South-Carolina
Timberlab’s South Carolina Mass–Timber Fabrication Facility Reaches Full Capacity a Year After Opening
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Mass timber is still a small segment of the construction industry in the United States. A recent congressional report counts 1,753 mass-timber buildings in the country as of March of last year. “For context,” the report says, “5.9 million commercial buildings were constructed in 2019 alone.” But the market is growing. According to one estimate, mass-timber construction in the U.S. has doubled every two years for the past five years. Timberlab, a provider of mass-timber engineering, fabrication, and installation services, is betting that this trajectory will continue.
At the Greenville plant, Timberlab uses CNC machines to mill non-fabricated glulam billets, transforming them into custom, project-specific components that are then assembled on the building site. Photo courtesy Timberlab
Earlier this month, the company announced that a glulam fabrication plant it opened just over a year ago in Greenville, South Carolina, was now operating at full capacity, with the ability to support one million square feet of mass-timber construction annually, making it the largest such facility east of the Mississippi, and only one of three similar plants in the Southeast. Timberlab says that the facility has doubled the fabrication capacity of large glulam components for mass-timber structures nationally.
First started as a timber-focused division of San Francisco-headquartered general contractor Swinerton in 2016, and then known as Swinerton Mass Timber, Timberlab opened its first fabrication plant in Portland, Oregon, in 2020, followed by its formal launch as a wholly owned subsidiary in 2021. In addition to the Portland and Greenville plants, Timberlab recently acquired two glulam manufacturing facilities from American Laminators in Oregon. It has also announced plans to open a cross-laminated timber (CLT) manufacturing operation in that state’s mid-Willamette region. LEVER Architecture, a Portland-based firm known for its work in mass timber, is designing the new CLT facility, which is expected to open by 2027.
Photo courtesy Timberlab
Timberlab chose Greenville due to the region’s abundance of southern yellow pine, its existing network of glulam manufacturers, and its proximity to high-growth East Coast construction markets. At the South Carolina plant, Timberlab uses CNC machines to mill non-fabricated glulam billets, transforming them into custom, project-specific components that are then assembled on the building site. Timberlab can source the glulam from nearby producers or from its recently acquired plants in Oregon. “It is easy to send non-fabricated glulam across country by rail,” explains Chris Evans, Timberlab president. “But Greenville is not exclusive to glulam manufactured at our facilities,” he adds. “We will do the best procurement for our clients.”
Among the first projects supported by the Greenville plant is an 67,000-square-foot office building for the LS3P-designed Live Oak Bank in Wilmington, North Carolina, and a 42,00-square-foot career and student center at the University of Southern Maine designed by Elkus Manfredi. Projects with mass-timber components milled at Timberlab’s Pacific Northwest fabrication plant include Atelier Jones’ Heartwood, an eight-story, 216-unit apartment building in Seattle that features unusual all-wood mortise-and-tenon joints.
An LS3P-designed office building for Live Oak Bank in Wilmington, North Carolina, is among the first projects supported by Timberlab’s new Greenville plant. Photo © FLOR Projects
If Timberlab’s expansion sounds rapid, Evans maintains that the company’s evolution has been measured and methodical, spanning eight years. Its investment in the supply chain, funded by shareholders (both Timberlab and Swinerton are employee-owned), will ultimately make mass-timber buildings more affordable, he says, while helping spur greater demand. “It is a chicken-and-egg situation,” he says. “You need to have the investment to support the market’s growth.”
USA TODAY 250th anniversary travel guides and American stories
USA TODAY marks America’s 250th with travel guides, culture, history, and local stories.
As the nation prepares for its 250th anniversary, one of the efforts underway is America’s Time Capsule.
The time capsule project is led by America250 and meant to bring together carefully selected artifacts and documents from all 50 states, five U.S. territories, the District of Columbia, and each branch of the federal government.
This national project is designed to capture the story of the United States at this historic 250th birthday, according to America250.
Here’s what South Carolina contributed to the national project.
What did South Carolina put in the America250 time capsule?
South Carolina is marking the nation’s 250th anniversary by contributing two historic items to the national America’s Time Capsule project, according to America250.
As part of the SouthCarolina250, which is the state’s initiative for the U.S.’s 250th celebration, commemoration effort, the state has provided a commemorative challenge coin and an official SC250 lapel pin.
Both will be buried inside the capsule on July 4, along with items from other states. And it is set to be reopened 250 years later in 2276.
Where will the Americ250 time capsule be buried?
The ceremonial burial of America’s Time Capsule is set to take place at Independence National Historical Park, located at 599 Market Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 4, according to america250.org.
What else is in America’s 250th anniversary time capsule
As America’s 250th anniversary approaches, the national time capsule has been filled with items meant to capture the character and diversity of the country in this moment.
The collection spans a range of items, from archival letters and state proclamations to student work from the America’s Field Trip contest, uncirculated currency, and even pieces of national sports memorabilia.
Time capsule engineered to last centuries
As planners work to ensure America’s Time Capsule endures for the next two and a half centuries, engineers and archivists have focused heavily on long‑term preservation.
The capsule itself is a cylinder‑shaped stainless‑steel vessel, precision‑designed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in partnership with archival scientists at the Library of Congress, according to the Institute.
Travis Jacque Rose is the trending news reporter for the Greenville News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at trose@gannett.com.
In Laurens County, a dual-sided historic marker stands next to a mailbox off the side of the road. The name Jonathan Downs was commemorated on one side, while the other side was signed with the story of Lindley’s Fort in the American Revolution.
The Battle of Fort Lindley took place July 15, 1776, some 1,800 feet away from the modern-day historic marker. Private farmland now sits where the battle ensued, but physical pieces of history and oral retellings of the battle have continued to propel the story in Laurens County lore.
Loyalists to the British crown and Cherokee citizens planned an attack on a group stationed at the fort. The Little River Regiment used the fort as their base. Loyalist Capt. David Fanning described the scene as a “fort built with logs” in his autobiographical retelling of the Revolutionary War.
Cherokee land had continually been encroached on, which pushed members of the tribe to retaliate.
The loyalists who joined in the attack were dressed as Native Americans. They – along with other South Carolina backcountry loyalists – were referred to as Scopholites. The group took action at midnight for what became a two-hour fight in one of the first conflicts of the Cherokee War of 1776.
Historian Durant Ashmore said the crux of the battle was a clash of culture and a fundamental lack of understanding among the groups.
“One thing that has been very important to understand is the conflicts between cultures – the misunderstandings between cultures – and the deadly consequences that can result from that,” he said.
Luis-Alfredo Garcia
/
South Carolina Public Radio
Troops at the fort had at first not believed word of the upcoming attack when informed by a group of soldiers, according to a pension application of Matthew Brown, who was a 16-year-old boy stationed at a fort about 20 miles away from Fort Lindley. The men were drunk from a night of indulging in rum, which Ashmore said was a common occurrence during the war.
“The Little River Regiment did not believe them. They actually even leveled their guns at them, saying, ‘Who’s telling you such lies as this?’” he said.
Maj. Downs, however, prepped the troops for defense. Downs was a previous member of the First Provincial Congress, Second Provincial Congress, and South Carolina General Assembly.
A sizable chunk of the Patriot troops had already experienced fighting Cherokee citizens during the Anglo-Cherokee War that lasted from about 1758-1761. Soldiers at Fort Lindley responded to the attack by sending out troops in lines of 10. Eventually, the loyalists and Cherokee citizens retreated.
The patriot victory boosted local morale and belief in their cause, but for some unscathed loyalists and Cherokee citizens, the aftermath’s impact trumped the actual battle loss in consequences.
The morning after the battle, troops from the fort found about 30 horses at a campsite. One saddlebag contained the commission papers of Capt. James Lindley. Lindley was a staunch loyalist and the eponymous owner of Fort Lindley.
Six months prior to the battle, he had been captured at the Battle of Great Cane Break. Lindley had promised to not take up arms against patriot forces again, or he would face death. Although he was not captured in the midnight battle, he did succumb to patriot troops at the Battle of Kettle Creek and was hanged for breaking his parole.
As for the Cherokee citizens, their land was further encroached upon and people killed; about 2,000 were killed during the Cherokee War of 1776.
Ashmore said the consequences from escalating conflict were terrible.
“Patriots gathered together with the idea of a plan, the goal of eliminating the Cherokees. Genocide,” he said. “That’s what was preached to the backcountry settlers along with the ability to make their own decisions. A primary motivating factor in the American Revolution is the right of self-determination.”
Luis-Alfredo Garcia
/
South Carolina Public Radio
Now, private land with cows and sheep sits on the area where the fort once stood. Ashmore said he gives tours just during the winter to avoid the risk of ticks. The area where trenches once helped shield soldiers are still visible.
Some remnants from the fort now reside at the Laurens County Museum in the city of Laurens’ downtown area. The objects, although not individually labeled, will be part of an upcoming opening collection.
Luis-Alfredo Garcia
/
South Carolina Public Radio
Museum docent Julia Sermons said being informed of local history helps shape modern decisions.
“You have to know where you’re coming from to know where you’re going,” she said.
Ashmore, too, saw the same value.
“We are all in the middle of this,” he said. “This history – the important role that South Carolina played in the Revolution.”
An estimated 14 battles took place in Laurens County, according to Ashmore. He has been keeping track of local history for about 6 years. He said the county has set a 50-year plan to help with future record keeping.
Luis-Alfredo Garcia
/
South Carolina Public Radio
Video of SCHSL 5A Division 1 Upper State track and field championships
Here’s video of some of the action from the SCHSL Class 5A Division 1 Upper State boys and girls track and field championships held May 8 at Dorman.
Riley Vaughn of Spartanburg girls Track and Field was named the 2025-26 South Carolina girls Gatorade Player of the Year.
Vaughn won the shot put and discus events at the Class 5A-D1 state championships. She nailed a 13.1 meters on the shot and 41.77 meters on the discus. Her 14.41 in the shot at the region meet was the state’s best for 2026.
The 5-foot-10 junior helped lead Spartaburg to a fifth-place team finish. Vaughn had also competed on the national stage after taking third place in the shot put event at the Under Armour Nationals.
“Unbeaten in the discus throw on home state soil this year, Vaughn achieved success in both throws, but really sparkled in the shot put circle,” PrepCalTrack editor, Rich Gonzalez, said. “Her season-best there was the state’s top mark in the event in seven years and moved her to No. 4 on South Carolina’s all-time list.”
Vaughn is now part of an elite group of athletes who have won the prestigious award, including four-time Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin, five-time Olympic medalist Sanya Richards, and 11-time Olympic medalist Allyson Felix.
Vaughn was also named to the Greenville News’ All-Upstate First Team in girls’ Track and Field for the second consecutive season.
Kamryn Jackson covers high school and college sports for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, Greenville News, Anderson Independent Mail, and the USA TODAY Network. Please email her at KEJackson@gannett.com and follow her on X @KamxJack (formerly Twitter).
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