Terada

What Terada does

Terada (株式会社テラダ) is a privately-held Japanese regional trading company (sōgō shōsha) headquartered in Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture, that distributes industrial machinery, machine tools, labor-saving equipment, housing equipment, plumbing materials, and HVAC systems to factories, construction firms, plumbing contractors, and building companies primarily in the Saitama and Gunma prefectures. The business was founded in 1912 as Terada Iron Works (寺田鉄工所) by Terada Mohei, transitioned through Terada Trading Company in 1961, and was incorporated as Terada Inc. in 1972 with registered capital of 20 million yen; it remains family-owned across five generations of the Terada family, with Terada Shinji assuming the presidency in October 2024.

The company's core offering is built on a curated distribution network of approximately 1,400 supplier relationships and 2,000 active customers, encompassing OEM partnerships with major Japanese and international manufacturers such as DMG Mori, Daikin, TOTO, LIXIL, Rinnai, SMC, NSK, and Ebara. In addition to product distribution, Terada provides installation and construction services including air conditioning setup, pump installation, hoist installation, compressor installation, air/water piping, and safety fence installation, supported by in-house metal and resin processing capabilities. A sub-brand, prolab.Terada, was launched in December 2023 as a retail workwear shop on the first floor of headquarters, marking an extension into consumer-facing retail.

Terada's revenue model is one-time product resale (B2B wholesale and B2C retail) via quote-based transactions, conducted primarily through route-based direct sales and a small physical retail storefront. The company employs approximately 50 staff and operates no public listing, no subsidiaries, no disclosed funding rounds, and no digital/AI-driven technology platform — its competitive advantage rests on regional relationship density, supplier breadth, and local quick-response logistics rather than technology differentiation. Annual customer engagement is reinforced through the Terada Festa exhibition (now in its 23rd iteration) and Instagram-driven brand activity.

Name

Terada

Legal name

株式会社テラダ

Website

https://k-terada.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Terada (株式会社テラダ) is a family-owned Japanese regional trading company headquartered in Fukaya, Saitama, distributing machine tools, plumbing materials, HVAC, and housing equipment to factories and construction firms in the Saitama and Gunma prefectures via direct sales and a retail showroom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Equipment Distribution

NAICS

Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (333415), Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (3334)

SIC

Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620)

akta.pro primary industry

Air Handling Units (AHUs) & Rooftop Units (RTUs) (IMADANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Systems & Treatment (Pumps/Boilers/Water Heaters/Filtration) (IMAIABAK), Heat Transfer Equipment (Heat Exchangers, Boilers, Condensers) (IMAHAEAC)

Keywords

• Industrial machinery distribution
• Machine tools supply
• Plumbing equipment wholesale
• Housing equipment trading
• Labor-saving equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Fukaya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (Wholesale/Retail): Revenue generated through the sale of machinery tools, labor-saving equipment, plumbing materials, and housing equipment to factories, construction companies, and other B2B customers. Also operates retail sales at their 1st floor showroom.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Terada is a Japanese general trading company (総合商社) that distributes machine tools, labor-saving/automation equipment, industrial robots, plumbing materials, pumps, HVAC systems, kitchen and bathroom fixtures, and water heaters. The company also provides on-site installation and construction services including air conditioning, pump, compressor, hoist, piping, and safety fence installation.

Product overview

Terada is a comprehensive trading company (総合商社) that distributes industrial and housing equipment. The company operates two main product categories: (1) Machine Tools and Labor-Saving Equipment - covering working machines, measuring tools, cutting tools, power tools, material handling systems, industrial robots, and safety equipment for manufacturing; and (2) Housing Equipment and Plumbing Materials - including air conditioning, solar power systems, kitchen/bathroom fixtures, water heaters, pumps, and water infrastructure products. Additionally, the prolab.Terada sub-brand operates a retail shop for professional workwear and apparel. The company serves factories, construction companies, plumbing shops, and building companies primarily in Saitama and Gunma prefectures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• prolab.Terada: A workwear-focused retail shop opened on the first floor of the company premises, offering professional-grade work clothing and equipment.

Products and services

• Machine Tools and Labor-Saving Equipment (機械工具・省力化機器)

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Major Machine Tool Manufacturers (Multiple including DMG森精機, オークマ, ファナック, etc.)coreOthersLong-standing supplier relationships with major Japanese and international machine tool manufacturers including DMG Mori, Okuma, Fanuc, Brother Industries, and Yamazaki Mazak for distributing industrial machinery.
• Industrial Robotics Manufacturers (ABB, 川崎重工業, KUKA, 安川電機, etc.)coreOthersSupplier partnerships with major industrial robot manufacturers including ABB, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, KUKA, Yaskawa Electric, DENSO Wave, and Fanuc for factory automation solutions.
• Pneumatic and Hydraulic Equipment Manufacturers (SMC, CKD, アネスト岩田, etc.)coreOthersSupplier relationships with leading pneumatic and hydraulic equipment makers including SMC Corporation, CKD Corporation, and Anest Iwata for industrial automation components.
• Bearings and Mechanical Transmission Manufacturers (NTN, 日本精工, NSK, etc.)coreOthersDistribution partnerships with major bearing and mechanical transmission manufacturers including NTN, NSK, NOK, and Tsubaki Chain for industrial component supply.
• HVAC Equipment Manufacturers (ダイキン工業, 東芝キャリア, 三菱重工, etc.)coreOthersSupplier partnerships with major HVAC and air conditioning manufacturers including Daikin Industries, Toshiba Carrier, Panasonic, Hitachi, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
• Kitchen and Bathroom Equipment Manufacturers (クリナップ, タカラスタンダード, TOTO, LIXIL, etc.)coreOthersSupplier relationships with major kitchen and bathroom fixture manufacturers including Cleanup, Takara Standard, TOTO, and LIXIL for residential equipment distribution.
• Water Heater and Plumbing Manufacturers (リンナイ, パロマ, ノーリツ, コロナ, etc.)coreOthersSupplier partnerships with major water heater and plumbing equipment makers including Rinnai, Paloma, Noritz, Corona, and Chofu for residential and commercial water systems.
• Pump Manufacturers (荏原製作所, 川本製作所, テラル, 鶴見製作所, etc.)coreOthersSupplier relationships with major pump manufacturers including Ebara, Kawamoto, Teral, and Tsurumi for industrial and commercial pumping solutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Naigai (ナイガイ): Japanese industrial textile and workwear distributor with overlap into the prolab.Terada professional apparel category and a comparable Japan-focused B2B distribution model.
• San Ace (サンエース): Industrial trading company serving Kanto-area factories and construction firms. Geographically adjacent to Terada with overlapping product lines in machine tools, pneumatics, and plumbing materials.

Direct peers

• Misumi Group: Japan's largest industrial components and machine tool parts distributor. Overlaps directly with Terada's machine tools and labor-saving equipment line, serving factories with automation components, cutting tools, and material handling — though at vastly greater scale.
• MonotaRO: Online industrial MRO distributor serving factories and contractors in Japan. Competes for the same B2B customers Terada serves via route sales, but through an e-commerce model that represents the principal disintermediation threat.
• Trusco Nakayama: Listed Japanese industrial MRO and tools distributor with a broad catalog of machine tools, hand tools, and consumables. Directly comparable product mix to Terada's machinery and labor-saving equipment line.
• Tool One (ツールワン): Japanese online retailer of professional tools and industrial supplies. Competes with Terada's machine tools, cutting tools, and measuring instruments categories through digital channels.
• San'ei Shōji (三栄商事): Japanese industrial trading company distributing machine tools, factory automation, and HVAC/plumbing equipment to factories and construction firms — a close comparable in both product mix and B2B route-sales GTM.
• Nichiden (日伝): Listed Japanese distributor of power transmission, bearings, and machine tool components. Overlaps with Terada's bearings (NTN, NSK), mechanical transmission (Tsubaki, NOK), and machine tool categories.

Broad incumbents

• Kohnan Shoji (コーナン商事): Large Japanese home improvement and construction materials retailer. Overlaps with Terada's housing equipment and plumbing categories (water heaters, pumps, fixtures) but serves a much broader retail and DIY customer base.
• Askul: Major Japanese office and indirect-MRO supplies distributor. Adjacent peer for the workwear and consumables categories now overlapping with prolab.Terada.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/terada.ltd/?igsh=aDlpcDg1OW5lcm1h

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Terada