Mutual Trading Company was established in 1926. Since then, they have specialized in the import/distribution/manufacture of Japanese foods and restaurant equipment/supplies, as well as ownership of Miyako Oriental Foods Inc – a commercial miso production facility, and two culinary trade-specific educational institutions. Recently they relocated from Crocker Street in Little Tokyo to their current location on Shirley St in El Monte.
Company Overview
MUTUAL TRADING CO INC has been importing, manufacturing, and distributing foods and restaurant equipment and supplies since 1926, offering frozen foods, canned goods, alcoholic beverages, and sushi sets among its products. MUTUAL TRADING CO INC’s headquarter are located in Los Angeles.
The company operates as a mutual trading business, meaning its income comes solely from contributions by its members rather than profit. Due to this structure being more closely aligned to an association than legal entity status, tax is applied as though a cooperative rather than a corporation existed.
Mutual Trading was founded as a cooperative enterprise 1926 to import Japanese staple foods for early Japanese storeowners in Little Tokyo. Due to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, its doors were temporarily closed. Still, Chairman Kanai met food sales consultant Harry Wolff Jr who encouraged him to pursue his vision of starting a Japanese specialty food distribution company.
Today, Mutual Trading is a premier supplier of Japanese food, alcoholic beverage, and restaurant supplies. Their state-of-the-art facility in El Monte boasts office space, a warehouse for dry/refrigerated/super freezer storage, and showroom/conference/event space – an impressive combination.
In its global operations, Miyako Oriental Foods operates globally. Each October, they host the Japanese Food & Restaurant Expo, featuring food and Sake vendors across North America. They invite chefs and specialists from Japan for seminars and demonstrations. Furthermore, in addition to their primary activities, they own Miyako Oriental Foods, which produces miso and other products, and two trade-specific educational institutions, such as Sake School of America and Miyako Sushi & Washoku School.
Products & Services
Mutual Trading Company was established in 1926 and is Southern California’s premiere Japanese food, liquor, and restaurant supplies supplier. Specializing in frozen and canned goods distribution along with Sake and imported beverages – as well as restaurant supplies and equipment – Mutual has since relocated its headquarters from Crocker Street in downtown Los Angeles to El Monte on November 16th, where their new facility boasts 300000 square feet with offices, warehouse space for dry/refrigeration/freezer/super freezer storage as well as showroom space and conference areas.
This company stocks over 7,000 food and restaurant equipment and supplies. It is involved with the domestic production of rice, sake, soybean paste, rice vinegar, and noodles, and imports of various products from Japan and China.
Customers of this company include Japanese restaurants, karaoke bars, sushi bars, and other Asian food establishments. Employees at this company are committed to providing its customers with high-quality products and exceptional service, maintaining a healthy work environment, and encouraging employee participation in community outreach programs.
Mutual Trading Co Inc employees enjoy highly competitive salaries. The average wage at Mutual Trading Co Inc is $279,897 annually for full-time positions; however, exact salaries may differ based on job title, location, department, and other factors. Below is a table that lists minimum and maximum wages for each position at Mutual Trading Co Inc.
Mutual Trading also hosts an annual Japanese Restaurant Expo each fall, featuring food & Sake vendors for attendees to sample their products. While open to the general public, this event primarily targets restaurant owners and their associated employees.
Mutual Trading employs workers with visas, such as H1B, OPT, and F-1. Over its last reporting period, Mutual Trading filed 105 labor condition applications (LCAs) and 102 permanent residency applications on its workers, not including employees that transferred locations during that same quarter.
Company History
Established as a co-op enterprise in Little Tokyo in 1926, New York Mutual Trading quickly expanded throughout America. By 1974, they established New York Mutual Trading to serve both coasts as the leading distributor of Japanese food and alcoholic beverages. Now imports and distributes over 7000 different Japanese foods and supplies across restaurants, grocery stores, specialty markets, foodservice providers, as well as complete lines of dry/shelf-stable food items to supermarkets plus chilled, frozen, and super frozen items, along with specialty kitchen equipment, sake and other alcohol beverages to businesses across both coasts – giving their clients access to Japanese flavors they wouldn’t otherwise find.
The company’s products can be found at over 200 locations nationwide, and its facilities include warehouses with dry/refrigeration, freezer, and super-freezer storage capacities; its distribution network covers the entirety of the United States with branch offices in California and New York; in addition, Miyako Oriental Foods Inc. offers miso and other Asian sauce manufacturing as well as two trade-specific educational institutions: Sake School of America and Miyako Sushi and Washoku School.
Mutual Trading’s corporate structure is unique as it lacks shareholders and operates as a cooperative (mutual) organization. This arrangement enables Mutual Trading to distribute its ‘profits’ – not defined under US tax law – directly back to its members instead of paying income tax on them – similar to insurance and building societies that also operate mutuals.
In 2017 it was ranked number 105 on the Fortune 500 list, determined by an analysis of growth, profitability, and liquidity metrics gathered from public and private sources such as employee surveys and self-reported salary information. Unfortunately, they do not provide earnings estimates or financial performance data online.
Investor Relations
Mutual Trading Co Inc is an import-export firm specializing in Japanese foods and beverages for importation, distribution, production of miso, rice vinegar production, and serving customers around the globe. Owned by its members rather than shareholders, this structure allows Mutual Trading to avoid paying corporate income tax since profits are determined primarily through contributions by members rather than product sales – similar to building societies, insurance companies, or membership organizations commonly referred to as mutuals.
Established in 1926 by 10 Japanese food storeowners who sought centralized purchasing of imported products for their California stores, the company’s original location in Los Angeles at 431 Crocker Street in Little Tokyo became its headquarters until November 2011, when the announcement came that its corporate offices would move 13 miles eastward to El Monte.
