Sunburst Trading

What Sunburst Trading does

Sunburst Trading Company, Inc. is a Houston, Texas-based wholesale distributor of Caribbean, Latin American, and African specialty foods, founded in 1994 and serving independent grocers and regional supermarkets across the Southwest United States. The company distributes 631+ products across 12 categories, sourced from hundreds of international suppliers, and carries recognized ethnic brands including Grace Foods, D&G, Excelsior, HTB, Vita Malt, Matouk's, and Caribbean Food Delights. Distribution is executed from a single Houston warehouse using a regional wholesale model.

The company operates a structured online ordering platform (esunburst.com) featuring a four-step ordering workflow, supplementing traditional phone and email-based wholesale ordering. Revenue is generated through catalog-based wholesale pricing on SKUs spanning categories such as beverages, sauces, frozen goods, and pantry staples, with no subscription, marketplace, or transactional consumer-facing channel disclosed. The business model is fundamentally B2B wholesale distribution with a long-tail independent grocery customer base; no large enterprise or national chain accounts are identified in the source material.

Name

Sunburst Trading

Legal name

Sunburst Trading Company, Inc.

Website

https://esunburst.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sunburst Trading Company is a Houston-based wholesale distributor founded in 1994 that supplies Caribbean, Latin American, and African specialty foods to independent grocers across the Southwest US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Food Wholesale Distribution

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Gourmet Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts Wholesale (AFAIAHAC), Bulk Beverage & Coffee/Tea Supply Stores (Retail + Wholesale) (CRAHAMAH)

Keywords

• Specialty food distribution
• Wholesale Caribbean foods
• International grocery wholesale
• Ethnic food importer
• Food service supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

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. Wholesale Food Distribution: Sunburst Trading generates revenue through wholesale distribution of Caribbean, Latin American, and African specialty foods to independent grocers and supermarkets. The company stocks and delivers food and beverage ingredients, managing thousands of products from hundreds of suppliers worldwide.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sunburst Trading Company is a wholesale distributor that imports and delivers specialty food and beverage ingredients from the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa to independent grocers, supermarkets, and food service operators across the Southwest United States. The company stocks more than 631 products across 12 categories (including African, Beverage, Caribbean, Frozen, Spices, Condiment, Snacks, Dairy, Cereal, Food Service, Pharma, and Vegetables) sourced from hundreds of international suppliers, and fulfills customer orders through direct delivery supported by an online ordering platform.

Product overview

Sunburst Trading Company is a wholesale food distribution company operating as a single unified distribution platform rather than a modular software product. The company imports, markets, and distributes specialty foods from the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa to independent grocers and supermarkets throughout the Southwest United States. Their product portfolio encompasses 12 distinct categories (African, Beverage, Caribbean, Cereal, Condiment, Dairy, Food Service, Frozen, Pharma, Snacks, Spices, and Vegetables) with over 631 products total. They feature branded products from suppliers such as Grace Foods, D&G sodas, Excelsior, HTB, Vita Malt, Matouk's, and Caribbean Food Delights Patties. The distribution process is facilitated through an e-commerce platform where customers can register online, select products, enter delivery address, and schedule delivery. The company offers catalog downloads, customer wishlists, and product comparison features.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• African Products Traditional African food ingredients and staples including ogbono, egusi seeds, garri, fufu, pounded yam, palm oil, and various spices and seasonings sourced from Africa, sold wholesale to retailers and food service.
• Beverage Products Caribbean and international beverages including Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, malt drinks, sodas, teas, ginger drinks, and specialty drinks from brands such as D&G, Vita Malt, Grace, and Ginseng Up, sold wholesale to retailers.
• Caribbean Products Authentic Caribbean food products including ackee, callaloo, salt beef, baked beans, and traditional Caribbean ingredients and prepared foods, sold wholesale to retailers.
• Cereal Products Breakfast cereals, custard powders, cornmeal, and oat products including Birds Custard Powder, Cerelac, Golden Morn, and Quaker oats, sold wholesale.
• Condiment Products Sauces, seasonings, and flavorings including jerk seasoning, hot sauces like Marie Sharp's, soy sauce, and traditional Caribbean condiments, sold wholesale to retailers.
• Dairy Products Dairy products including Nido milk powder, Tastee cheese, and Peak evaporated milk products, sold wholesale.
• Food Service Products Bulk food service items including cocktail beef and chicken patties, plantain slices, and festival mix for commercial food service operations.
• Frozen Products Frozen Caribbean and international foods including baked breadfruit, beef patties, bara doubles, meat pies, pastries, and various frozen prepared foods, sold wholesale to retailers and food service.
• Pharma Products Caribbean and international pharmaceutical and wellness products including tonics, menthol products, skin creams, and traditional remedies.
• Snack Products International snacks including bulla cake, plantain chips, coco bread, biscuits, candies, and Caribbean snack items, sold wholesale.
• Spice Products Culinary spices and seasonings including curry powders, fish and chicken seasonings, and specialty spices from various international traditions, sold wholesale.
• Wholesale Distribution & Direct Delivery Service End-to-end wholesale distribution service including import, inventory, online ordering, and direct delivery of over 631 specialty food products to independent grocers, supermarkets, and food service operators across the Southwest US. Includes order support via phone and 24/7 customer support, secure payment processing, and fast delivery for orders over $500.

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

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Hatillo Cash & Carry: Cash & carry wholesaler serving Hispanic and Caribbean retailers in the eastern US. Similar B2B wholesale model targeting independent grocers in the ethnic food category.
• La Cena Fine Foods: Specialty Hispanic food distributor serving retail and food service customers across the US. Direct competitor in ethnic food distribution with similar product assortment and customer profile.
• Tropical Foods: Specialty food distributor based in Cleveland, OH serving retail and food service with international and ethnic food products. Similar B2B wholesale distribution model with comparable scale and customer base.
• Global Market Foods: Specialty food distributor focused on Asian, Caribbean, and ethnic foods; referenced as a connected entity on Sunburst's website (esunburst.gmfoods.com). Closest comparable in scale and category focus, and likely a sister/parent organization.
• Iberia Foods: Hispanic food distributor serving retail and food service customers across the US with a similar B2B wholesale model. Direct competitor in the Caribbean/Latin American food category going to independent grocers and supermarkets.
• El Sembrador Foods: Wholesale distributor of Hispanic and Caribbean food products to independent grocers and food service operators. Direct competitor in the ethnic food distribution space with similar B2B model and customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Goya Foods: The largest Hispanic/Caribbean food company in the US, headquartered in New Jersey. Major incumbent in the same ethnic food wholesale distribution space with significantly larger scale, broader product portfolio, and national reach. Sunburst's niche Caribbean focus is a subset of Goya's category coverage.
• KeHE Distributors: Specialty food distributor serving natural and ethnic food retailers across the US. Broader, larger distributor with overlapping specialty food focus and shared B2B wholesale distribution model.
• Badia Spices: Hispanic food and spice brand/distributor with broad retail presence across the US. Competitor in the ethnic food and spice category (Sunburst's 50-SKU spice category) going to similar retail customers.
• McCormick & Company: Large global spice and flavor company. While not a direct distributor, McCormick is a major supplier and brand competitor in the spice category (Sunburst's 50-SKU spice category) reaching similar retail customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Sunburst Trading