Toronto, Jan. 24, 2008 - SunOpta Inc. today provided an indication of expected financial results for 2007.
For fiscal 2007, the Company is expected to realize revenues of slightly over $800 million, exceeding previously provided revenue guidance of $775 to $800 million, an increase of approximately 34% versus 2006. These revenues are reflective of the continued strong demand in the Company's core natural and organic foods business.
Earnings for the year are expected to be in the range of $0.12 to $0.14 per diluted common share and have been impacted by significant issues within the SunOpta Fruit and SunOpta BioProcess Groups which have led to significant write downs and provisions in the range of $12 to $14 million pre-tax. The Company is currently analyzing the impact of the adjustments related to the SunOpta Fruit Group berry operations, including the potential impact on previously issued fiscal 2007 financial statements which will likely result in the restatement of previous quarters.
The Company has determined that inventories within the SunOpta Fruit Group's berry operations require write-down to net realizable value and preliminary estimates indicate that an adjustment in the range of $9 to $11 million for this issue and related items is necessary. Upon becoming aware of this issue, the Company has initiated a number of immediate and specific actions including engagement of an independent third party by the Company's audit committee to assess internal controls and processes, and implementation of a series of specific pricing and cost related actions to address potential causes of this issue. The Company's testing and analysis is ongoing and there can be no assurance that further adjustments will not be required.
Included in the updated earnings estimate for the year is a provision of approximately $3 million pre-tax, related to difficulties in collecting for services and equipment provided to a customer under the terms of an existing equipment supply contract within the SunOpta BioProcess Group. The Company also has knowledge that the customer's US affiliate is in violation of a Technical Development Agreement which delineates the intellectual property of each of the parties. As a result of failed discussions to resolve these issues, the Company has taken legal action to protect its intellectual property and recover costs, and thus feels it is necessary to reserve for uncollected amounts.
The balance of the Company's core food group operations performed extremely well throughout the year. The SunOpta Grains and Foods Group, SunOpta Ingredients Group, SunOpta Distribution Group and global sourcing operations within the SunOpta Fruit Group all reported strong results, well ahead of the prior year. Opta Minerals Inc. continues to perform well but has been somewhat impacted by cyclical weak economic conditions which are impacting the steel and foundry industries. Even with the tough economic conditions, the business is expected to realize earnings in the same range as the prior year. SunOpta BioProcess continued to invest in expansion of its operations throughout the year and in doing so is now well positioned for the future.
Given the issues within the SunOpta Fruit Group's berry operations, the Company has decided to fully assess the short and long term impact of the root causes behind the issues identified before providing 2008 revenue and earnings guidance. This analysis is currently ongoing. The Company remains very confident in its strategic positioning and the outlook for the business, but believes it is most prudent to complete this analysis in order to ensure that the guidance provided is as accurate as possible.
The Company also provided an update on the previously announced intention to acquire Tradin Organics, and confirmed that due diligence and related documentation has essentially been completed; however, the closing will be delayed pending resolution of these issues and final approval from the Company's lenders.