The new building, constructed in its 3.2ha surroundings by Calder Stewart, has been fitted with many environmentally-friendly features, managing director Chris Hopkins said.
Trees have been planted as a carbon sink, in a bid to leave as small a carbon footprint as possible.
Formed in 1913 by the Scott brothers, the company made mortar bombs, and was staffed by women, because of wartime manpower shortages.
After World War 1, the factory continued with traditional engineering work. By the mid-1970s, Scott had started combining engineering with emerging technology.
Now, in an innovative move, Scott Technology has installed a diesel generator in a bid to lessen its energy costs.
"As far as possible, we incorporated ideas and features to ensure that as a modern building, it is energy-and-environmentally efficient," Mr Hopkins said.
"We have installed a diesel generator for emergency back-up and to reduce the peak loads on the electricity grid. This has substantial savings for the network and is reflected in the price we pay."
In a further bid to keep costs to a minimum, equipment was brought from the previous site in Crawford St, he said.
The purchase of the new site, the third premises Scott Technology has had, was made possible through a strong working partnership with the site's former owner, Silver Fern Farms, in conjunction with significant help from the Dunedin City Council, through rates relief and the consent process.
"The purchase of this site from Silver Fern Farms became possible partly because of the close working relationship we had formed with them over several years," he said.
Silver Fern Farms and Scott Technology are joint partners in researching and developing automated technology for the meat industry.
When fully operational, the factory will employ about 60 staff from Otago.
- Tim Cossens
