Kristine Staples has held many job titles, but calls her current one her favorite. Working in marketing and public relations across the country brought her to Aiken, South Carolina, where, for the past seven years, she and her family have run S.C. Shavings, a saw mill that makes shavings for horses and other livestock.
Shavings are a crucial part of running any barn. They absorb unwanted moisture, help keep the space clean and dry, and provide what is essentially bedding for the horses and other animals. The value of their work is further emphasized when they take on providing shavings for all livestock at the S.C. State Fair every October.
Prior to this endeavor, Staples and her husband, Drew, had been living abroad in England, as that was where he was stationed with the Army. When they returned stateside, they decided to change up their lives.
“My father-in-law knew my husband and I were talking about retiring from the Army. He called us and said, ‘Let’s buy a company. Let’s do something fun and buy a company. Let’s buy a sawmill.’ And we thought, ‘How hard could this be?’” Staples said.
Staples and her husband have always been animal people, so the idea that they could create and perfect a product for animals appealed to them immediately, and they dedicated themselves to that work.
S.C. Shavings prides itself on knowing exactly where everything that goes into their product comes from, down to the logs.
“We know where our logs are coming from. They’re all coming from South Carolina, straight yellow pine, and I know who the logger is. It comes onto our plant, my guys touch it, we shave it down, we put it through a dryer, and I see it come out of the dryer. I see it go through our screen to get the dust off. I watch it go into a bag, and I watch it leave,” Staples said.
In 2018, Staples decided she wanted to start doing more with her company and more for the community, so she became one of the South Carolina State Fair’s partners.
“I said to my husband, ‘We have to go to the fair,’ and he said, ‘We can’t afford it. I’ve run the numbers, and it isn’t something I think we can do right now.’ And I said, ‘We’re not going to a no mindset, first we’re going to yes,’” Staples said.
For Staples, it was never about the money; it was about being involved in something much bigger and helping the agriculture community. What began as a simple inquiry turned into a lasting partnership—and the business owner still remembers the instant welcome she received from Nancy Smith, General Manager of the South Carolina State Fair.
“I came in and sat down, and I felt like I had known Nancy all of my life. I went into the meeting with my child, and Nancy just embraced us,” Staples said.
“They were looking for a shavings partner that could help alleviate their budget, but at the same time, could create a good partnership and a marketing platform and that human connection. And we said, ‘Well, let’s see what we can do,’” Staples said.
“Even after seven years, through thick and thin, Kris has never wavered in her commitment to the fair,” said Nancy Smith, General Manager of the South Carolina State Fair. “After Hurricane Helene, her business was without power, blocked by fallen trees, and unable to operate—yet she called me in tears, deeply worried about us because she might not be able to deliver the shavings she had promised. That kind of dedication, even in the face of personal and professional hardship, is extraordinary—and it’s why this partnership is still going strong.”
“We have a real relationship, and that’s a good place to be. For me, what keeps me going every year is that this is a commitment that I’ve made. It’s a commitment that I’ve made to the fair and to the agricultural community that comes and shows at the fair. I’m not gonna let them down, and that’s why we do it every year,” Staples said.
This agricultural community is one that Staples and her family value. Staples grew up with a deep love for animals and farming, which she has begun to instill in her own children by raising them on her family’s land with ducks and horses. Being a part of the fair has allowed her to have even more of that in her life.
“You have these cowboys out and cowgirls out showing their horses and their cows and their pigs, and they’ve worked so hard on them. We didn’t always have that lifestyle, but coming in now, I think I’m actually living out a childhood dream. I really enjoy being around these hospitable people, and doing something for that next generation of kids coming up in agriculture,” Staples said.
