Sunland Trading, Inc.

What Sunland Trading, Inc. does

Sunland Trading, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned US importer of bulk honey founded in the early 1970s and headquartered in New Canaan, Connecticut. The company operates as a specialized B2B intermediary, sourcing honey from 12 countries across the Americas, EMEA, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, and reselling it in standardized industrial packaging (300 kg steel drums and 3,000 lb totes) to US food industry buyers including manufacturers, processors, and distributors. Its core differentiator is lot-level traceability — each lot sold can be traced back to the originating beekeeper — combined with supplier vetting against FDA guidelines and annual FSMA compliance audits, as well as organic, kosher, and non-GMO certification handling. Sunland is a member of True Source Honey, the industry's primary traceability and authenticity certification body.

The business model is straightforward commodity intermediation with a relationship-driven sales motion. Pricing is quote-based and varies by floral type, color, country of origin, volume, and certification requirements; transactions are handled through direct B2B engagement via Request for Quotation and New Supplier Inquiry channels. The company is led by founder and sole owner Nicholas Sargeantson (President since 1979, sole owner since 1987) alongside his sons Tom and Andy Sargeantson in a second-generation succession. The operating team is small — approximately six active staff covering sales, traffic/logistics, and finance — consistent with a lean, high-trust niche operator rather than a high-volume commodity trader. Underlying technology is limited to operational traceability documentation and regulatory compliance systems; there is no platform, no proprietary software product, and no AI/ML capability disclosed. The company's competitive position rests entirely on four decades of multi-generational supplier relationships, market knowledge, and the trust that food industry buyers place in its verification standards.

Name

Sunland Trading, Inc.

Legal name

Sunland Trading, Inc.

Website

https://sunlandhoney.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sunland Trading is a privately held, family-owned US bulk honey importer sourcing from 12 countries and selling to food manufacturers, processors, and distributors in industrial container sizes, with lot-level traceability and FDA/FSMA-compliant supplier vetting as its core differentiators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bulk Honey Import and Wholesale Distribution

SIC

Wholesale-Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods (5190)

akta.pro primary industry

Import/Export & Cross-Border Food Commodity Trading (AFAIAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organic & Natural Foods Import/Export & Global Trading (AFAIAJAK), Honey Packaging, Bottling & Private Labeling (AFAEAHAL)

Keywords

• Bulk honey importation
• Food-grade container supply
• Global honey sourcing
• Lot-level honey traceability
• International honey supplier

Headquarters

HQ city

New Canaan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Bulk Honey Import and Sales: Sunland imports honey in bulk quantities (300 kg steel drums or 3,000 lb totes) and sells to business customers. Revenue is generated through commodity transactions with pricing based on floral type, origin, and volume. The company offers organic, kosher, and non-GMO certified imports.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Sunland Trading imports honey in bulk from 12 countries across all floral types and colors, shipping it to US food industry buyers in food-grade sealed 300 kg steel drums or 3,000 lb totes. The company emphasizes supply chain transparency and lot-level traceability, with organic, kosher, and non-GMO certified options handled in accordance with internationally-accepted certification methods. Revenue is generated through direct B2B commodity transactions priced by floral type, color, origin, volume, and certification.

Product overview

Sunland Trading operates as a single-product bulk honey importer, offering a single core product line: bulk honey importation of all floral types and colors from multiple global origins. The company does not operate a platform-plus-modules architecture but rather provides one unified service encompassing sourcing, supply chain transparency, quality control, and traceability for bulk honey in industrial packaging (300 kg drums or 3,000 lb totes).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bulk Honey Importation Bulk honey of all floral types and colors imported from 12 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, India, Mexico, Spain, Ukraine, Uruguay, Vietnam, and Zambia), shipped to US food industry buyers in 300 kg steel drums or 3,000 lb totes that are food-grade and sealed at point of origin. Organic, kosher, and non-GMO imports are handled in accordance with internationally-accepted certification methods.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• True Source HoneycoreOthersSunland is a member of True Source Honey, an organization leading the honey industry's efforts to protect the reputation of legitimately imported honey. This membership provides industry-leading traceability standards and supply chain verification.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Barkman Honey: Canadian bulk honey supplier serving food manufacturers and ingredient distributors in North America. Comparable to Sunland as a multi-origin bulk honey importer/wholesaler with a B2B sales model.
• GloryBee: US-based honey and bee products company that sources and distributes bulk honey to food industry buyers. Comparable as a multi-generational, relationship-driven bulk honey wholesaler with a similar B2B model.
• Golden Heritage Foods: US-based honey and sweetener supplier serving baking, beverage, and food-manufacturing customers with bulk and private-label products. Comparable as a wholesale honey supplier to industrial food buyers with similar certifications and traceability requirements.
• Dutch Gold Honey: One of the largest US honey packers and importers, supplying bulk and packaged honey to food manufacturers and retailers. Directly comparable as a US-based bulk honey importer with a long operating history and B2B customer base.
• Sweet Harvest Foods: US honey and ingredient supplier providing bulk honey and sweeteners to food manufacturers and distributors. Comparable as a bulk honey importer/wholesaler serving the same industrial food-customer base.

Emerging players

• Nature Nate's Honey: US honey brand focused on raw, unfiltered honey sold through retail and foodservice channels. Comparable as a US honey company with strong sourcing and traceability claims, but oriented to consumer/retail rather than Sunland's bulk industrial supply.
• Madhava Honey: US honey and natural sweetener company that supplies organic and specialty honey to retail and foodservice accounts. Comparable as a multi-origin honey supplier with an emphasis on certifications and traceability, though with a stronger consumer brand presence.

Regional players

• Bee Maid Honey: Canadian honey cooperative distributing bulk and packaged honey to industrial and retail customers in North America. Comparable as a bulk honey wholesaler with a similar sourcing and distribution model, though primarily Canadian-centric.

Others

• True Source Honey: Industry coalition that certifies and audits honey importers for authenticity and traceability. Sunland is a member; while not a competitor, True Source Honey is the most relevant ecosystem participant for any importer operating in the US honey trade.

Broad incumbents

• Sioux Honey Association (Aunt Sue's): Major US honey cooperative that handles both branded and bulk honey. Comparable as a large-scale honey supplier with grocery and food-service distribution, though it operates more in branded/retail channels than Sunland's pure-import wholesale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3c-logistics

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Sunland Trading, Inc.