Asda is the main customer for the company's products

Executives at Pann Krisp on Wrexham Industrial Estate said the deal would help to secure the future of the business.

With 450 workers, Pann Krisp is one of the town's biggest employers and it said sales were continuing to grow.

The firm supplies fresh ready meals, most of them to supermarket chain Asda.

The company has been taken over by Lifecrown whose Cambridgeshire-based subsidiary, Fenmarc has four factories supplying the supermarket chain.

The turnover of the combined businesses will total �130m.

Complimentary strengths

Over the next two years, �1.5m will be invested in a new processing facilities at Wrexham, to extend the range of convenience foods produced there.

The company said it has a two-year plan which looks at recruiting up to 100 new staff.

"This is very exciting time for us and the benefits that this larger organisation will offer has been received with enthusiasm from our colleagues," said managing director Peter Hawkins.

"Consumers will continue to look for convenient, fresh food alternatives and the two companies coming together means that we will be perfectly positioned to offer them the total meal solution."