Z.T. Distribution, Inc.

What Z.T. Distribution, Inc. does

Z.T. Distribution, Inc. is a fourth-generation, family-owned Direct Store Distribution (DSD) company headquartered in Waukesha, Wisconsin, that provides full-service CPG distribution to retailers throughout Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. Founded in 1919 by Zigmunt Trojanowski in Milwaukee and incorporated in 1965 as Z.T. Wholesale, Inc. (rebranded to its current name in 2014), the company delivers an integrated service bundle spanning warehousing, delivery, order writing, merchandising, marketing, and account management. Its customer base spans major grocery chains, independent grocers, airport retail, convenience stores, warehouse clubs, drug stores, military commissaries, and discount stores, with the company acting as the regional route-to-market for an extensive catalog of local and national brands — 16 beverage brands and 43 grocery brands, including household names such as Nestle Pure Life, Ice Mountain, Jack Links, Herdez, Utz Brands, Quaker Bakery Brands, and Zapp's Potato Chips.

The business model is a transaction-fee DSD relationship with CPG suppliers and retail buyers, supported by contract-based pricing that is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is exclusively direct: Z.T. Distribution employs its own warehousing, delivery fleet, and field merchandising/account management teams within its two-state territory, with no disclosed proprietary technology platform, digital ordering system, or AI/automation capabilities. Marketing and customer engagement are anchored by a corporate website (ztdist.com), active social media profiles on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn (with #TeamZT recruitment branding), and community sponsorships such as the MACC Fund Open.

The company is a closely held private corporation with no institutional investors, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no public listing. It has been recognized as a four-time Master Mettle Award winner and attributes its longevity to core values of customer service, adaptability, efficiency, motivated personnel, innovation, and generational experience. Geographic scope remains tightly limited to Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, with no disclosed expansion plans, M&A activity, or capital raises.

Name

Z.T. Distribution, Inc.

Legal name

Z.T. Distribution, Inc.

Website

https://ztdist.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Z.T. Distribution, Inc. is a family-owned, fourth-generation Direct Store Distribution (DSD) company headquartered in Waukesha, Wisconsin, providing warehousing, delivery, merchandising, and account management services to grocery, convenience, club, drug, military, and discount retailers across Wisconsin and Northern Illinois for a portfolio of 60+ local and national CPG brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Goods Distribution Services

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTLALAEAD

Grocery & FMCG Distribution Centers (Ambient)

Transportation & Logistics/Warehousing & Storage (Cold Chain, Fulfillment, Depots)/Distribution Centers (Retail/Wholesale DCs)

Keywords

• Direct store distribution
• Consumer packaged goods
• CPG distribution services
• Warehousing and delivery
• Retail merchandising services

Headquarters

HQ city

Waukesha

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Store Distribution Services: Z.T. Distribution generates revenue through Direct Store Distribution (DSD) services for consumer-packaged goods (CPG). Their revenue streams include warehousing, delivery, order writing, merchandising, marketing, and account management services provided to CPG brands and retail customers throughout Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Z.T. Distribution, Inc. is a full-service Direct Store Distribution (DSD) company that physically distributes a broad catalog of consumer-packaged goods to retail customers. The company provides warehousing, delivery, order writing, merchandising, marketing, and account management services for local and national CPG brands, delivering them to major grocery chains, independent grocers, airports, convenience, club, drug, military, and discount stores throughout Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.

Product overview

Z.T. Distribution, Inc. is a full-service Direct Store Distribution (DSD) company of consumer-packaged goods (CPG) serving Wisconsin and Northern Illinois since 1919. The company provides a single unified service offering centered on physical distribution logistics, including warehousing, delivery, order writing, merchandising, marketing, and account management for a broad catalog of local and national CPG brands. The company distributes products to major grocery chains, independent grocers, airports, convenience, club, drug, military, and discount stores. Their portfolio includes two main categories of distributed brands: 16 beverage brands (such as Acid Rain Water, Aspire, Biolyte, Nestle Pure Life, Ice Mountain, and Klarbrunn) and 43 grocery brands (including Chi-Chi's, Jack Links, Herdez, Utz Brands, Zapp's Potato Chips, Boulder Canyon, Frog Ranch Salsa, and Quaker Bakery Brands).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 78 Brand: Grocery brand distributed by Z.T. Distribution
• Al Johnson's
• Big Dipper Food Company
• Boulder Canyon
• Caruso Provisions
• Cattleman's Cut
• Chi-Chi's
• Chip Magnet
• Destination Hydration
• East Shore
• El Rey Foods
• Everton Toffee
• Frog Ranch Salsa
• Herdez
• Jack Links
• Koepsell's
• La Banderita
• La Cocina
• Mad Dog & Merrill Midwest Grill'n
• Matt's Cookies
• Michael Martorana Sauces
• Miracle Salt
• O Olive Oil & Vinegar
• Oberto
• Ole Mexican Foods
• On The Border
• Palo Popcorn
• Pasqual's Tortilla Chips
• Pinah's Rye Chips
• Pork King Good
• Quaker Bakery Brands
• Stellar Snacks
• Storandt Farms
• Tom Sturgis
• Two Fat Guys
• Uncle Charlie's
• Utz Brands
• Valley Popcorn
• Wet Hydration
• Xcell
• Zapp's Potato Chips
• Acid Rain Water
• Aspire
• Biolyte
• Drink Weird
• Hoist
• Ice Mountain
• Klarbrunn
• Lost and Found
• Nestle Pure Life
• Perfy
• Point Beer
• Sati Soda
• Klarbrunn Vita Ice
• VitaNourish
• Xochi
• Zenjoy

Products and services

• Direct Store Distribution (DSD) Services Full-service Direct Store Distribution of consumer-packaged goods including warehousing, delivery, order writing, merchandising, marketing, and account management, provided to CPG brand partners and retail customers throughout Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.
• Beverage Brand Distribution DSD distribution of approximately 16 beverage brands (including Acid Rain Water, Aspire, Biolyte, Drink Weird, Hoist, Ice Mountain, Klarbrunn, Nestle Pure Life, Perfy, Point Beer, Sati Soda, Klarbrunn Vita Ice, VitaNourish, Xochi, Zenjoy) to retail customers in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.
• Grocery Brand Distribution DSD distribution of 40+ grocery brands (including Chi-Chi's, Jack Links, Herdez, Utz Brands, Zapp's Potato Chips, Boulder Canyon, Frog Ranch Salsa, Quaker Bakery Brands, On The Border, Oberto, Ole Mexican Foods, La Banderita, Storandt Farms, and others) to retail customers in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MACC FundcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerZ.T. Distribution is a proud presenting sponsor of the MACC Fund Open, demonstrating community engagement and corporate social responsibility. The MACC Fund (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer) is a charitable organization that raises funds for childhood cancer research.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• SpartanNash: Food solutions company offering grocery distribution, military DSD, and retail operations across the Midwest. Highly comparable to Z.T.'s grocery DSD model and Midwest geographic footprint, with overlapping customer types including military commissaries and independent grocers.
• Reyes Holdings: Privately-held parent of Martin Brower (foodservice DSD) and Reyes Beverage Group (beverage DSD). Directly comparable to Z.T. as a CPG/beverage DSD operator, but operates at a national and global scale rather than regional.
• KeHE Distributors: Specialty and natural product DSD distributor serving grocery, mass, club, c-store, and e-commerce channels. Comparable as a multi-format CPG DSD distributor, with similar channel breadth but a national rather than regional footprint.
• Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG): Cooperative wholesale grocery distributor serving independent retailers across the Midwest and South. Closely comparable to Z.T.'s grocery distribution to independent grocers, with overlapping Midwestern geography and a focus on independent retail.
• Ben E. Keith: Privately-held food and beverage distributor with DSD operations across the South-Central U.S. Highly comparable as a regional, family-influenced DSD distributor of beverages and grocery products, though Z.T. operates in the Upper Midwest and Ben E. Keith in the South-Central region.
• DOT Foods: Largest food industry redistributor in North America, delivering to foodservice, retail, and DSD customers. Comparable to Z.T.'s broad-line CPG distribution model, though DOT operates at significantly larger scale and with a redistributor business model.

Broad incumbents

• McLane Company: One of the largest distributors in the U.S., providing grocery, foodservice, and DSD distribution to retailers including convenience and mass merchants. Highly comparable to Z.T. as a DSD-style distributor, but operates nationally with vastly greater scale and capital resources.
• Sysco: Largest broadline foodservice distributor in the U.S. and globally. Indirectly comparable to Z.T. as a CPG/food distribution incumbent, but focuses on foodservice customers rather than retail DSD.
• Core-Mark International: One of the largest marketers and distributors of consumer goods to convenience retailers in North America. Comparable to Z.T.'s CPG DSD model and convenience-store channel exposure, but operates nationally across the U.S. and Canada.
• C&S Wholesale Grocers: Largest wholesale grocery distributor in the U.S., serving grocery chains, independents, and institutional customers. Comparable to Z.T.'s grocery wholesale and DSD activity, but at national scale with significantly broader operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/p/ZT-Distribution-Inc-100075894894744
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/z-t-distribution-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/ztdist

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 Z.T. Distribution, Inc.