Hampton Lumber to open $225M sawmill in South Carolina

A West Coast-based sustainable building materials company is making a big move in South Carolina.

Hampton Lumber, a producer of sustainable building materials, has selected Allendale County to establish the company’s first sawmill on the East Coast, according to a news release.

The company’s $225 million investment will create at least 125 new jobs, according to the release.

Hampton Lumber will construct a state-of-the-art, 375,000-square-foot lumber mill located at Highway 321 and Barker Mill Pond Road in Fairfax, the release stated. The new operation will specialize in producing quality Southern Yellow Pine framing lumber.

“The enthusiastic, heartfelt support from the state and local community helped us come to the conclusion that this is the right location for us. We’re happy to join the healthy wood products industry already present in the region, and we look forward to building partnerships in the area and supporting the communities in and around Allendale County,” Hampton Lumber CEO Randy Schillinger said in the release. “We are extremely grateful to the state of South Carolina, and the county and community partners who helped make this project possible.”

Headquartered in Oregon, Hampton Lumber is a fourth-generation, family-owned producer of high-quality wood products sourced from sustainably managed forest resources, the release stated. Operating nine sawmills in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, Canada, the company markets and sells building materials worldwide.

Operations are expected to be online in 2027.

“Allendale County is proud to welcome Hampton Lumber, and we appreciate their investment in our community,” Allendale County Council Chairman Bill Robinson said in the release. “Each of the 125 jobs created will provide a brighter future for families in our area, and Allendale County looks forward to supporting Hampton Lumber for years to come.”

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits related to the project.

“Hampton Lumber’s decision to establish its first East Coast facility in South Carolina reflects confidence in our sustainably managed forests — now holding more timber than ever — and the strength of our world-class workforce,” State Forester Scott Phillips said in the release. “This new investment brings a welcome boost to the industry and to communities that rely on forestry for economic opportunity.”

Hampton Lumber is a fourth-generation, family-owned company headquartered in Portland. With over 80 years in the sawmill business, Hampton operates sawmills in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia and markets wood products all over the world.