February 20, 2018

Western Australia-based smallgoods supplier D’Orsogna to expand into the Merrifield Business Park

Bridie Byrne, Hume Leader
February 20, 2018

UP to 240 jobs will be created when a smallgoods factory opens in Mickleham this year in a major coup for manufacturing in Melbourne’s north.

The Western Australia-based smallgoods supplier D’Orsogna announced last week a $41 million expansion into the Merrifield Business Park with a 10,858sq m facility to be built by MAB Corporation and Gibson Property Corporation. MAB Corporation managing director Andrew Buxton said the deal signalled the continuous growth of the manufacturing industry in Hume.

“We are thrilled to bring a food manufacturer of this calibre to Melbourne’s north — this is a boon for both the state and Merrifield, with an estimated 240 new jobs to be created,” he said.

“Already we’ve seen big names such as Dulux and D’Orsogna establish a presence in Melbourne’s north, no doubt because of its connectivity to the east coast of Australia, with direct access to the Hume Freeway and proximity to Melbourne Airport, as well as access to a solid local employment base.”

State Industry and Employment Minister Ben Carroll said food manufacturing was one of the trailblazing sectors of the economy and this project would help grow business investment and boost this sector even further.

The D’Orsogna family has been producing hams and continental meat products for 70 years.

D’Orsogna managing director Brad Thomason said the Merrifield site was appealing not just because of the location, but due to the ability to build a factory tailored to the company’s needs.

“The scale and flexibility of Merrifield provides us with an opportunity where we can essentially double our manufacturing footprint,” Mr Thomason said.

Construction has started, with the factory to open in late 2018.