The company said on Tuesday that net profits for 2005/06 were up 363 per cent on the previous year to A$1.4 million, thanks to good growth at all of its units, lifting sales by 25 per cent.
In soy and rice beverages sales rose 9.5 per cent to $15.8 million, despite flat volume growth in this segment. So Natural said it had focused on core brands and reduced its costs through a new manufacturing joint venture with Leppington Pastoral Company.
It has also upped its sales to private label customers.
In the canned fish business, still So Natural's biggest division, sales increased by 15 per cent to $18.8 million, helped by gaining bigger share of the Australian salmon market.
In the new functional drinks business, products backed by Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe have not yet reached target sales. A new manufacturing and distribution agreement for the drinks with the major Japanese firm Yakult, signed in June, is expected to improve sales from this division in the coming year, according to So Natural.
It is also trialling drinks and bars in the same range in California.
"While Thorpedo Foods sales and contribution was below plan during 2006, a significant turnaround in profitability is budgeted for the 2007 year," the company said in a statement.
It has budgeted for net profits of approximately $2.3 million in 2007.
