Leading Western Australian smallgoods company D’Orsogna has started work on a $66 million state-of-the-art food manufacturing facility at Merrifield Business Park, 30 kilometres north of Melbourne.
D’Orsogna managing director, Brad Thomason, said the company had a taken a strategic approach to expanding in Melbourne after first establishing a factory at Mt Waverley, 10 years ago.
“D’Orsogna has consistently experienced year on year growth and the new facility will provide a larger production capacity and greater product development opportunities,” Mr Thomason said.
“The new Melbourne site will double our production capacity and manufacture a range of innovative ham, bacon and other meat protein products.”
Currently headquartered in Perth, D’Orsogna produces a range of cured and cooked whole and sliced hams, gourmet continental goods, bacon and cooked and fresh sausages.
The D’Orsogna family first had a presence in Melbourne in 1947, before moving to Perth, where it opened a small family butcher shop in 1949.
Mr Thomason said in 2018 D’Orsogna employed more than 550 people and was one of the most recognisable brands at Woolworths, Coles, Metcash and food service businesses across Australia.
The company would retain its Perth headquarters.
“We anticipate a large percentage of our expanded production capacity will be produced out of the new Victorian facility,” Mr Thomason said.
He said the State’s proximity to major markets, as well as the new facility’s streamlined manufacturing processes will increase production.
The company had finalised the design of the green-field facility, which would incorporate the latest energy and water conservation technology.
A focus on sustainable and efficient processes had driven the design, ultimately increasing production capacity.
“The throughput, or productivity per square metre of floor space, will be leading edge,” Mr Thomason said.
“It will allow D’Orsogna to stay competitive and satisfy growing consumer demand for fresh, conveniently packaged, modern meat protein products.”
He said the facility would exceed the standards for export approval and the south-east Asian market would become a focus in the medium term.
“There’s the opportunity to expand the facility in planned stages,” Mr Thomason said.
“Convenient access to transport arteries and major markets in Victoria, NSW and Queensland will mean we can deliver D’Orsogna products quicker and at a lower cost than current logistics allow..
“We chose Victoria for its competitive operating environment, reputation in foods, access to key transport infrastructure and rapidly growing local and export markets.”
He said leading Melbourne industrial construction company Qanstruct would design and deliver the highly specialised manufacturing facility.
“We have ambitious expansion plans for the business over the next few years,” he said.
“The scale and flexibility of Merrifield provides us with an opportunity where we can essentially double our manufacturing footprint.
“It gives me great pleasure to now see the D’Orsogna name, brand and products so firmly establishing on the east coast.”
