Staff told it's business as usual after Wanganui Coldstorage sold to Denmark-based company BHJ

Wanganui Coldstorage has been bought by international petfood processing company BHJ.

Wanganui Coldstorage staff are being offered ongoing employment after Hall's Group announced it has sold the company to an international petfood company.

Wanganui Coldstorage Ltd, which is a division of Icepak and owned by Hall's Group, has been sold to a subsidiary of Denmark-based international petfood processing company BHJ. Wanganui Coldstorage has about 40 permanent and fixed-term staff.

Hall's Group CEO Vaughan Grant briefed staff about the sale on Monday.Grant said while Wanganui Petfoods was a successful business, it was not core business for Hall's Group.

"The sale allows Hall's Group to focus on our core business, temperature controlled logistics and transport," he said.

Thomas Bendix Christensen, CEO of BHJ North America, said the company was excited about its first acquisition in New Zealand and was committed to developing the business in Whanganui.

He said factory staff and customers had been told it would be "business as usual" once the sale process was completed on June 29.

"Importantly that includes offering all permanent and fixed-term employees the opportunity to transition to the company," Bendix Christensen said.

BHJ collects and processes meat and fish raw materials in 13 countries for the petfood and feed industries. Its products are sold around the world.

The Overseas Investment Office (OIO) has granted the required approvals for the sale.