New sawmill breaks ground in SC, bringing jobs and materials for home construction. Here’s where
With 12.9 million acres of forestland, South Carolina has a rooted history in the timber industry, which is continuing with the newest addition of a sawmill in Allendale County.
Hampton Lumber, a fourth-generation, family-owned producer of building materials, is investing $225 million to build a modern sawmill in South Carolina’s Lowcountry region, marking the company’s first East Coast operation.
The project is expected to bring at least 125 new jobs and begin operations in 2027.
The 375,000-square-foot mill, located at Highway 321 and Barker Mill Pond Road in Fairfax, will specialize in producing Southern Yellow Pine framing lumber for use in single and multi-family home construction.
Lumber from the facility will also go to truss plants, pressure treaters and professional dealers.
Why South Carolina?
Hampton Lumber states that this new operation will specialize in producing quality Southern Yellow Pine framing lumber, which the Palmetto State has in abundance.
The company states that South Carolina “is home to a healthy wood product industry” that can support this new mill for years to come.
Southern Yellow Pine forests are also known to grow quickly in warm, sunny climates.
Hampton Lumber operates nine sawmills in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, Canada, marketing and selling building materials worldwide.
Ground-up operations
Hampton Lumber states that it is focused on “sustainable building materials” and products.
To achieve this, “nearly 100% of every log that comes through” the mill is repurposed in one way or another, according to the company’s spokesperson, Kristin Rasmussen.
Any residuals left over from the lumber-making process will be available for things like pulp, paper and biofuel.
Since trees are a renewable resource, Rasmussen notes that Hampton Lumber strives “to get the most out of every log.”
Construction and job creation timeline
Construction of the new mill is already underway, with a groundbreaking ceremony held on Nov. 5 with Gov. Henry McMaster.
Hampton Lumber recently hired the General Manager for the facility and expects to fill other leadership roles in the coming months, with most jobs becoming available during the fall and winter of 2026.
The Fairfax site will host a range of roles once complete, ranging from skilled trades positions, equipment operators, to administrative services.
Rasmussen states that this will be a modern, flexible mill and one of the “most efficient” in North America.
Plans for the Hampton Lumber sawmill were announced in June, right on the cusp of two other sawmills in the state, Canfor Corp., with locations in Darlington and Estill, shuttering operations in August.
The former Estill mill location sits about 15 miles away from the new Hampton Lumber mill.
About Hampton Lumber
Hampton Lumber was founded in 1942 by Bud Hampton when he purchased his first sawmill in Oregon to support his lumber business. His son, John, then took on the company and spearheaded expansions across the Pacific Northwest.
Today, Bud’s grandchildren — Jamey, Elizabeth and David Hampton — lead the company.
Hampton Lumber has grown to include forestland management, wholesale operations, remanufacturing facilities, engineered wood manufacturing, and sales.
South Carolina’s forest industry
According to the South Carolina Forestry Commission, this industry contributes roughly $23.2 billion to the state economy annually, provides more than 100,000 jobs and creates $5.5 billion in annual labor income.
SCFC states that between primary and secondary mills, there are 889 in South Carolina.
Primary mills manufacture lumber, paper or energy-related products, whereas secondary mills manufacture a value-added product like trusses, packaging or furniture.
SCFC also notes that in comparison to other leading industries in the Palmetto State, forestry ranks #1 in jobs, #2 in labor income and #3 in direct economic output.
