SunOpta Inc. announced the realignment and repositioning of a number of operating groups and reporting segments in hand with a company-wide corporate branding initiative. These actions are intended to drive synergies, eliminate duplicate reporting and better reflect the company's current operating structure, while at the same time, increasing exposure of a consistent and integrated SunOpta corporate banner.

Over the past two years, the company has transitioned its corporate name from Stake Technology Ltd. to SunOpta Inc. During this period, the company has standardized its corporate image and positioned itself as a fast-growing organization, focused on the provision of healthy products.

Over the past number of months, the company has developed a series of actions to “take advantage of the strong heritage of its operating groups and the critical mass that has accumulated, while at the same time promoting a powerful corporate brand umbrella that links the company with a consistent and coordinated corporate position.” These initiatives, among others, will include consistent graphic standards, signage standards, web design and trade show standards.

As a result of this process, the company has realigned certain operations and updated the names of two operating groups to better reflect their integration within the SunOpta organization. The SunOpta Grains and Soy and Packaged Products Groups have been consolidated and will now operate as the SunOpta Grains and Foods Group. Allan Routh will serve as president of this consolidated group, which will be treated as a reporting segment within the SunOpta Food Group. In hand with this change, the company also announced that the operations of the Kettle Valley Dried Fruit business will be transitioned and reported as part of the SunOpta Fruit Group during the first quarter of 2006. In addition, the former StakeTech Steam Explosion Group now will be identified as the SunOpta BioProcess Group, reflecting the wide range of applications and markets being served by this group. This group will continue to be reported as per current practice.

Jeremy Kendall, chairman and CEO, commented, "An integrated and consistent approach to the positioning of the SunOpta corporate brand will further strengthen the value of the company as we grow and better reflect the integration we are achieving within the organization."