Several Cantabrians have teamed up with the owners of a large Wellington-based construction company to start a precast concrete factory in Rolleston.

Cancast was incorporated in March and, since May, it has been making concrete panels for Fonterra's Darfield dairy factory as well as its own factory, which is still under construction.

The precast company is closely partnered with large Wellington and Auckland-based contractor Ebert Construction, and its company address is listed as Ebert's Lower Hutt office.

General manager and shareholder Paul Currie said it was apparent Christchurch had scope for another precast concrete factory, especially with the commercial rebuild, so three Canterbury men left their jobs with other precast concrete firms to start a new one with a "successful construction company owner up in Wellington".

Stuart and Mary Cruickshank, of Merivale, and a trustee company own the largest shareholding. The other Canterbury investors are Currie and Richard Thomas, both of Rolleston.

Cancast shares several shareholders and directors with Ebert Construction, which is building the factory and has the contract to design and build Fonterra's Darfield dairy plant and two drier towers.

The two Fonterra contracts are worth about $77 million.

Making the concrete panels for the second drier is likely to keep the 15-strong Cancast staff occupied till the end of the year, as is the Christchurch City Council-owned Bromley composting plant repair.

The company would start looking for work separate from Ebert this year.

Cancast employed several low-risk Rolleston Prison inmates who cycle the 2.5 kilometres to and from work each morning, Currie said.

They were a small part of the team, but did a good job and it was a good thing for them, he said. "They can get out and mix with people and put a bit of money aside for when they get out."

In other management roles, he had employed inmates through the scheme for the past eight years and had not had any problems.

"It's quite convenient here: They just jump on their bikes and come down here in the morning, I'm sure they're getting fitter."

The Cancast factory was expected to be finished by December, and then it would be able to increase production and take on up to 40 staff, Currie said.

In the meantime, the company was working outside during a particularly cold winter, but the last few days of sunshine had been great, he said.

Building consent figures show the precast factory on George Holmes Rd, Rolleston, cost $3.85m and is about 7900 square metres.