SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL) Q4 2022 Earnings Call Transcript

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Joe Ennen: Yes, Jon. So, on the business development front, yes, we continue to make progression, and we could certainly summarize that we are more than 50% utilized as we continue to expand existing customers as well as bring on new customers. So business development continues, and we continue to sell out more and more of the facility. You’re 100% spot on. We would take a much — a more conservative approach in terms of the time lines we have built for ramping the protein shake TAM expansion opportunity. Not because we’re not confident in it, but we’re trying to be humble and recognizing this is a new capability for us and we want to deliver on customer expectations in terms of our commitments around timing and volume. So, the first line was about as vertical of a start-up as I have ever seen or heard of just an incredible team effort from the company across literally every single function in every single plant.

I think we had people from every single one of our manufacturing plants across the country, helping in Texas, and that’s the benefit of a network. But yes, we’re taking a bit more of a conservative approach. We hope to beat it, but we absolutely think that’s a prudent approach in managing what is a big new customer for us.

Jon Andersen: Great. One quick one, a follow-up. On the cash flow situation, I think, Scott, you mentioned positive free cash flow in 2023. What are your kind of priorities for the use of that cash, if I heard that right?

Scott Huckins: Yes. So, what I was trying to outline, Jon, is very consistent with what I had shared back in June at Investor Day. That outlook still stands. I think that — we think about capital deployment as having three alternatives. One is do we find ourselves with attractive organic growth investments? I very much think that we will see that. You were asking about the protein shake business, that would be a good example. Number two would be the potential for bolt-on or add-on M&A opportunities in a dislocated environment, which is, I think, what we’ve got. And then three would be a return of capital or a share repurchase, for example. And I think how we think about those is the relative return profile against them. And to be clear, they’re not mutually exclusive, but those would be the three, if you like, apertures of what we could do with that cash flow.

Jon Andersen: Okay. And I’ll just close it by saying, Joe, this was a very unerratic call. Congratulations on a great quarter.

Joe Ennen: Thanks Jon.

Scott Huckins: Thanks Jon.

Operator: Thank you. And gentlemen, it appears we have no further questions this afternoon. Mr. Ennen, I’d like to hand things back to you for any closing comments.

Joe Ennen: Great. Thank you for your interest in the company. We appreciate your time this evening and look forward to following up and talking with all of you in further depth.

Operator: Thank you, Mr. Ennen. Ladies and gentlemen, that will conclude SunOpta’s fourth quarter 2022 earnings conference call. Again, I would like to thank you so much for joining us and wish you all a great remainder of your day. Good bye.

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