Hampton Lumber to Open $225 Million Sawmill in Fairfax

Hampton Lumber has selected Fairfax in Allendale County for its first East Coast sawmill, a major private manufacturing investment for the rural region. The company plans a 375,000-square-foot facility on the Highway 321 and Barker Mill Pond Road site, with reported capital expenditures of roughly $225 million and a target of at least 125 jobs once the mill reaches full operations. Construction advanced to a ceremonial groundbreaking in November 2025, and the company expects operations to come online in 2027.

The new mill will specialize in Southern Yellow Pine framing lumber, marking Hampton Lumber’s initial expansion to the U.S. East Coast from its Pacific Northwest base. The company is a fourth-generation, family-owned operator with existing mills in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Locating a large sawmill in Fairfax alters the county’s industrial mix by adding a significant timber processing employer to an area that has seen relatively few large-scale private manufacturing projects in recent years.

State and local incentives were integral to the project moving forward. The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits associated with the investment, and coverage of the November groundbreaking noted participation by state leaders. Local- and state-level incentives and workforce planning were cited as key supports for the project, reflecting coordinated public-sector efforts to recruit private employers and prepare a local labor pool for skilled production work.

For Allendale County residents the mill represents immediate construction employment and, longer term, steady production positions in wood products manufacturing. Economically, analysts and local planners expect the facility to spur related supply-chain activity, including transport, log procurement and equipment services, and to create openings for workforce development programs focused on timber and manufacturing skills. Those effects can raise local payrolls and broaden the county’s industrial base, though measurable gains will depend on hiring patterns, local sourcing of raw materials, and the effectiveness of training initiatives.

The project also has broader market implications. Establishing Hampton Lumber production on the East Coast could shorten supply chains for builders who use Southern Yellow Pine framing lumber, and it positions Fairfax to capture part of regional demand for structural lumber. With the mill slated to begin production in 2027, county leaders and workforce agencies will likely monitor hiring, local procurement, and any follow-on investments that could arise from the new operation.