Ohio-based company will invest $26M in Florence County operations

Listen to this article

An Ohio-based building materials supplier will expand its South Carolina footprint with a $26 million investment into new operations in Florence County. The project is expected to create 80 new jobs.

Carter Lumber, headquartered in Kent, Ohio, is a privately held, family-owned company with more than 170 locations across the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions, according to a news release.

 In addition to lumber, the company sells a broad range of building supplies including decking, doors, kitchens, siding and windows.

With existing operations in Easley and Rock Hill, this will mark the company’s third South Carolina location and first facility in Florence County.

“Carter Lumber has done business in South Carolina since the 1970s, and it has always been a pro-business state filled with opportunities to grow,” said company president Jeff Donley. “That same spirit exists in the state today, and we are excited to be opening this location to take advantage of those many opportunities. The manufactured products this new facility will produce are vital to builders in the region as it continues to grow. We look forward to partnering in that growth today and into the future.”
 

The company plans to renovate a 120,000-square-foot facility at 305 West Myrtle Beach Highway in Johnsonville. Once completed, the facility will be used to manufacture roof and floor trusses along with hanging interior door units, the release said. This location will also serve as a millwork warehouse for stock mouldings, and products from the Florence County site will be delivered to residential, commercial and multi-family job sites.  

“The 80 new jobs that Carter Lumber will create will positively impact the Johnsonville community for years to come,” said Florence County Council Chairman Willard Dorriety. “We look forward to supporting Carter Lumber as they begin operations in southern Florence County.”
 

Operations are expected to be online by the third quarter of 2023. Individuals interested in joining the Carter Lumber team should visit the company’s careers page.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits related to this project. The council also awarded a $100,000 Set-Aside grant to Florence County to assist with the costs of site preparation and building construction.