About Barnhardt Manufacturing Company Established in 1900, Barnhardt Manufacturing Company began operation by producing layered batting made from unbleached cotton fibers. This padding laid the groundwork for two distinctively different corporate divisions - Barnhardt Manufacturing Company and North Carolina Foam Industries. The cotton textile side of the company has broadened in scope, supplying cotton products to many new markets. The business that began by supplying cotton batting for cushioning material has developed into a major worldwide supplier of bleached cotton for medical, health and beauty aids, and nonwoven fabrics. The foam side of the business, North Carolina Foam Industries (NCFI), was started in 1964.