SunOpta
SunOpta is a natural and organic food company manufacturing plant-based beverages and fruit-based snacks for North American retailers, CPG brands, and foodservice operators through co-manufacturing, private label, and owned brands including SOWN, Dream, West Life, and Sunrise Growers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1973
- HeadquartersEden Prairie, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What SunOpta does
SunOpta is a Minnesota-incorporated natural and organic food and beverage company founded in 1973 and headquartered in Eden Prairie. The company designs, processes, and packages plant-based beverages — including oatmilk, soymilk, almondmilk, coconutmilk, and hempmilk — and fruit-based snacks (bars, bits, twists, strips, pressed bars) under its own brands (SOWN, Dream, West Life, Sunrise Growers) and as private label / co-manufactured output for major North American retailers and foodservice operators. Core technology centers on a proprietary oat extraction process that yields Oatbase (a 40% concentrated oat base) and OatGold (an Upcycled Certified oat protein powder), supported by what the company describes as the only national aseptic beverage manufacturing network in the United States, with shelf-life claims of 9–18 months at ambient temperature. Operations span 14 facilities across the U.S. and Canada in a diamond-shaped footprint, with a 285,000 sq ft flagship plant in Midlothian, Texas, and additional sites in California, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Ontario, several of which have achieved zero-waste-to-landfill status.
SunOpta monetizes through four interlocking channels: (1) co-manufacturing for leading CPG brands on multi-year contracts; (2) private label manufacturing for retailers including Starbucks, Target, Whole Foods, Walmart, Trader Joe's, and Aldi; (3) branded product sales (SOWN organic oat creamers, Dream, West Life, Sunrise Growers frozen fruit) through retail, club, foodservice, and e-commerce, with foodservice distributed through broker KeyImpact; and (4) ingredient sales (Oatbase, Soybase, OatGold) to other food and beverage manufacturers. Pricing is negotiated contractually and not publicly disclosed. The portfolio includes more than 200 organic certified products and 50+ Non-GMO Project Verified branded products, with a 28-person R&D team that launched nearly 70 innovations in 2021.
In February 2026, SunOpta agreed to be acquired by Dutch global beverage solutions provider Refresco at $6.50 per share in cash (approximately $1.1B enterprise value, 44% premium to 20-day VWAP). Shareholders approved the deal on April 16, 2026 (98.06% in favor), regulatory clearances were obtained (Hart-Scott-Rodino, Canadian Competition Bureau, Ontario Superior Court), and the transaction closed on May 1, 2026, taking SunOpta private and delisting it from Nasdaq and the Toronto Stock Exchange. Refresco is majority-owned by private equity firm KKR. SunOpta now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary within Refresco's plant-based and aseptic platform, addressing a global plant-based beverage market projected to exceed $33 billion.
SunOpta firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SunOpta
- Legal name
- SunOpta Inc.
- Website
- https://sunopta.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1973
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- SunOpta is a natural and organic food company manufacturing plant-based beverages and fruit-based snacks for North American retailers, CPG brands, and foodservice operators through co-manufacturing, private label, and owned brands including SOWN, Dream, West Life, and Sunrise Growers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SunOpta industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Plant-Based Foods and Beverages Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Flavoring Syrup and Concentrate Manufacturing (31193), Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Food Manufacturing (311)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Plant-Based & Dairy Alternative Beverages (Oat, Almond, Soy, etc.) (CRADAHAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Coffee & Tea Concentrates, Syrups & Extracts (CRADAHAI), Dairy & Plant-Based Beverage Bases (e.g., smoothie, shake, latte bases) (AFAFAGAD), Soups, Broths & Meal Starters (CRADAAAF)
Keywords
Where SunOpta is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Eden Prairie
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
SunOpta business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Co-manufacturing: Manufactures products for leading natural and private label brands as a contract manufacturer, including plant-based beverages, broths, and snacks. Represents a significant portion of revenue from blue-chip consumer brands seeking manufacturing capacity.
- Private Label Manufacturing: Produces private label products for retailers including aseptic plant-based beverages, fruit snacks, and broths under retailer brand names.
- Branded Products: SunOpta produces its own brands including SOWN (organic oat creamers), Dream (plant-based milks), West Life (plant-based milks), and Sunrise Growers (frozen fruits, smoothie bowls). These products are sold through retail and foodservice channels.
- Ingredients: Sells ingredient products including Oatbase (oat concentrate), Soybase, and OatGold (upcycled oat protein powder) to other food and beverage manufacturers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | B2B contract pricing for co-manufacturing and private label services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
SunOpta product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SunOpta manufactures plant-based beverages (oatmilk, soymilk, almondmilk, coconutmilk, hempmilk) and fruit-based snacks (bars, bits, twists, strips) through co-manufacturing, private label, branded products, and ingredient sales. The company operates seven manufacturing facilities across North America and produces more than 200 organic certified products for leading CPG brands, retailers, and foodservice operators including Starbucks.
Product overview
SunOpta is a natural and organic food and beverage company that delivers customized supply chain solutions and innovation for top brands, retailers, and foodservice providers. The company's product portfolio centers on two main platforms: plant-based beverages (including oatmilk, soymilk, almondmilk, coconutmilk, hempmilk and related ingredients like Oatbase and OatGold) and fruit-based snacks (bars, bits, twists, strips). SunOpta also produces broth, stock, and tea concentrates. The company operates through multiple go-to-market channels: private label manufacturing, co-manufacturing services, foodservice distribution, and its own branded products including SOWN (organic oat creamers), Dream (plant-based milk), West Life (plant-based milk), and Sunrise Growers (organic smoothie bowls). With over 50 years of expertise, SunOpta manufactures more than 200 organic certified products and 50 branded non-GMO Project Verified products, distributed through retail, club, foodservice, and e-commerce channels across North America.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SOWN: Organic oat creamers and plant-based products, custom-crafted with proprietary oat base recipe from organic rolled oats sourced from certified North American growers
- DREAM
- WEST LIFE
- Sunrise Growers
- OatGold
Products and services
- Plant-Based Beverages SunOpta's plant-based beverage portfolio includes oatmilk, soymilk, almondmilk, coconutmilk, hempmilk, and other nut, grain, seed, and legume-based beverages. Available in both refrigerated and shelf-stable aseptic formats, these products are sold to CPG brands, retailers, and foodservice operators.
- Fruit-Based Snacks Fruit-based snacks including fruit bars, bits, twists, strips, and pressed bars and strips made with real fruit ingredients. Available in organic and conventional varieties, manufactured at SunOpta's facilities including the Omak, Washington plant.
- Broth and Stock Conventional and organic broth and stock products for retail and foodservice channels, available in aseptic packaging.
- Liquid Packaged and Bulk Tea Concentrate Liquid packaged and bulk tea concentrates for foodservice and retail applications.
- Plant-Based Ingredients (Oatbase, Soybase) Plant-based ingredients including Oatbase (40% concentrated oat base) and Soybase for use in manufacturing plant-based beverages. Sold to other food and beverage manufacturers.
- OatGold Upcycled Oat Protein Powder Upcycled Certified oat protein powder, a byproduct of oatmilk production. Made using insoluble solids from SunOpta's proprietary Oatbase manufacturing process. Contains 3x protein and 2x fiber compared to whole rolled oats. Used in food and beverage applications as a nutrient-rich protein ingredient.
- SOWN Organic Oat Creamers SunOpta's organic oat creamer brand. Plant-based organic oat creamers custom-crafted with a proprietary oat base recipe made from organic rolled oats sourced from certified North American growers.
- Dream Plant-Based Milk Plant-based milk brand offering smooth, creamy texture with lightly sweet taste. Positioned as an alternative to dairy with exceptional nutritional value. Includes oatmilk, soymilk, and other dairy-free options.
- West Life Plant-Based Milk Plant-based milk brand focused on sustainability and health-promoting products. Repositioned from the original Westsoy brand with a commitment to earth-sustaining, people-nourishing, health-promoting delicious-tasting plant milk.
- Sunrise Growers Organic Smoothie Bowls and Frozen Fruit SunOpta's wholly owned subsidiary brand of organic smoothie bowls and frozen fruit products, including private label frozen fruit for major retailers such as Walmart, Trader Joe's, Aldi, and Target.
- Co-Manufacturing Services Contract manufacturing services for aseptic beverages, fruit-based snacks, and other better-for-you products. SunOpta operates as a co-manufacturer for leading natural and private label CPG brands.
- Private Label Manufacturing Co-manufacturing and private label services for aseptic beverages, aseptic broth, and fruit bars, bits, twists, strips. SunOpta manufactures products under retailer brand names for major grocery retailers.
- Foodservice Products Plant-based alternatives for foodservice outlets including non-dairy barista blends formulated for steaming at high temperatures. Available in oat, coconut, and almond varieties. Distributed through national broker KeyImpact.
Quantifiable outcome
- Produced oatmilk that saved an estimated 32 billion gallons of water compared to dairy milk in 2021
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use SunOpta
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SunOpta technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
SunOpta partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- RefrescocoreRefresco, a Dutch global beverage solutions provider, completed acquisition of SunOpta for $6.50 per share (approximately $773 million) on May 1, 2026. SunOpta became a wholly owned subsidiary with shares delisted from Nasdaq and Toronto Stock Exchange. The acquisition integrates SunOpta's plant-based beverages, nutritional drinks, and aseptic manufacturing into Refresco's portfolio, positioning the combined entity in the rapidly growing global plant-based beverage market projected to exceed $33 billion.
- Seven SundaysminorPartnership launched in June 2023 to create Seven Sundays' Oat Protein Cereal using SunOpta's OatGold upcycled oat protein powder, a byproduct of oatmilk production. The cereal contains 5g of upcycled plant-based protein per serving, is gluten-free and Non-GMO Project Verified. Product available at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Amazon, and direct from Seven Sundays.
- KeyImpactcoreNational broker partnership for foodservice distribution. KeyImpact serves as the broker connecting SunOpta's foodservice products with operators in their areas. Foodservice products include barista plant-based blends, dairy-free vegetarian kosher certified options in oat, coconut, and almond varieties.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SunOpta competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SunOpta social profiles
Digital presenceSunOpta compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
SunOpta financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SunOpta leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
SunOpta subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
SunOpta funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SunOpta M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SunOpta
What does SunOpta do?
SunOpta manufactures plant-based beverages (oatmilk, soymilk, almondmilk, coconutmilk, hempmilk) and fruit-based snacks (bars, bits, twists, strips) through co-manufacturing, private label, branded products, and ingredient sales. The company operates seven manufacturing facilities across North America and produces more than 200 organic certified products for leading CPG brands, retailers, and foodservice operators including Starbucks.
Is SunOpta a public or private company?
SunOpta is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was SunOpta founded?
SunOpta was founded in 1973. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is SunOpta based?
SunOpta is headquartered in Eden Prairie, United States, in the North America region.
How does SunOpta make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Co-manufacturing is the primary driver. The others are private Label Manufacturing, branded Products and ingredients.
Does SunOpta have an API?
No public API is recorded for SunOpta.
What industry is SunOpta in?
SunOpta's product category is Plant-Based Foods and Beverages Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAHAM, Plant-Based & Dairy Alternative Beverages (Oat, Almond, Soy, etc.), with a secondary code of CRADAHAI, Coffee & Tea Concentrates, Syrups & Extracts. Its NAICS code is 3121 and its SIC code is 2080.