Hinton Lumber Products has officially brought its new Charleston-area pallet manufacturing facility online, adding automated production capacity to meet growing Southeast demand for export-ready and automation-compatible pallets.
Located in Summerville, South Carolina, the more than 200,000-square-foot operation is now producing block pallets, stringer pallets, chemical pallets (CP), and heat-treated export pallets for customers across manufacturing, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and chemical sectors. The facility’s proximity to the Port of Charleston positions it to support regional exporters preparing for evolving international packaging and logistics requirements, including the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which takes effect in August 2026.
The launch marks the next phase of a project first announced earlier this year, when Hinton revealed plans for a greenfield Southeast facility focused on scalable, automation-driven pallet manufacturing. The company said the Charleston site is now operational and already supporting customers requiring high-volume pallet supply close to a major East Coast logistics gateway.
“This is about execution,” said Larry Howell, President of Hinton Lumber Products. “We’ve brought automation online in Charleston using the same European-style production model proven in Houston, focused on throughput, consistency, and performance at scale.”
Charleston Facility Targets Export and Automation Demand
According to Hinton, the Charleston operation was designed around robotics-driven manufacturing and will continue to expand with additional production lines as customer demand grows. The facility strengthens the company’s ability to supply automation-ready pallets while also supporting exporters requiring ISPM 15-compliant and EPAL-certified pallet solutions.
“Our company is recognized as the foremost producer with comprehensive knowledge of PPWR requirements needed for transport packaging throughout Europe,” said Hinton Howell, Chief Operating Officer.
“With Charleston now running, we’re helping customers align with those standards while maintaining speed and reliability in their supply chains.”
The company noted that many of the facility’s target customers ship through the Port of Charleston, one of the fastest-growing container gateways on the U.S. East Coast. By locating near a major export hub, Hinton aims to reduce freight complexity and improve responsiveness for customers shipping internationally.
The new South Carolina facility complements Hinton’s existing operations in Texas and Alabama, expanding the company’s national manufacturing footprint and increasing capacity for high-volume pallet programs.
Building on Earlier Investments in Automation and Export Readiness
The Charleston launch continues a broader growth strategy centered on automation, standardized pallet systems, and export-oriented manufacturing. Over the past year, Hinton has emphasized investments tied to high-throughput production, retail compliance, and international pallet standards.
Earlier this year, Reusable Packaging News covered Hinton’s expansion plans for the Summerville facility, including its focus on scalable automation-ready production and export pallet capability. The company has also recently highlighted growing demand for block pallets tied to Sam’s Club’s inbound pallet requirements, while continuing to position itself as a supplier of EPAL-certified and CP pallet systems for industrial and international applications.
In September 2025, Hinton launched a redesigned website focused on automation-driven manufacturing, export compliance, and engineered pallet systems for high-volume logistics environments. The company has increasingly emphasized European-style pallet manufacturing practices, tight dimensional consistency, and multi-trip pallet performance as automation adoption expands across supply chains.
Hinton Lumber Products describes itself as the largest producer of block pallets in the United States. The company operates major manufacturing facilities in Texas, Alabama, and South Carolina, serving customers across the manufacturing, chemical, retail, and food and beverage sectors.
Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
