By Laura Michell
A family pasta company has opened a new factory in Epping almost a year after a massive fire destroyed its original premises.
Fire ripped through the Diseb Group factory on Fillo Drive, Somerton, on June 2, 2018, causing extensive damage including a collapsed wall.
Five people, including company managing director Tony Di Sebastiano, were inside the factory at the time of the blaze. It is believed the fire started in a pasteurising machine.
In the days following the fire,
Mr Di Sebastiano said his family hoped to rebuild the factory, which employed 48
people.
Earlier this month, Mr Di Sebastiano officially opened the company’s new factory on Scanlon Drive, Epping.
Speaking to Star Weekly, Mr Di Sebastiano said the past year had been extremely tough.
He said the family thought “quite hard” about whether it should rebuild.
He said that ultimately it was support of its customers – including Coles – that prompted the family to open a new
factory.
“The support from our customers has been the best thing we have had happen to us,” he said.
Mr Di Sebastiano said 50 people were employed at the new factory, with no jobs lost as a result of the fire.
Coles fresh food director Alex Freudmann said the Diseb Group has been supplying fresh pasta to Coles for more than 20 years.
“We were committed to supporting the Di Sebastiano family as they rebuilt,” he said.
