What Charleston Group does

Charleston Group is a Singapore-headquartered private holding company, incorporated in 1989, that operates a vertically integrated edible oils and grains supply chain platform spanning trading, logistics and storage, renewable materials, and business advisory services. Its core operating subsidiary, Just Oil & Grain Pte Ltd (JOG), incorporated in 1995, procures palm oil and related commodities (palm kernel oil, soybean oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, and biodiesel feedstocks including POME oil, glycerine, and fatty acids) from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, and distributes them to enterprise customers across China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, Europe, and the Philippines. JOG has achieved revenues exceeding USD 500 million and holds the Global Trader Programme certification, RSPO membership since 2006, and ISCC REDII compliance as of August 2025.

The group monetizes primarily through transaction-based commodity trading on a quote-based B2B model, supplemented by professional services revenue from a Business Advisory Desk that offers trade advisory, market updates, sustainability advisory, logistics support, risk management, and reporting. Adjacent revenue streams come from Menajaya Pte Ltd (2015), which trades palm-based by-products and waste materials into the Renewable Energy and Animal Feed Industries, and from PT Prima Tangki Indonesia, which operates a 100,000MT shore tank storage facility across 22 tanks at Pelabuhan Kuala Tanjung, Sumatera Utara, providing integrated bulk storage services. The group maintains wholly-owned offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the USA, and China, and serves an enterprise customer base that includes Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, and internationally listed companies.

Charleston Group is privately held under Charleston Holdings Pte Ltd with no external institutional investors disclosed; ownership and management are founder-controlled, led by Founding Chairman John Lou (45+ years in the edible oil sector), co-founder Paul Parkinson (35+ years in agri-commodities), and director Azam Essof Kolia (board member since 1993). The technology stack is conventional for the commodity trading sector, relying on market knowledge, counterparty relationships, logistics infrastructure, and sustainability certifications rather than a proprietary digital platform or disclosed AI capabilities.

Name

Charleston Group

Legal name

Charleston Holdings Pte Ltd

Website

https://charleston.com.sg

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Charleston Group is a Singapore-based private holding company, founded in 1989, operating an integrated edible oils and grains supply chain platform through subsidiaries Just Oil & Grain, Menajaya, and PT Prima Tangki Indonesia, serving Fortune 500 and institutional enterprise customers across Asia, Europe, and the USA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Edible Oil Trading & Logistics

NAICS

Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing (311224), Fats and Oils Refining and Blending (311225)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Fats & Oils (2070), Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160)

akta.pro primary industry

Edible Oils & Fats Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Palm Oil Milling, Refining & Fractionation (AFAKAEAB), Pulses & Legumes Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAG), Vegetable Oil Crushing & Refining (Soy, Canola/Rapeseed, Sunflower, Corn, Cottonseed) (AFAKAEAA), Virgin & Cold-Pressed Culinary Oils (AFAJALAB)

Keywords

• Edible oil trading
• Commodity supply chain
• Palm oil distribution
• Bulk storage logistics
• Renewable feedstocks

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commodity Trading: Charleston Group, through its subsidiary Just Oil & Grain (JOG), trades all kinds of oil produce and commodities including palm oil, palm kernel oil, soybean oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, and related products. JOG achieves revenues of more than USD 500 million from its trading operations. The company also complements its trading business with risk management and financial services to customers in the edible oil industry.
2. Business Advisory Services: Charleston Group provides advisory services including trade advisory, market updates (market trends and technical analysis), sustainability advisory and policies, logistical support, risk management, and reporting. These professional services are offered alongside commodity trading operations.
3. Renewable Materials Trading: Menajaya Pte Ltd, a subsidiary established in 2015, focuses on palm-based by-products and waste materials, particularly Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) oil. These products are sold to Renewable Energy and Animal Feed Industries. This revenue stream supports the group's diversification into renewable energy feedstock supply.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Charleston Group is a Singapore-headquartered supply chain and logistics holding company that trades and distributes edible oils and grains globally through its principal subsidiary Just Oil & Grain (JOG). The group procures palm oil and related commodities from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, and sells to refiners, producers, and consumers in China, India, Southeast Asia, Korea, Europe, and the Philippines. Its portfolio also includes bulk storage tank facilities in Indonesia (100,000MT capacity across 22 tanks), palm-based by-product and renewable feedstock trading via Menajaya, and a Business Advisory Desk offering trade, sustainability, risk management, and market advisory services.

Product overview

Charleston Group operates as a multi-platform enterprise in the edible oil and grains supply chain industry, comprising a portfolio of distinct business units. The core trading operations are handled by Just Oil & Grain Pte Ltd (JOG), which focuses on procurement and distribution of palm oil and related commodities globally. Supporting infrastructure includes PT Prima Tangki Indonesia for logistics and storage tank services, and Menajaya Pte Ltd for renewable materials and palm-based waste products. The Group also provides Business Advisory Services encompassing trade advisory, risk management, and sustainability advisory. Products span edible oils (RBD Palm Oil, Soybean Oil, Canola Oil, and others) and biodiesel feedstocks (POME, Used Cooking Oil, Glycerine, Fatty Acids).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Just Oil & Grain (JOG) Commodity Trading Wholly-owned subsidiary trading all kinds of oil produce and commodities, including palm oil, palm kernel oil, soybean oil, canola oil, and sunflower oil, sold directly to producers, refiners, and consumers across Asia, Europe, and the Philippines.
• Edible Oil Product Portfolio Portfolio of edible oils offered by JOG including RBD Palm Oil, RBD Palm Kernel Oil, RBD Palm Olein, RBD Palm Stearin, Crude Palm Oil, Crude Palm Kernel Oil, Crude Coconut Oil, Soybean Oil, Canola Oil, Sunflower Oil, and Shortening for enterprise buyers in the edible oil industry.
• Biodiesel & Renewable Feedstock Products Range of palm-based by-products and waste materials including Palm Fatty Acid Distillate, POME Oil, Refined POME Oil, Used Cooking Oil, Glycerine, Fatty Acids, Fatty Alcohol, and Palm Kernel Shell, sold as feedstocks to renewable energy and animal feed industries.
• PT Prima Tangki Indonesia Bulk Storage Services Shore tank storage and bulking facility operations at Pelabuhan Kuala Tanjung, Sumatera Utara, providing 100,000MT of storage capacity across 22 tanks for edible oils and related commodities.
• Menajaya Pte Ltd Renewable Materials Supply Established in 2015, this subsidiary supplies palm-based by-products and waste materials (especially Palm Oil Mill Effluent/POME oil) to Renewable Energy and Animal Feed Industries.
• Business Advisory Services Professional advisory offering covering Trade Advisory, Market Updates (market trends and technical analysis), Sustainability Advisory and Policies, Logistical Support, Risk Management, and Reporting for clients in the edible oil and grain industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenues exceeding USD 500 million achieved by Just Oil & Grain
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Musim Mas: One of the largest integrated palm oil groups globally, operating plantations, refineries, and trading across palm oil, kernel oil, and biodiesel feedstocks. Closely comparable to Charleston in product mix and Southeast Asian origin footprint.
• Wilmar International: Singapore-headquartered global palm oil and edible oils major with integrated plantations, processing, and trading. Direct competitor to Charleston Group's JOG across palm oil trading, refining, and biodiesel feedstocks in the same Southeast Asian sourcing geographies.
• IOI Corporation: Malaysian-listed palm oil and oleochemical group with plantations, refineries, and specialty fats operations. Comparable in upstream Malaysian palm sourcing and downstream edible oil/biodiesel product mix.
• Sime Darby Plantation: Malaysian-listed integrated palm oil producer and trader with downstream refining and bulking operations. Comparable to Charleston in palm oil origination from Malaysia/Indonesia and downstream distribution into Asia.
• Olam Group / OFIC: Singapore-based global commodity trader with edible oils, grains, and agri-products, now reorganized around Olam Food Ingredients. Closely comparable Singapore-listed/singapore-domiciled trading peer with similar Southeast Asian procurement reach.

Broad incumbents

• Cargill: Largest privately-held global commodity trader with deep edible oils, grains, and biodiesel operations. Overlaps with Charleston across palm and vegetable oil trading, but operates at vastly larger scale and across many more commodities and geographies.
• Louis Dreyfus Company: Privately-held global commodity merchant with significant edible oils and grains trading. Overlaps with Charleston across palm and vegetable oil flows, but operates at a much larger scale with integrated logistics assets.
• Archer Daniels Midland (ADM): Global agribusiness major with significant soybean, canola, and palm oil trading and processing. Overlaps with Charleston in vegetable oil trading and biofuel feedstock, but with vastly broader commodity and geographic reach.
• Bunge Global: Global agribusiness and commodity trader with major vegetable oil (soybean, canola, sunflower) and grain operations. Overlaps with Charleston across edible oils origination and trading, with broader geographic and product scope.

Others

• Vopak: Global independent bulk liquid storage terminal operator with significant edible oil and biofuel storage capacity. Comparable to PT Prima Tangki Indonesia's tank storage operations as an infrastructure peer in adjacent storage services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Charleston Group