea, tofu, vegetables, vinegars, and wrappers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nishiki: America's #1 premium medium grain rice brand, trusted by sushi chefs and home cooks for its soft, slightly sticky texture, delicate flavor, and consistent quality. Grown in California.
• J-Basket
• Dynasty
• Wel•Pac
• Hapi

Products and services

• Nishiki JFC's flagship rice brand and America's #1 premium medium grain rice, trusted by sushi chefs and home cooks for soft, slightly sticky texture, delicate flavor, and consistent quality. Includes California-grown rice plus rice vinegar and sushi seasoning products, distributed to retailers and restaurants.
• J-Basket JFC International's Japanese food brand offering one of the most complete selections of Japanese cooking essentials in North American supermarkets, including ramen noodles, udon, soba, Japanese curry, miso, gyoza, seasonings, and ready-to-cook meals.
• Dynasty Leading brand of Asian specialty food ingredients in U.S. supermarkets for Chinese, Thai, and Southeast Asian cooking, offering sauces (hoisin, fish, oyster), sesame oil, jasmine rice, rice sticks, bean threads, canned goods, noodles, and pantry staples.
• WelPac One of the best-known JFC brands with a product line consisting primarily of frozen and dried goods, providing primary ingredients for traditional Japanese cuisines such as dried seaweed, dried noodles, batter, and related items.
• Hapi JFC's brand of unique Asian snacks, including traditional Japanese rice crackers, flavored peas, chips, sweets, and similar items, operated through subsidiary Hapi Products Inc.
• Partner Brands Portfolio Distribution of more than 15,000 high-quality Asian products from across Asia, including partner brands such as Kikkoman, Calbee, Calpis, Ozeki, Glico, House Foods, S&B, Ito En, Sangaria, Sapporo Ichiban, Sapporo Beer, Yakult, Kewpie, Yamamotoyama, Ajinomoto, Sun Tropics, and Myojo, spanning canned food, coffee, confectioneries, drinks, frozen food, sake, beer, mayonnaise, noodles, oils, prepared foods, rice, sauces, seafood, seasonings, seaweed, tea, tofu, vegetables, vinegars, and wrappers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves approximately 5,000 Walmart stores as Asian Food Category Advisor
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Kikkoman CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1969JFC is an affiliate of Kikkoman Corporation, an international organization with origins in the 17th Century. JFC joined the Kikkoman group in 1969. As part of this distinguished family, JFC has been able to build a thriving global network, bringing consistently high standards of service, merchandising, and distribution to an ever-expanding market.
• Montna FarmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTamanishiki rice was developed in partnership between JFC and rice crop specialist Montna Farms. Tamanishiki rice is a combination of Koshihikari rice and Yumegokochi rice, grown by Montna Farms of California in the best possible environment. Yume rice is also grown by Montna Farms of California.
• Kikkoman (as distributed brand)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJFC represents and distributes Kikkoman products as part of their portfolio of Asian food brands.
• Partner Brands Distribution NetworkflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJFC distributes products from various brands including Calbee, Calpis, Ozeki, Glico, House Foods, S&B, Ito En, Sangaria, Sapporo Ichiban, Sapporo Beer, Yakult, Kewpie, Yamamotoyama, Ajinomoto, Sun Tropics, and Myojo. These brands enjoy a loyal following among Asian communities and food lovers.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/JFCInternational
• Facebookfacebook.com/JFCInternational
• Instagraminstagram.com/jfcinternational
• Xx.com/JFCintl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about JFC International