In an industry where reliability often matters more than brand recognition, a relatively low-profile player in the U.S. food logistics market is drawing attention.
Executives at CJ Logistics America were named this week to the annual Rock Stars of the Supply Chain list by Food Logistics, a U.S. trade publication focused on the food and beverage sector. Kevin Coleman, the unit’s chief executive, received his third recognition in the Leaders in Excellence category, while Chief Operating Officer Brad Knaupp was again honored as a Top Transportation Professional.
CJ Logistics America is the U.S. arm of CJ Logistics, South Korea’s largest logistics company and a flagship affiliate of the Seoul-based CJ Group. While the company is widely known in Korea for its dominance in parcel delivery and contract logistics, it has been steadily building a deeper footprint in the United States, particularly in temperature-controlled distribution.
Cold chain logistics in the U.S. has grown more complex as food-safety standards tighten and supply chains face climate-related disruptions. Operators must maintain strict temperature control across storage and transport while managing labor shortages and rising infrastructure costs. Against that backdrop, CJ’s North American unit has expanded automated warehouse systems, optimized transportation networks and reinforced compliance protocols.
The company has also invested in physical capacity, opening advanced cold storage facilities in Gainesville, Georgia, and New Century, Kansas. Those sites extend its reach across key agricultural and consumption corridors in the Southeast and Midwest.
North America remains one of the most competitive markets for third-party logistics providers, dominated by large domestic firms and multinational operators. For CJ Logistics, repeated recognition from a U.S. industry publication signals growing credibility in a market where execution and consistency determine long-term contracts.
As South Korean conglomerates push further into global infrastructure and supply chain businesses, CJ’s performance in the U.S. cold chain sector is emerging as a key test of whether a domestic market leader can translate scale at home into durable positioning abroad.
