SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Aug. 31, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SunOpta Inc. (Nasdaq:STKL) (TSX:SOY), a leading global company focused on organic, non-genetically modified and specialty foods, announced today that the extraction and ingredient processing component of its San Bernardino, Calif. integrated juice processing operation has been officially rebranded and will operate as Fresh Pressed Industries™. Fresh Pressed Industries will provide freshly squeezed citrus based ingredients for the growing premium healthy beverages and foods segments.
Fresh Pressed Industries will operate from SunOpta's recently retrofitted and commissioned juice facility in San Bernardino, which specializes in the extraction, processing and packaging of high-quality citrus-based ingredients for both industrial and consumer packaged product applications, including the rapidly growing ultra-premium juice segment. With the completion of the retrofit, both the fruit extraction and bottling operations within the facility are operational. SunOpta is in the process of transitioning outsourced bottling volumes back to the facility and has commenced extracting primarily organic citrus products, including citrus based oils.
"The completion of the plant retrofit and subsequent rebranding are positive for both our Global Ingredients and Consumer Products segments, leveraging our vertically integrated platform. With the addition of the Citrusource team earlier this year, we're now positioned as a premier supplier of healthy and organic citrus-based beverages and through our newly formed Fresh Pressed Industries team we believe we can become a leading provider of organic citrus based ingredients," said Rik Jacobs, President and Chief Operating Officer at SunOpta. "The new processing capabilities should allow us to better serve our diverse customer base and grow the business in-line with our commitment to supply healthy and organic products to the marketplace."
In March 2015, SunOpta added to its healthy beverage platform with the acquisition of Citrusource LLC, a leading supplier of premium not-from-concentrate private label organic and conventional orange juice and citrus products in the United States, with revenues of approximately $30 million. Citrusource operates a national sourcing and supply platform utilizing a number of processing and packaging partners to serve a variety of well-known retailer customers. With the completion of the San Bernardino retrofit, certain of these volumes are now being consolidated at the facility, leveraging its integrated processing and packaging capabilities.
About SunOpta Inc.
SunOpta Inc. is a leading global company focused on organic, non-genetically modified ("non-GMO") and specialty foods. The Company specializes in the sourcing, processing and packaging of organic and non-GMO food products, integrated from seed through packaged products, with a focus on strategic vertically integrated business models. The Company's organic and non-GMO food operations revolve around value-added grain, seed, fruit and vegetable based product offerings, supported by a global sourcing and supply infrastructure. The Company also holds an approximately 66% ownership position in Opta Minerals Inc. (TSX:OPM), a producer, distributor, and recycler of industrial minerals and silica-free abrasives. Opta Minerals is a non-core holding.
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Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements included in this press release may be considered "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities legislation, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, our goal to become the leading provider of organic citrus based ingredients and our ability to better serve our customer base and grow our business as a result of the new processing capabilities of our retrofitted plant. Terms and phrases such as "will", "in the process", "are now being", "believe", "should" and other similar terms and phrases are intended to identify these forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on information available to us on the date of this release and are based on estimates and assumptions made by the Company in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments as well as other factors the Company believes are appropriate in the circumstances. The Company makes no representation that reasonable business people in possession of the same information would reach the same conclusions. Whether actual timing and results will agree with expectations and predications of the Company is subject to many risks and uncertainties including possible labor delays or issues in transitioning volumes back the Company's facilities, issues with throughput and product quality, weather, growing conditions and similar factors which might affect our ability to secure ingredients, consumer preferences and acceptance of our products, local and global political and economic conditions as well as other risks described from time to time under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q (available at www.sec.gov). Consequently all forward-looking statements made herein are qualified by these cautionary statements and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments anticipated by the Company will be realized.