Alliance Group says it wants to ''set the record straight'' on its application to Immigration New Zealand to recruit 100 temporary workers from overseas.
In an update to suppliers, the company said there had been ''inaccurate information'' about Alliance not employing local people and suggesting its employment criteria were too strict.
There was a well-documented shortage of skilled and unskilled candidates for its industry and across other sectors.
It recently launched a recruitment drive to encourage locals to apply for positions at its plants.
''Our preference is always to employ people from local communities. Where we cannot source sufficient people, we need to look at all the available options, including people from overseas.''
The company said it did not pay overseas employees any less. The minimum employment criteria used for its plants had been designed using medical advice to ensure people were physically able to perform work safely.
It did not discriminate employment on any basis and was committed to working constructively with the unions to address its recruitment challenges.