At the turn of the century, Thomas M. Barnhardt began a family tradition when he established a manufacturing company to produce layered batting from unbleached cotton fibers. This cotton batting was used as a cushioning product for furniture, horse collars, buggy seats, quilts and comforters. Around 1914, we designed and produced the first cotton filters for use in the manufacture of rayon fibers.
By the 1920’s, many northern furniture companies were moving south to take advantage of the
plentiful supply of hardwoods, the upholstery fabrics and materials produced by the mills in the
Piedmont, plus the abundance of labor. Barnhardt became a major supplier of cotton batting for
cushion and upholstered furniture. Today furniture manufacturing still constitutes an important
market for Barnhardt/NCFI cushioning materials.
In the 1930’s, Carolina Absorbent Cotton Company was formed to sell and distribute surgical dressings and related products. During this time period we also developed a process to chemically treat cotton to make it flame proof for uses in furniture, mattresses and insulation.
During the 1940’s, the company was busy manufacturing surgical dressings for military use during World War II. In 1947, we purchased Richmond Dental Cotton Company and moved it from Niagara Falls, New York to Charlotte to continue in the production of cotton products for dentistry.
In the 1950’s, a new plant and executive offices were built on the original site. In the late 50’s, we began processing polyester fibers to manufacture polyester batting. This polyester batting was used primarily for furniture cushioning.
In the 1960’s, our presence in the furniture industry began to expand as we opened High Point Cushion in 1963. In 1964, we purchased the foam division of Essex Wire in Mt. Airy, North Carolina and formed North Carolina Foam Industries. NCFI foam was then and is now used in furniture cushions manufactured in our cushion branch. In 1967, Hickory Cushion Division was opened in Hickory, North Carolina. Also in 1967, NCFI began manufacture of rigid polyurethane foam systems.
During the 1970’s, NCFI continued its rapid expansion with the addition of fabricating equipment and more warehouse space. NCFI introduced prime urethane foam carpet padding and their rigid foam systems expanded into new manufacturing space.
The 1980’s continued to bring about expansion and change for the company. We opened a new cushion fabricating division, Charlotte Cushion. In 1981, a long awaited new bleachery was completed. In 1984, the new bleachery was expanded again by 33%. In 1985, the company opened a fourth cushion facility in Ocala, Florida. NCFI underwent several facility expansions during the 1980’s. They also purchased Dalton Foam in Dalton, Georgia to manufacture rebonded foam for carpet underlay. In 1988, Hickory Cushion moved into their new fabricating facility on Tate Boulevard in Hickory. In 1989, the bleachery was again expanded and a new bleachery warehouse was built.
In 2000, the company celebrated its 100th anniversary. The 21st century brought about new acquisitions. In 2005 we acquired the pharmaceutical coil business of US Cotton, LLC. We also expanded NCFI rigid foam operations to Utah. In 2007 we acquired Fiberweb’s cotton bleachery in Colrain, MA to give us the largest purified cotton capacity in the world. In 2010, we acquired Kinston Fibers cotton mote cleaning operation to enhance our raw material supply.
Today, Barnhardt Manufacturing Company remains a privately held family business, being run by the fourth generation, with its headquarters still on the original site that the company was started on in 1900. The company currently owns or operates seven manufacturing facilities in the United States. We continue to look for new opportunities for growth as we continue our commitment to the values of our forefathers of integrity and honesty in everything we do.
