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TRYON—Thousand Pines Company, a leading long-term rental property management firm, has been acquired by Carl Campbell Real Estate, another local company. 

The combined company will operate at Thousand Pines’ current location at 92 Pacolet St. in Tryon. 

Founded in 1994 by Carl and Claire Wharton, Thousand Pines Company was named after their home, which had previously served as the Thousand Pines Inn in Gillette Woods. 

In 2010, well-known Tryonite Bill Ingham joined the firm as a realtor and partner. However, the passing of Thousand Pines’ co-founder Carl Wharton in 2021 and Ingham’s recent death left the firm without a broker. 

“We needed a broker, and I’m getting closer to retirement,” Thousand Pine’s co-founder Claire Wharton says. “So Becky Ingham, Carl, and I all sat down and decided this was the best decision to keep going and continue the legacy of Thousand Pines we all have built in the area.”

Ingham had been in talks with local real estate broker Carl Campbell, a third-generation agent who revived his grandfather’s company after graduating from the University of South Carolina and serving as a property manager in Augusta. 

“My dad is a builder in the area, and my mother and grandfather were both real estate brokers,” Campbell says. “A few years ago, I decided I wanted to come home to the Foothills and build and do something on my own, putting my degree in real estate to good use for my hometown. Bill Ingham and I have known each other for years and were in discussions about purchasing Thousand Pines in the near future. When Bill passed unexpectedly, Claire, Bill’s wife Becky, and I all decided that now was the right time.” 

Carl Campbell Real Estate will continue to help its clients buy or sell property. With the acquisition of Thousand Pines, they will continue managing long-term rentals. The firm is always on the lookout for long-term rentals, where a client may have a vacation or second home they are looking to rent in the area.