100 factory jobs as Italian giant invests in Erewash

Italian jobs . . . what Treviso-based multinational’s UK factory near Ilkeston will look like when it opens at New Stanton Park – employing an expected 100-plus local workers

A jobs boost for Erewash has been given the go-ahead from the borough council – with the granting of full planning permission for an Italian-based multinational to build a major factory near Ilkeston.

Millions will be spent by construction industry giant Fassa Bortolo after it launched a search for a site to house its new UK headquarters and picked a business park that is taking shape where the old Stanton Ironworks used to stand.

The company, which specialises in pre-mix renders and plasters, is poised to create more than 100 skilled jobs at what will be a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant. It will include a training academy and warehousing – with the entire complex covering 170,000 square feet of what is now called New Stanton Park.

Erewash Borough Council leader, Cllr James Dawson described the investment as “a massive vote of confidence in Erewash, promising a significant boost to our local economy through new jobs and long-term growth”.

He said: “It’s about more than just construction – it’s about providing renewed purpose to an iconic site and ensuring our community remains a vibrant hub for industry. This is a vital step forward to a more prosperous future for all of our residents.”

Colleague Cllr Harrison Broadhurst said of the millions in investment: “Ilkeston is back and open for business.” East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward said: “Fassa Bortolo’s investment, alongside the wider regeneration of New Stanton Park, demonstrates the East Midlands’ strength as a destination for advanced manufacturing and underlines our determination to build a resilient, future-ready economy.”

The New Stanton Park business estate is being built on 220 acres of the old ironworks – with a total of up to 4,000 workers forecast to be employed there. David Ward, whose company Verdant Regeneration is behind the project, hailed it as “one of the best locations for manufacturing in the East Midlands”. He said of the Fassa Bortolo factory getting the green light: “We are thrilled.”

The company’s president Bortolo Fassa said: “We are extremely pleased to announce our new headquarters in the East Midlands. This investment in New Stanton Park is a strategic choice.”

His firm is based in Treviso and traces its origins back to 1710 when a family ancestor began working with lime.

The company is spending £350million to expand around the world. A main tower at the new Erewash factory will rise to 60 metres (197ft) – three metres taller than the old ironworks chimney. Councillors said they hoped it too would become an iconic landmark.