A subsidiary of Michigan-based UFP Industries is putting $5.31 million into a new manufacturing plant in Gaffney, South Carolina, a project state officials say will create 136 jobs once it comes online in the second quarter of 2027. UFP Packaging, which designs and manufactures wood pallets, crates, corrugated boxes, horticulture racks and structural steel packaging, announced the new Cherokee County operation this week, with the plant set to rise at 50 Peachview Blvd.
The site itself has history. Built in 2000, the 226,968-square-foot building on 34.11 acres sits along the Interstate 85 corridor, according to CommercialSearch. Cushman & Wakefield's marketing materials for the property, which was brought to market for sale or lease in early 2026, note it features 16 dock-high doors and room to expand up to 366,503 square feet. As Greenville Business Magazine reports, Gaffney officials describe the move as revitalizing the Peachview facility rather than building anew.
State and Local Leaders Weigh In
Governor Henry McMaster congratulated UFP Packaging on the Cherokee County investment, and South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III welcomed the company to the area, per the report. Gaffney mayor Lyman Dawkins III called the investment and job creation a win for Gaffney, while South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers said the expansion is good news for the state's farmers. The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved Job Development Credits tied to the project, according to the South Carolina Department of Revenue.
Cherokee County's Tier IV classification can make companies eligible for competitive incentive programs, subject to qualification and approval, per LoopNet's listing for the property. UFP Packaging's own leadership framed the move in similar terms. Will Schwartz said the investment gives the company's structural packaging business added capacity, expanded geographic reach and an enhanced ability to deliver customized solutions, and that South Carolina's manufacturing base, skilled workforce and business environment fit UFP Industries well. He added that the company intends to develop people, promote from within and create lasting careers, and that the operation will support ongoing economic development efforts in rural South Carolina.
Why Gaffney Makes Sense on the Map
The Peachview Boulevard site sits along the I-85 logistics corridor, positioned 36 minutes from Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, 41 minutes from Inland Port Greer, and 56 minutes from Charlotte Douglas International Airport, according to Cushman & Wakefield's marketing materials. That connectivity fits a broader pattern: Cherokee County has drawn accelerated industrial recruitment along I-85 in recent years, including a June project in which USA Rare Earth leased an 800,000-square-foot facility in nearby Blacksburg for high-tech manufacturing, as Hoodline previously reported on that magnet plant deal.
UFP Packaging is a subsidiary of UFP Industries, which is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and operates more than 100 locations globally. The parent company reported $6.32 billion in net sales for 2025, spanning its Retail, Packaging and Construction segments, according to UFP Industries Investor Relations. UFP Packaging already has two existing facilities in Orangeburg County, and the company holds a 50 percent ownership stake in Dempsey Wood Products LLC, an Orangeburg-based producer of kiln-dried lumber and industrial wood, according to filings with the SEC. The company thus has an existing South Carolina presence ahead of the Gaffney project's launch.
UFP's Southeast Expansion
The expansion adds to UFP Industries' operations in the Southeast, with the Gaffney plant expected to begin operations in the second quarter of 2027.
The new plant is expected to strengthen UFP Packaging's ability to serve industrial customers across the Southeast and beyond, and it will serve customers with highly technical packaging needs, according to the announcement. The Gaffney project adds to UFP Packaging's Southeastern footprint. Individuals interested in joining UFP Packaging as it staffs up in Gaffney are directed to the company's careers page.
