roots trading co.

What roots trading co. does

Roots Trading Co., Ltd. (ルーツ貿易株式会社) is a privately held Japanese specialty import trading company founded in 1978 and headquartered in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture. The company imports and distributes professional confectionery and bakery equipment and premium ingredients into the Japanese market, sourcing exclusively from a curated set of European and Turkish manufacturers. Its equipment portfolio includes Dynamic professional hand mixers and GIGA MIX large-capacity mixers (France), REGO tilting-head mixers (Germany), Feininger/Sanomat whip cream machines with patented cooling technology (Germany), Bernardi double arm mixers (Italy), and GRAM commercial refrigeration (Denmark). Its ingredient portfolio spans Affronti Sicilian nuts (Italy), Lubeca marzipan and couverture chocolate (Germany, produced via a traditional copper pot steam-roasting method), Agrimontana candied fruits and marrons (Italy), Molino Dallagiovanna flours and natural yeast (Italy), and Taris Turkish dried figs. Roots Trading holds what appear to be exclusive import rights for most of these brands in Japan, several of which are used by world-renowned pastry chefs including Iginio Massari, Pierre Hermé, Luigi Biasetto, and Gino Fabbri.

The company serves three primary customer segments: professional confectionery shops and bakeries (the primary segment), hotels and restaurants, and larger confectionery factories. Its go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven: customers are acquired and educated through an in-house demo room at the Ichikawa headquarters, regional distribution partners (Marubeni, Hirata, Iwase Sesta, Kantoku Shoji), participation in major trade shows (FOOMA JAPAN, MOBAC SHOW, Foods Messe, Hirata Food Fair), and a long-running program of chef-led technical seminars — over 154 consecutive baking training sessions have been conducted. Online business meetings via Zoom were introduced in 2020. Revenue is generated from three streams: one-time equipment sales (German, French, Italian machines), ongoing ingredient resale, and after-sales technical support and repair services. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company is independently operated with no parent, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed external funding or institutional ownership.

Roots Trading is owned and led by Chairman Shirane Yasuhiro, who has served since at least the 2017 40th anniversary milestone. The company remains an active operating entity with 2026 seminar announcements and a 50th anniversary project underway, indicating continuity and stability. It is not publicly listed, has no app, API, or digital platform products, and has no disclosed AI, machine learning, or software capabilities. The company's competitive positioning rests on long-term exclusive supplier relationships, technical training infrastructure, and a one-stop equipment-plus-ingredient offering tailored to the Japanese professional confectionery market.

Name

roots trading co.

Legal name

ルーツ貿易株式会社 (Roots Trading Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://e-roots.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Roots Trading Co., Ltd. is a privately held Japanese import trading company, founded in 1978, that exclusively distributes premium European and Turkish confectionery equipment and ingredients — including mixers, whip cream machines, refrigeration, marzipan, nuts, flour, and chocolate — to professional bakeries, patisseries, hotels, and confectionery factories across Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Confectionery and Bakery Equipment & Ingredients Distribution

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Nuts, Seeds & Dried Fruit Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD), Ethnic Bakery, Confectionery & Snacks Wholesale (AFAIAIAE)

Keywords

• Confectionery equipment import
• Bakery ingredients distribution
• Professional mixer wholesale
• Marzipan chocolate supply
• Commercial refrigeration equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Ichikawa

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales (Machines): Sale of professional confectionery equipment including mixers, whip cream machines, and refrigeration units. Equipment is imported from manufacturers in Germany, France, and Italy. Sales supported by in-house demo room demonstrations and seminar events.
2. Ingredient/Material Sales: Import and resale of premium confectionery ingredients including Italian nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pine nuts), marzipan, couverture chocolate, dried fruits, Italian flour, and specialized yeast. Materials sold to confectionery shops, bakeries, and food manufacturers.
3. After-Sales Service and Repair: Technical support and repair services for equipment, including dedicated support forms on their website. Machine maintenance services provided for equipment sold through the company.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Roots Trading Co. imports and distributes professional confectionery and bakery equipment (mixers, whip cream machines, commercial refrigeration) and premium confectionery ingredients (Sicilian nuts, marzipan, couverture chocolate, dried fruits, Italian flour, natural yeast) to the Japanese market. The company curates a portfolio of exclusive European and Turkish supplier brands and supports customers with technical after-sales service, equipment repair, and chef-led training seminars.

Product overview

Roots Trading Co. is a Japanese trading company specializing in professional confectionery and bakery equipment and ingredients. The product portfolio consists of two main categories: (1) Equipment - including Dynamic hand mixers and GIGA MIX large-scale mixers, REGO tilting-head mixers, Feininger Sanomat whipped cream machines, Bernardi double arm mixers, and GRAM refrigeration/freezer units; (2) Ingredients - sourced from Italian, German, and Turkish suppliers including Affronti Sicilian nuts, Lubeca marzipan and chocolate, Agrimontana marrons and fruits, Molino dallagiovanna flours and yeast, and Taris Turkish dried figs. The company also provides value-added services including seminars and training sessions for confectionery techniques, online business consultations, machinery repair and support, and catalog/sample requests.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 154 consecutive confectionery training seminars conducted (2026)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Molino Dallagiovanna (Italy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian flour and yeast manufacturer founded in 1832. Supplies premium panettone flour (00 flour), Balance Power (inactive powdered natural yeast), and E-Life (enzyme) products. Their ingredients are used by world-renowned chefs including Iginio Massari, Pierre Hermé, and Gino Fabbri. Roots Trading conducts regular panettone seminars featuring Dallagiovanna products.
• Affronti (Italy)coreTechnology or IntegrationSicilian nut producer founded in 1912, now in its third generation. Supplies premium Sicilian almonds (Palma Girgenti variety), hazelnuts, pistachios, and pine nuts. Products are supplied vacuum-packed and in various processed forms (powder, paste, roasted).
• Lubeca/Minden & Broun (Germany)coreTechnology or IntegrationGerman marzipan, chocolate, and nougat manufacturer founded in 1903. Supplies marzipan Roma Masse, couverture chocolate (24 varieties), hazelnut/nougat spreads, and gianduja. Uses traditional copper steam-roasting method for marzipan production, the only manufacturer still using this method. Products used in over 30 countries.
• Agrimontana (Italy)coreTechnology or IntegrationItalian fruit processing company established over 40 years ago. Supplies candied chestnuts (marron), fruit preserves, fruit pastes, and gelato ingredients including Illy coffee products, fruit preserves, nut pastes, and gelato bases. Maintains 60,000㎡ factory with ISO 22000 certification.
• Taris (Turkey)coreTechnology or IntegrationTurkish agricultural cooperative founded in 1915, representing 75,600+ producers across 57 production regions. Supplies premium Turkish dried figs under the INTASKO brand. Factory holds TS-EN-ISO 22000 food safety certification and HACCP compliance. Products supplied to Roots Trading with part of sales donated to Turkish earthquake relief in 2023.
• REGO (Germany)coreTechnology or IntegrationGerman professional mixer manufacturer founded in 1904. Supplier of tilting/spiral-action mixers (SM30SS, SM40SS, SM60SS) that replicate hand whisking movements. Features include variable speed, tilting angle control, digital display, and silent operation. Roots Trading conducts regular REGO seminars.
• Dynamic (France)coreTechnology or IntegrationFrench professional mixer manufacturer founded in 1964. Supplier of hand mixers (DMX160, DMX300, DMX410, SMX700 turbo), GIGA MIX and GIGA MIX XS large-capacity mixers, food processors, and vegetable slicers. Products range from 1L to 300L capacity. Roots Trading exhibited new GIGA MIX XS model at FOOMA JAPAN 2025.
• Füchtinger (Germany)coreTechnology or IntegrationGerman manufacturer founded in 1884, inventor of the world's first automatic whip cream machine in 1966. Supplier of Sanomat whip cream machines with international patent (No. 0583506) for cooling technology. Certified to DIN 10507 German food hygiene standard. Products range from 1.5L to 12L capacity.
• Calipon Giorni JapanminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides demo room facilities in Tokyo for Roots Trading gelato training seminars.
• Marubeni (丸菱)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarubeni Group serves as regional distribution partner for Roots Trading products in Southern Kyushu and Northern Kyushu regions. Hosts panettone seminars featuring Roots Trading ingredients and equipment at their facilities.
• Hirata (株式会社ヒラタ)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHirata organizes food fairs and distributes Roots Trading products in the Kansai region. Provides seminar venues including their Osaka branch for confectionery training events.
• Iwase Sesta (株式会社イワセ・エスタ)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOsaka-based distribution partner for Roots Trading confectionery ingredients. Co-organizes confectionery training seminars featuring Roots Trading products.
• Kantoku Shoji (関東商事)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKantoku Shoji organizes 'Confectionery Exhibition for Patisserie Shops' where Roots Trading exhibits its products including Dallagiovanna panettone materials.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tomizawa Shoten (富澤商店): Long-established Japanese specialty distributor of baking and confectionery ingredients, raw materials, and packaging. Directly comparable to Roots Trading as another Japan-based importer/wholesaler serving the same artisanal bakery and patisserie customer base.
• Puratos: Global Belgian bakery, patisserie, and chocolate ingredients company with Japan operations. Competes with Roots Trading in supplying European-grade chocolate, fillings, and improvers to Japanese bakeries and confectionery professionals.
• Dawn Foods: Global bakery ingredient manufacturer and distributor with a Japan presence. Comparable as an international supplier of mixes, fillings, and toppings to bakery and confectionery customers, overlapping with Roots Trading's ingredient portfolio.
• Bakbel (formerly Beldem): European manufacturer of specialty bakery ingredients including almond pastes, fillings, and bakery mixes. Comparable as a niche European supplier whose products might be imported via Roots Trading or competing distributors in Japan.

Broad incumbents

• Lesaffre: World leader in yeast and fermentation products with operations across bakery ingredients. Overlaps with Roots Trading via yeast and bakery ingredient supply to the same Japanese professional customer base, though at much larger scale.
• Barry Callebaut: World's largest chocolate and cocoa manufacturer supplying couverture to professionals globally. Comparable as a premium chocolate supplier competing with Lubeca and other couverture brands distributed by Roots Trading in Japan.
• Cargill: Global agribusiness and food ingredient supplier with cocoa, oils, and specialty ingredients divisions. Adjacent competitor in the broader specialty food ingredient distribution space serving Japanese food manufacturers.
• Orkla: Nordic conglomerate with branded consumer goods including confectionery ingredients and bakery supplies. Comparable as a multi-brand food ingredient owner/distributor with products overlapping Roots Trading's portfolio.

Others

• Mühlenchemie: German flour treatment specialist serving industrial bakeries worldwide. Adjacent/related supplier in the same European ingredient ecosystem that Roots Trading taps for premium flour and improver products.

Regional players

• Hamada Shoji: Japan-based distributor of confectionery and bakery equipment and materials, serving similar professional customers as Roots Trading. Comparable as a domestic competitor in Japan's specialty import/distribution channel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_G5RnVZ1mMUvPhPR0zh-AQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/%E3%83%AB%E3%83%BC%E3%83%84%E8%B2%BF%E6%98%93%E6%A0%AA%E5%BC%8F%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE-282374005142177
• Instagraminstagram.com/roots_trading

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 roots trading co.