It will continue for another three years with servicing the transport needs in Australia of global yoghurt-maker Chobani.

This extends the relationship with Chobani, which has worked with AHG since it started in Australia six years ago, to nine years.

During that time, Chobani has recorded a 20 per cent growth of its Chobani and Gippsland Dairy labels.

Its volume of yoghurt production is about 18 million kilograms a year for the Chobani products and 12 million kilograms for those made with the Gippsland branding.

The company, centred in New York, has its Australian operation based in Dandenong, which manufactures for Australia and is increasing exports to South-East Asia.

During its half-year 2018 financial report to shareholders held in Perth in late February this year, AHG said it had started a “strategic review” of the Refrigerated Logistics (RL) business with the appointment of UBS and Luminis Partners as joint financial advisers.

AHG managing director John McConnell said the transformation program for RL that started in late 2016 “is well progressed” and the company was now considering “go-forward options for the business”.

“The transformation program undertaken since early 2017 financial year has established RL as a fully integrated service provider in temperature-controlled transport and storage with improved operating efficiency and an enhanced ability to realise the benefits of its market-leading position,” Mr McConnell told shareholders.

“The strategic review will assess how future growth opportunities can best be unlocked, including through potential changes in ownership, partnerships or mergers.”

He said RL had a strong business pipeline and predicted the performance of the business will improve substantially this financial year.

RL posted a loss before tax of $84.76 million on revenue of $297.73 million in the half year to December 31, 2018. This compares with a profit of $1.17 million on revenue of $291.30 million for the corresponding period in 2017.

By Neil Dowling