Meito Transportation

What Meito Transportation does

Meito Transportation Co., Ltd. (名糖運輸株式会社) is a Tokyo-headquartered Japanese logistics company founded in 1959, operating as a subsidiary within the SG Holdings Group (one of 11 group companies). The company specializes in food cold-chain distribution using a three-temperature-zone controlled system (frozen, chilled, and ambient), serving convenience store chains, food manufacturers, and mass retailers across Japan. Its physical network comprises approximately 80 nationwide locations and 1,958 diesel vehicles, supported by 2,853 personnel holding life-saving certification and ISO 9001 quality certification extended across 104 sites.

The business model is B2B contract logistics, monetized through transportation and warehousing fees paid by enterprise clients with multi-year service relationships. The company pioneered joint-delivery services for convenience store chains and has built deep operational integration with major CVS customers, food manufacturers, and retailers — a positioning that creates switching costs for clients but also exposes Meito to vertical concentration in food and convenience-store retail formats. Revenue mechanics are volume-driven (pallet and route density) rather than subscription-based, with margin sensitivity to fuel, labor, and refrigeration energy costs.

Strategically, Meito is positioning for a domestic-leading cold-chain role within the SG Holdings ecosystem, evidenced by group restructuring announced in February 2025, ongoing facility expansion (including a June 2025 logistics center in Iwate Prefecture), and exploratory moves into Southeast Asia and electric-vehicle fleet technologies. The company is not a technology disruptor but rather a domain-specialized incumbent leveraging physical-asset density, six decades of cold-chain procedural expertise, and parent-group scale to defend share in a mature Japanese food-logistics market.

Name

Meito Transportation

Legal name

名糖運輸株式会社 (Meito Transportation Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://meiun.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Meito Transportation is a Japanese cold-chain logistics specialist founded in 1959, operating approximately 80 nationwide facilities and a three-temperature-zone fleet to serve convenience store chains, food manufacturers, and mass retailers as part of SG Holdings Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cold Chain Logistics Services

NAICS

Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance (48423), Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage (493120)

SIC

Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTLAIAIAE

Food & Beverage Cold Chain Logistics (Fresh, Chilled, Frozen)

Transportation & Logistics/Third-Party & Fourth-Party Logistics (3PL/4PL) / Contract Logistics/Cold Chain 3PL (Temperature-Controlled Logistics)

SECONDARYTLAAAJAK

Cold-Chain Micro-Fulfillment & Dark-Store Last-Mile

Transportation & Logistics/Courier, Express & Parcel (CEP) / Last-Mile Delivery/Cold-Chain Last-Mile Delivery (Refrigerated/Frozen)

SECONDARYTLAAAJAI

Frozen Foods & Ice Cream Last-Mile Delivery

Transportation & Logistics/Courier, Express & Parcel (CEP) / Last-Mile Delivery/Cold-Chain Last-Mile Delivery (Refrigerated/Frozen)

Keywords

• Cold chain logistics
• Temperature-controlled transport
• Food distribution services
• Convenience store logistics
• Warehouse inventory management

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cold Chain Logistics Services: Provides comprehensive cold chain logistics services including 3-temperature-zone transportation, warehousing, inventory management, distribution processing, and delivery services for food products. Operates nationwide network of approximately 80 locations for food manufacturers and convenience store chains.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Meito Transportation provides end-to-end cold chain logistics services for food products in Japan through a 3-temperature zone (chilled, frozen, dry, and constant-temperature) network of approximately 80 nationwide locations operating 365 days/year, 24 hours/day. Services include center operations, warehousing, inventory management, distribution processing, packaging, and store delivery for convenience store chains, food manufacturers, and mass retailers.

Product overview

Meito Transportation operates as a single unified logistics service with a modular architecture. The core offering is a 3-temperature zone food logistics service (chilled, dry, frozen, and constant-temperature) delivered through a nationwide network of approximately 80 locations, providing 365-day, 24-hour operations. The product portfolio is built around the Delivery Network (配送ネットワーク) as the foundational infrastructure, supplemented by specialized services including Delivery Lead Time (配送リードタイム), Center Pre-Center Logistics (センター前センター物流), Convenience Store Logistics (コンビニエンス物流), Inventory Management System (在庫管理システム), Location Management System (ロケーション管理システム), and the Freshness Commitment (おいしさ新鮮さへのこだわり) initiative. Established in 1959 as a pioneer in chilled food logistics, the company has expanded from joint delivery systems to comprehensive cold chain solutions serving manufacturers and chain stores across Japan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Delivery Network (配送ネットワーク) A nationwide logistics network of approximately 80 locations providing efficient small-lot joint delivery of frozen, chilled, and dry foods with 365-day, 24-hour operations across Japan.
• Delivery Lead Time (配送リードタイム)

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SG Holdings Co., Ltd. (SGホールディングス株式会社)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeito Transportation is a member company of the SG Holdings Group, a comprehensive logistics enterprise group. The group includes multiple logistics companies operating across Japan, with Meito Transportation serving as the chilled and cold chain logistics specialist within the group. Joint recruitment and branding activities are conducted under the group umbrella.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Yokorei Co., Ltd. Yokorei is one of Japan's largest dedicated cold storage and refrigerated logistics operators, with nationwide cold storage facilities and transport fleets serving food manufacturers and retailers — directly comparable to Meito's 3-temperature cold-chain 3PL model.
• Maruha Nichiro Logistics Co., Ltd. Subsidiary of Maruha Nichiro, operates temperature-controlled warehousing and distribution for seafood, frozen, and chilled foods across Japan; comparable to Meito's chilled/frozen food cold-chain offering, though with a seafood-heavy mix.
• Konoike Transport Co., Ltd. Mid-sized Japanese logistics provider operating food/cold-chain, healthcare, and international forwarding services; comparable scale and customer mix (food manufacturers, retailers) to Meito's domestic cold-chain business.
• Kamigumi Co., Ltd. Major Japanese harbor and food cold-chain logistics operator with nationwide distribution centers and dedicated reefer transport; competes with Meito for food manufacturer and retailer cold-chain contracts.
• Fukuyama Transporting Co., Ltd. Regional Japanese trucking and logistics group with refrigerated transport and distribution centers serving food manufacturers and retailers across western and central Japan; comparable mid-size cold-chain trucking and 3PL offering.
• Sankyu Inc. Japanese logistics group with dedicated cold-chain and food logistics operations alongside bulk and chemical logistics; offers a comparable 3PL cold-chain service to food manufacturers and retailers in Japan.

Broad incumbents

• Yusen Logistics Co., Ltd. Global logistics arm of NYK Group with significant Japan operations across contract logistics and temperature-controlled distribution for food and retail customers; comparable capability set, larger and globally diversified.
• SENKO Group Holdings Co., Ltd. Diversified Japanese logistics and trading group operating warehousing, transport, and cold-chain distribution for retail and food customers; offers overlapping cold-chain capability alongside a much wider portfolio than Meito.
• Nippon Express Holdings, Inc. Japan's largest diversified logistics provider with parcel, freight, forwarding, and a substantial cold-chain business for food and pharmaceuticals; competes with Meito on national cold-chain contracts as a much larger, broader portfolio incumbent.
• Hitachi Transport System (LOGISTEED): Large Japanese third-party logistics provider offering forwarding, contract logistics, and temperature-controlled distribution to retailers and food manufacturers; broader portfolio but overlapping cold-chain capability with Meito.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries11 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 Meito Transportation