Dunedin oat miller Harraway & Sons is upgrading its current facility with an $11 million renovation.
Chief executive Henry Hawkins said shareholders have approved investing the funds over the next three years at the Green Island mill.
A new machine designed to automate the packing of its oat sachet products is scheduled to arrive next month. A new boiler is expected to arrive the week after.
The grain intake system will be upgraded, and several silos will be removed and replaced before Christmas.
Additional refurbishment work on the site is set to begin in January.
“The end of this year and all of next year will be a very busy time for all of us,” Hawkins said.
“We have been here since 1867.”
“There was a lot of discussion around if we needed to move to grow,” he said.
There was discussion about relocating the mill closer to its grain growers, somewhere between Dunedin and Gore, but shareholders ultimately decided to keep it within the city.
The introduction of new automation will not affect staff numbers and will enable the company to meet customer demand.
Around 95% of the oats processed at the site come from Southland and Central Otago. Hawkins said the owners of Harraway & Sons took pride in being part of the South.
“A little ol’ New Zealand company competing against global brands for shelf space is a great story for Dunedin and our growers, who work bloody hard.”
At the recent New Zealand Food Awards, Harraway & Sons received a Product Lifetime Achievement Award for its rolled oats.
The judges described Harraways Rolled Oats as a genuinely iconic New Zealand product that has enduringly stood the test of time.
“It has held its place through quality, consistency and trust, becoming a staple in Kiwi households and a symbol of wholesome simplicity.”