Canada-based natural and organic food group SunOpta has booked an increase in first-quarter earnings, which were boosted by higher sales and improved margins.

For the three months to end March, SunOpta’s net profit rose to US$6.1m, up from $5.4m booked during the comparable period of last year. Excluding the impact of discontinued operations, net earnings totalled $5.9m, versus $5.1m last year.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

Operating income jumped 15.8% to $13.4m on an operating margin of 4.9%, compared to $11.6m and a margin of 4.5% in the first quarter of 2011. EBITDA rose to $18.3m, up from $16.4m last year.

The company said it achieved “record first-quarter revenues”, with sales rising 5.4% to $274.5m. Excluding the impact of currency exchange, commodity-related pricing, acquisitions and discontinued business, consolidated sales increased 7% in the period.

SunOpta said sales gains were driven by “strong growth” at its packaged food business and higher steel sales at its Opta Minerals unit. This growth was partially offset by product rationalisation measures in the SunOpta Foods division, which in tern resulted in higher earnings, and lower ingredients volumes, the group added.

See Also:

President and CEO Steve Bromley said the firm’s results reflect “continued growth in our core natural and organic foods categories” and the “positive impact of operational improvements”.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

“During the first quarter we took a number of steps to streamline our operations and organisation structure and we are pleased with our results to date. We remain confident in our focus on natural and organic foods and our strategy to improve operating margins, earnings predictability and return on assets,” he said.

Click here for the full release.