Dry End Superintendent- Allendale, South Carolina

Hampton Lumber is a thriving family-owned company aspiring to be North America's preferred source for responsibly-sourced wood solutions. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, we operate nine sawmills in Western Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. We also manage timberland and operate a wholesale and import/export division.  

Our mission is to grow, manufacture, and market renewable wood products and deliver innovative solutions for a more sustainable built environment. At Hampton Lumber, we accomplish this through our own operations as well as those of our affiliates—Trapa Forest Products, Idaho Timber, and RedBuilt. Our tagline, "Find a better way every day," encapsulates our commitment to innovation and improvement across all operations.
 

We are guided by our core values: 

• Safety – Prioritize safety across all operations.
• Integrity & Authenticity – Operate honestly and ethically while preserving our distinctive family-owned brand.
• Responsible Stewardship – Endeavor to balance and maintain economic, social, and environmental values in everything we do.
• Tenacity – Embrace challenges with grit, determination, and a can-do spirit. 
• Continuous Improvement – Strive to enhance our processes, products, and people.
• Customer Satisfaction – Be nimble, responsive, and solutions-oriented.
• Community Engagement – Be a responsive, supportive, and respected member of the community.

With over 80 years in the sawmill business, we are proud to have cultivated the knowledge and experience needed to grow and prosper, even in challenging times.  We always look to the future and invest in our people, new technologies, and continuous improvement processes and techniques. 

The Dry End Superintendent is responsible for all activities associated with drying, planning, and shipping lumber from the dry kilns through shipping. This includes the operation of the continuous dry kilns, planer mill, and finished lumber handling systems. The role is critical in commissioning new equipment, building a capable team, and achieving steady-state production performance that meets the mill’s safety, quality, and volume objectives.

• Substantial company-paid assistance for Medical and Dental insurance premiums; mental health coverage; cost effective co-pays and deductibles
• 401(k) with 5% annual company contribution and generous company matching contributions vested over three years
• Paid time off, including eight paid holidays
• Participation in the employee bonus program
• Employee wellness program that includes free counseling sessions, financial and legal guidance, and more
• Opportunities for paid training to support career advancement and personal development

Startup & Commissioning

• Work with Engineering, Maintenance, and Vendor teams during installation and commissioning of the kilns, planer, and packaging lines.
• Develop and implement startup and commissioning plans for each area of responsibility.
• Create standard operating procedures (SOPs) and preventive maintenance plans for kilns, including forklifts, and planer equipment.
• Participate in performance testing and acceptance of equipment from OEMs.
• Lead operator training programs and ensure all dry end personnel are fully trained before startup.

Operational Leadership

• Oversee the safe and efficient operation of all dry end production areas once operational.
• Manage kiln drying schedules to achieve target moisture content and quality.
• Supervise planer mill operations for maximum throughput, uptime, and grade recovery.
• Coordinate closely with the Green End Superintendent to maintain balanced lumber flow and prevent bottlenecks.
• Monitor production and quality metrics to identify issues and implement process improvements.

People Leadership

• Recruit, train, and develop supervisors, kiln operators, planer operators, and forklift drivers.
• Build a cohesive, performance-driven team culture emphasizing communication, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct regular safety meetings and performance reviews.
• Foster employee engagement and growth opportunities within the organization.

Safety & Compliance

• Establish and enforce lockout/tagout, confined space, and hot-work procedures for kilns and planer operations.
• Drive a proactive safety culture through training, audits, and incident reviews.
• Ensure compliance with all OSHA and DHEC environmental and safety standards.

Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Partner with Quality Control to ensure kiln performance, moisture content, and planer grading meet customer and mill specifications.
• Analyze performance data to optimize kiln schedules, planer knife changes, and shift efficiency.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on recovery, uptime, and product quality.
• Support capital project planning and process optimization efforts.

Education & Experience

• Minimum 4 years in sawmill or wood products manufacturing, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or superintendent capacity.
• Strong technical knowledge of kiln drying, planer mill operations, and lumber grading.
• Experience in commissioning or optimizing continuous dry kilns preferred.
• Proven success in building and leading production teams through startup or major transitions.

Skills & Competencies

• Excellent leadership and communication abilities.
• Strong understanding of process control systems, kiln software, and planer optimization.
• Analytical and data-driven problem solver.
• Deep commitment to safety, quality, and team development.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across departments in a startup environment.

Performance Metrics

• Safe startup with zero recordable incidents.
• Startup Readiness and Performance versus Commissioning Plan.
• Moisture content accuracy and drying efficiency.
• Planer mill recovery %, uptime, and grade yield.
• Employee engagement, training completion, and retention.
• Cost per MBF and production throughput.

Hampton Lumber is an equal opportunity employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race/ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other status protected by law. 

Disability accommodation available: If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation in the application or hiring process, please contact the Human Resources Office for the location that you are applying.

Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

For more information about our commitment to equal employment opportunity, please see these government posters: EEO is the Law and its accompanying temporary supplement.