Lancashire-based pet food manufacturer and distributor Pets Choice has announced that it will take over the sales and distribution of Vitakraft products in the UK from January 1 2015.

The UK Vitakraft operation will now be fully integrated into Pets Choice, whose brands include Webbox, Goodwyns, Oceanic and Davies. 

Headquartered in Germany, Vitakraft is one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of pet food and non-food products across Europe, delivering to more than 35 countries and with offices in 19. The current UK distributor, Vitakraft Burton Dene, is based in Huddersfield. 

Pets Choice CEO Tony Raeburn said: "We're looking to make this an incredibly seamless transition, which will have no knock-on effects for both Pets Choice and Vitakraft customers. In fact, customers will have the benefit and convenience of ordering products from both companies together. 

"Some Vitakraft employees opted to take voluntary redundancy when the news was confirmed; and we're delighted to announce that a number of others have chosen to join us at our new state-of-the-art warehouse and office facility in Blackburn." 

The Vitakraft employees will be integrated into the Pets Choice team over the coming months. 

Heinz Gardewin, corporate chief executive officer at Vitakraft, said: "The merger with Pets Choice is the ideal platform to widen distribution of the Vitakraft product range within the UK and to create new opportunities within the pet care market."