SUN OPTA MINNESOTA HEADQUARTERS & INNOVATION CENTER

SunOpta has unveiled their new home – a cutting-edge space tailored to spark innovation, fuel collaboration and strengthen their sustainability legacy. The world-class facility is equipped with an expanded pilot plant as well as a research and development center eight times the size of its predecessor. With these additional resources, they plan to amplify production of co-manufactured products, private labels ingredients and branded offerings across all departments.

SunOpta is actively investing in sustainability, with a goal to double their plant-based business by 2025. Their investments will not only meet strategic objectives but also contribute to green initiatives and create an eco-friendly work environment for employees.

Rippe, RSP, & Grenier Construction joined forces to demonstrate SunOpta’s commitment to sustainability by bringing this dream of a green building into reality. This collaboration resulted in an abundance of plantings, living walls, and renewable materials that are both lighter on the environment as well as aesthetically pleasing. All efforts paid off with over 36k square feet devoted to generating solar energy and providing more than 30% electricity towards powering up the area.

The foodservice area of the building offers staff and visitors a peek into its test kitchen, coffee shop, as well as two spacious walk-in coolers. Every detail has been thoughtfully designed to be both aesthetically pleasing and practical: wall cabinets for organization in the kitchen along with overhead storage ensure an uncluttered space, while a discreet door provides access from within the dishroom.

The test kitchen was created to be a space that can adapt to any situation – whether it’s staff prepping meals or clients coming in for a meeting. On one side of the room lies an exhaust hood and two stationary counters with sinks, while four mobile work-counters occupy the other half and are easily rearrangeable at need into an inviting island setup designed just for client visits. The thoughtful addition of a soundproofing wall complete with its own acoustical door ensures privacy during meetings without sacrificing accessibility back to both the kitchen and dishroom.