Bamberg, South Carolina (April 2023) – On Monday, April 24, 2023, Bamberg County Council members Spencer Donaldson, Larry Haynes, Phil Myers, Deputy County Administrator Thomas Thomas and County Administrator Joey Preston toured the South Carolina Oak to Barrel manufacturing facility with General Manager David Hutto and Southern Carolina Alliance Project Manager Joshua Urwick.
Located just outside Bamberg city limits, Oak to Barrel opened its South Carolina location just over a year ago and produces 64-80 barrels a day and has about 20 employees. General Manager and Bamberg resident, David Hutto, anticipates the company will have 122 employees within the first five years of operation and produce around 300 barrels a day. Oak to Barrel has also developed a strong and convenient partnership with Burnt Church Distillery in Bluffton, although they also export barrels to 25+ distilleries across the United States and even one in Ireland. The majority of their distillery partners are located in the Appalachian Mountain region of South Carolina.
Currently, 53-gallon whiskey barrels are made on site from white oak slats and metal rings, and Oak to Barrel hopes to also produce wine barrels in the future. The distillery logos are imprinted on the barrels and are steamed, bended, charred, and toasted to enhance flavors and colors according to the distillers’ specifications or recipes.
Oak to Barrel CEO Dagney Johnson flew into the Bamberg Regional Airport on April 26 to assess the progress of the business.
Councilman Spencer Donaldson said, “Oak to Barrell’s presence in Bamberg is a win-win collaboration for all involved and demonstrates the allure and potential our county has for economic growth and expansion.”
“Oak to Barrel is just one of the many gems of Bamberg County, and our administration looks forward to partnering with them well into the future,” commented Councilman Myers.
Councilman Haynes was excited “to see the economic growth of Bamberg and to see others finally recognize how far we have come in just a few short years.”
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For more information on this press release, email info@bambergcounty.sc.gov.