Topic: How To Invest

Hi Pat: What do you think of Lassonde Industries? Many thanks.

Article Excerpt

Lassonde Industries Inc., $91.48, symbol LAS.A on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 7.0 million; Market cap: $640.4 million; www.lassonde.com), makes a wide variety of fruit and vegetable juices and other drinks at 14 plants in Canada and the U.S. It also makes other prepared foods, such as chocolate fondues and cranberry and pasta sauces. In addition, the company imports apple ciders and wines. Lassonde’s brands include Oasis, Orange Maison and Rougemont. The company also makes juices and other products under license, including Allen’s, Del Monte, Old South and Tetley, as well as private-label products for major retailers. Supermarkets and other retailers supply 85% of Lassonde’s sales. The other 15% comes from restaurants, hospitals, hotels and schools. It gets 56% of its sales from Canada, 43% from the U.S. and 1% from other countries. In August 2011, Lassonde expanded in the U.S. when it acquired 70.7% of Clement Pappas and Company; private investors hold the remaining 29.3%. New Jersey-based Clement Pappas is the second-largest maker…