Sun Pac acquired by Liquibrands
Sun Pac Foods Limited has been acquired by Liquibrands Inc, a private investment firm owned by beverage industry veteran Csaba Reider.
Liquibrands has assumed ownership and operation of Sun Pac’s Brampton-based facility with Reider taking over the helm as President and Chief Executive Officer.
The sale ends a century of ownership by the JS Riddell family but ensures that the Company will continue to be a Canadian success story, able to compete globally and leverage growth opportunities across key beverage categories.
Sun Pac is best known for its brand of fruit juices, frozen juices and juice concentrates which are distributed throughout Canada, the United States and the Caribbean. The Company manufactures single and multi-serve formats in glass, plastic, aluminium, steel and Tetra Pak on seven production lines housed in a 355,000 square-foot facility which also contains refrigerated, frozen and dry warehousing.
In addition to juice products, Sun Pac’s capabilities include natural teas, sports drinks, energy drinks, and other innovative beverage products, both for brand owners and private label programs for leading retailers. The Company also manufactures croutons and bread crumbs under the McDowell Ovens banner and private label brands owned by some of Canada’s largest retailers.
“I want to thank the Riddell family for successfully steering Sun Pac through 100 years of change and making it a truly successful Canadian business,” said new President and CEO Csaba Reider.
“We look forward to working with the team of Sun Pac employees to build on the strong history of quality and customer service while taking the Company to the next level through innovation and opportunity with new customers, partners and products.”
Sun Pac is well-positioned to maximize opportunities in the “better-for-you” beverage segments which have experienced double-digit growth over the past four years. With one of the largest independent hot-fill beverage facilities in North America, available products range from disease-fighting, antioxidant-rich natural juices to nutrition-based hydration beverages.
Reider is a food and beverage industry veteran with extensive experience in both branded and private label channels. He held several senior executive positions with Cott Corporation, the world’s largest retailer brand beverage company, and was most recently President and CEO of Xyience, one of the fastest growing energy drink and sport nutrition companies in North America. He also sits on the Board of Directors of Associated Brands, one of North America’s leading companies producing dry blended beverage and food items for branded and private label customers.
Reider’s extensive networks in the international beverage industry will help him assemble a strong and talented management team to lead Sun Pac in a new era of growth, innovation and opportunity.
