Nature's Best Powered by KeHE

What Nature's Best Powered by KeHE does

KeHE (operating under the DBA "Nature's Best Powered by KeHE") is a wholesale food distributor specializing in natural, organic, specialty, and fresh products. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in the United States, the company operates a national distribution network of 19 strategically located distribution centers across North America, delivering to retailers' stores or warehouses via full-truckload and small-parcel logistics. KeHE serves two primary customer bases: retailers — including grocery chains, natural food stores, and convenience stores seeking curated natural and specialty assortments — and suppliers, which are natural, organic, specialty, and fresh product manufacturers seeking access to a national retail network with cold-chain capabilities.

The company's core product surface is a platform-plus-distribution model. KeHE CONNECT Retailer is a digital portal providing 24/7 ordering, new item discovery, exclusive events, and deal access. KeHE CONNECT Direct is a small-parcel delivery service offering one-to-three-day delivery with no minimum order and free shipping on orders over $50. KeHE Fresh addresses fresh perimeter store distribution, and KeHE Distribution Services is the core full-truckload and less-than-truckload operation. The portfolio includes wholly-owned sub-brands WildOats (organic grocery), Tree of Life Canada (Canadian distribution), and TRADEMARK Transportation (inbound logistics). KeHE holds Certified B Corporation status and operates the KeHE Cares Foundation for social responsibility programming.

KeHE generates revenue through wholesale distribution margins on product movement and logistics services, with quote-based pricing to retailers and suppliers. Go-to-market is primarily direct B2B sales through field relationships, digital platform onboarding via the CONNECT Retailer portal, supplier recruitment for distribution placement, and annual industry events such as the Holiday Show in Chicago. The company does not publicly disclose pricing or revenue, and operates as a privately-held entity with no disclosed parent company or institutional investor backing.

Name

Nature's Best Powered by KeHE

Legal name

KeHE

Website

https://naturesbest.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

KeHE is a wholesale distributor of natural, organic, specialty, and fresh products operating 19 distribution centers across North America, serving grocery, natural food, and convenience retailers plus product suppliers through digital platforms like KeHE CONNECT Retailer and KeHE CONNECT Direct.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brea

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Product Distribution: KeHE generates revenue through distributing natural, organic, specialty, and fresh products to retailers. The company serves as a wholesale distributor earning margins on product distribution and logistics services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Nature's Best Powered by KeHE is a wholesale distributor of natural, organic, specialty, and fresh products serving grocery retailers, natural food stores, and convenience stores across North America. The company operates 19 strategically located distribution centers providing full-truckload and small parcel delivery, supported by the KeHE CONNECT Retailer ordering platform and KeHE CONNECT Direct small parcel service. Its portfolio includes the KeHE Fresh perimeter store solutions, WildOats organic brand, and Tree of Life Canada distribution operations.

Product overview

KeHE is a specialty food distributor offering a platform-plus-services model for natural, organic, specialty, and fresh products. The core offering consists of the KeHE CONNECT Retailer Platform (unified ordering and business optimization portal), KeHE CONNECT Direct® (small parcel delivery solution), KeHE Fresh (fresh perimeter store solutions), and Distribution Services (nationwide distribution with 19 distribution centers). The portfolio includes sub-brands WildOats (organic grocery), Tree of Life Canada (Canadian distribution), and TRADEMARK Transportation (logistics services), all united under the mission to Serve and feed America with natural and organic products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KeHE Fresh: Fresh perimeter store distribution services for retailers.
• KeHE CONNECT Direct
• KeHE CONNECT Retailer
• KeHE Cares Foundation

Products and services

• KeHE CONNECT Direct

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered subsidiary and minor.

• Tree of Life CanadasubsidiaryOthersTree of Life Canada is a Canadian subsidiary operating under the KeHE umbrella, extending the company's distribution reach into Canada for natural and organic products.
• WildOatssubsidiaryOthersWildOats is a brand under KeHE focused on natural and organic grocery offerings, operating as part of the company's portfolio of specialty food distribution.
• TRADEMARK TransportationminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTRADEMARK Transportation provides inbound transportation services for KeHE, allowing retailers and suppliers to request transportation quotes through the company's logistics platform.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• US Foods: US Foods is a major national foodservice distributor with growing specialty and fresh offerings. Its scale, broad product portfolio, and retailer/foodservice crossover make it a relevant comparator for KeHE's broader distribution platform.
• SpartanNash: SpartanNash is a food distributor serving independent retailers, military commissaries, and corporate-owned retail stores across the US, with overlapping grocery and specialty distribution capabilities that compete for similar customer segments.
• Shamrock Foods Company: Shamrock Foods is a private, family-owned foodservice distributor with specialty and broadline capabilities serving retail and restaurant customers in the western US, comparable in scale and customer mix to KeHE's broader distribution operations.
• Performance Food Group: Performance Food Group operates Vistar and other food distribution businesses serving foodservice and retail channels. Its specialty, fresh, and broadline operations overlap with KeHE's portfolio and competitive footprint at national retailers.
• McLane Company: McLane is one of the largest distributors to convenience stores, mass merchants, and chain restaurants in the US, with broad grocery and specialty assortments. Its national distribution scale and retail relationships make it an adjacent comparable for KeHE's convenience-store and chain-retail business.
• C&S Wholesale Grocers: C&S is the largest private grocery wholesaler in the US, supplying conventional and some specialty/grocery product lines to retailers. While broader than KeHE's natural/specialty focus, it competes for the same retail shelf space and supplier relationships at national accounts.
• Sysco Corporation: Sysco is the largest US foodservice distributor and overlaps with KeHE Fresh and KeHE's perimeter/fresh categories. While primarily foodservice, its specialty and fresh divisions compete for some of the same retailers and suppliers KeHE serves.

Regional players

• Associated Wholesale Grocers: Associated Wholesale Grocers is a retailer-owned cooperative wholesaler serving independent grocers primarily in the central and southern US. It competes with KeHE for distribution relationships with independent natural and grocery retailers in its footprint.

Direct peers

• United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI): UNFI is the largest distributor of natural, organic, and specialty foods in North America and KeHE's most direct competitor, serving retailers with overlapping product categories, similar supplier relationships, and a national distribution footprint.
• DPI Specialty Foods: DPI Specialty Foods is a West Coast-based distributor of natural, organic, ethnic, and specialty foods to retailers and foodservice operators, directly comparable to KeHE in product mix and customer profile but more regionally focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 Nature's Best Powered by KeHE