Sun-Rype facts for kids
Sun-Rype corporate logo
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| Private | |
| Industry | Food and beverage |
| Founded | May 13, 1946 |
| Founder | BC Fruit Growers Association |
| Headquarters | 1165 Ethel Street Kelowna, British Columbia V1Y 2W4 |
| Products | Juice, Fruit snacks, Snacks, Cider, Sparkling tea |
| Revenue | |
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Number of employees
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395 (2006) |
| Parent | Lassonde Industries, Inc. |
Sun-Rype Products Ltd. is a company from Western Canada. They make tasty fruit-based foods and drinks. Since 1946, Sun-Rype has been making juices and fruit snacks. Their main home is in Kelowna, British Columbia, in a beautiful area called the Okanagan.
Contents
The Story of Sun-Rype
Sun-Rype was started on May 13, 1946. It was first called BC Fruit Processing Ltd. The BC Fruit Growers Association created it. They wanted a good way to use apples that weren't perfect for selling fresh. Instead of throwing them away, they could make juice! On April 2, 1959, the company changed its name to Sun-Rype Products Ltd.
In 1963, Sun-Rype worked with the Fraser Valley Milk Producers Association. They started delivering juice cartons along with milk in Vancouver. In 1979, Sun-Rype was the first juice company in Canada to use Tetra Pak cartons. These are special boxes for their 250 ml and 1 L juice packs.
In 1992, they made a big 6 L "bag in a box" package. Since then, Sun-Rype has grown a lot. They now make juice in 1.36L plastic bottles and 900ml cartons. They also have a can line. The factory in Kelowna also makes many different snack products.
In 1996, Sun-Rype celebrated 50 years of business. The mayor of Kelowna, Jim Stuart, honored them. He announced May 13, 1996, as "Sun-Rype Day."
Trying to Grow: The China Story
In November 1994, Sun-Rype wanted to sell its juices in China. They made a plan to work with a Chinese company. Sun-Rype invested a lot of money in this project. They hoped to start selling juices in China by the end of 1995.
But this plan soon ran into problems. In 1997, Sun-Rype had to make a new deal with a company from Malaysia called Lion Group. Lion Group took over the Asian part of the business.
By 1998, the China business was not making money. Sun-Rype decided to leave the Chinese market. They had to accept some financial losses from this experience.
A Company Tries to Buy Sun-Rype
In July 1996, another company called Clearly Canadian Beverage Corporation tried to buy Sun-Rype. They offered $40 million. Clearly Canadian wanted to make more money and use Sun-Rype's bottling factory.
At that time, Sun-Rype was a special kind of company. Many of its owners were local apple growers. They had received shares in Sun-Rype for their apples over the years. Clearly Canadian started buying these shares.
Sun-Rype's leaders and the BC Fruit Growers Association told shareholders not to sell. Both companies sent out information to try and convince people. But some of the information was not correct. So, the British Columbia Securities Commission told them to fix their statements.
Clearly Canadian kept trying to buy shares. They even extended their offer deadline. But in the end, Sun-Rype fought hard and won. They managed to stay independent.
Becoming a Public Company
The attempt by Clearly Canadian to buy Sun-Rype showed some problems. It made the company realize that its owners wanted more say. So, on November 12, 1996, Sun-Rype became a public company. This meant anyone could buy shares in it on the Toronto Stock Exchange. They used the money from selling shares to pay off debts and help their new business in China.
From Public to Private Again
In September 2013, Sun-Rype Products Ltd. became a private company again. It was bought by the Jim Pattison Group.
New Owners: Lassonde Industries Inc.
On October 29, 2019, the Jim Pattison Group sold Sun-Rype. A company called Lassonde Industries Inc. bought Sun-Rype for $80 million. This deal was completed before the end of that year. At the time of the sale, Sun-Rype had made $164 million in sales for the year.
Sun-Rype Products
Sun-Rype makes many different fruit-based products.
Juices and Drinks
Sun-Rype's most famous product is its apple juice. It's often called "Blue Label" apple juice. Sun-Rype was also the first company to mix fruit and vegetables together in a juice!
Snack Foods
In the early 1990s, Sun-Rype started making snack foods. They launched "Fruit to Go," which is a snack made from 100% fruit. Later, they introduced "FruitSource" bars. Sun-Rype also makes "Energy" and "Fruit & Chia" bars. These snacks include things like oats, seeds, protein, and chocolate.
In 2016, Sun-Rype made sure their snacks were good for everyone. They made them gluten-free, nut-free, vegan, and kosher. They also released "Good Bites," which are snacks made from dates.
Cider and Iced Tea
In 2017, Sun-Rype started selling cider in British Columbia and Alberta. They also introduced a new line of iced teas. These are called Sun-Rype Sparkling Tea and come in tall cans.
