The complex was originally owned by Brown Oil Tools, a subsidiary of Baker Hughes. Completed in 1981, the plant had a price tag of $9 million. The plant was built to replace the company's Houston plant. The plant employed 200 people. In 1987, Baker Hughes announced that it would close the plant and consolidate its operations to facilities in Houston; the company said that the Huntsville facility's large capacity caused it to be less efficient at lower operating levels. Judith Crown of the "Houston Chronicle" described the plant as "relatively modern" in 1987. TDCJ purchased the BOT Complex in 1989.