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InnovationdrivesmattressindustrysupplierNCFIPolyurethanes
ByDorothyWhitcomb/November2014

Familyownedbusinesspioneerstheway
MattressindustrysupplierNCFIPolyurethaneswasamongthefirstinthebusinesstomanufactureflexible
andrigidpolyurethanefoams50yearsago.
TheMountAiry,NorthCarolinabasedcompanywasfoundedin1964asNorthCarolinaFoamIndustries
whenDr.HarrisW.AceBradleyandBarnhardtMfg.Co.,representedbyJacobO.Barnhardt,
spearheadedthepurchaseofflexibleurethanefoammanufacturingequipmentfromEssexWire,aMount
Airycompanyclosingupshop.
Barnhardtstartedincottonbattingthatwasusedforseatingandcushioning(includinginmattresses),
saysLewisBarnhardt,presidentandchiefoperatingofficeroftheCharlotte,NorthCarolinabasedparent
company.AsDacronandpolyurethaneweredeveloped,mygrandfatherandhisbrotherssawan
opportunitytoteamupwithAceBradleyandverticallyintegratetheirbusinessintothefurnitureindustry.
BRIEFLY
Company

NCFIPolyurethanes

Headquarters MountAiry,NorthCarolina

Specialty

Flexiblefoamsforthemattress,
bedding,furniture,transportation,
carpetingandpackaging
industries,aswellasrigidand
sprayfoamsfortheconstruction,
agriculturalandgeotechnical
industries.

Founded

StartedbyDr.HarrisW.Ace
BradleyandJacobO.Barnhardt
in1964.

Learnmore

www.ncfi.com

AtthehelmPicturedfromleftarecompanyleadersLewis
Barnhardt,chiefoperatingofficerofNCFIsparent,Barnhardt
Mfg.Co.SteveRiddle,presidentofNCFIChrisBradley,vice
presidentofsales,ConsumerProductsandChipHolton,
directorofoperations.

Bradleyturnedouttobeagoodmantohaveonyour
team.Arenownedchemist,hedevelopedflexible
polyurethanefoaminDuPontslaboratories.Priorto
that,heworkedduringWorldWarIIonthe
ManhattanProject,atopsecreteffortthatledtothedevelopmentoftheatomicbomb.

Bradleysidea:buytheequipment,rentthemanufacturingfacilityfromEssexWireandthenrehireallof
Essexsemployees.Withareadymadecustomerbaseandexperiencedemployees,thefledglingcompany
wouldbeofftoaroaringstart.
Thestrategyworked,anditsbeenawhirlwindofgrowtheversince,Barnhardtsays.
Earningaccolades
AnotherBradleyideafueledthecompanysearlygrowth.Hehadbegunworkingonamethodtostreamline
flexiblepolyurethanefoamproductionwhileworkingasaresearchchemistatbothDuPontandE.R.Carpenter
Co.,amultinationalfoamcushioningproducerbasedinRichmond,Virginia.

HecontinuedthatworkatNCFIand,in1964,perfectedtheOneShotflexiblefoammethod,acontinuous
productionprocessfrompolymerformationtofoamingthatbecametheindustrystandard.In2005,the
polyurethanesindustryrecognizedtheimportanceofthisinnovationbyinductingBradleyintoitsFlexiblePolyurethaneFoamHallofFame.
Today,executivesatNCFImaintainastudiedfocusoninnovation,nichemarketsandenvironmentalstewardship.NCFIremainscommittedtobringingitscustomers
aneverevolvingrangeoffoamsandtohelpingthemdeveloptheirowninnovativeproducts.
Inadditiontoflexiblefoams,whichthecompanysellstothemattress,furniture,transportation,carpetingandpackagingindustries,NCFIproducesrigidandspray
foams,whichhavewideapplicationsinmanyareas,includingtheconstruction,agriculturalandgeotechnicalindustries.Thiscategoryoffoamsalsohasgarnered
accoladesforthecompany.
Wewerechosenin1980tosupplythefoaminsulationforLockheedMartinsExternalTankProgramfortheU.S.SpaceShuttles,NCFIPresidentSteveRiddle
says.ThatwasthebeginningofalongrelationshipthatresultedinLockheedMartinawardingNCFIitsSupplierQualityExcellenceAwardin2010.
Itsrootsinscienceandinnovationhaveshapedthecompanyscorporateculture.Wevealwaysbeentechnologyorientedandinnovationdriven,Riddlesays.We
havesixchemistsonstaff,andthatsalotforacompanyoursize.Wekeepourfingeronthepulseofwhatsbeingdoneeverywhereandarecurrentlyresearching
graphiteasaflameretardantandworkingwithNaturalFoamsTechnology,anEnglishfirm,toputthehighestamountofrenewablecontentintoourfoams.
NCFIisaprivatelyheld,familyownedbusiness,andthat,too,hasshapeditsculture.Barnhardtsays:Weknowthateveryquarterisnotourlast,andthinkin20to
30yearincrements.Wedontdotheflavoroftheday.
Thecompanysemployeestendtothinklongtermaswell.AbouthalfofNCFIs299employeeshaveworkedforthecompanymorethan20yearsandseveralmuch
longerthanthat.
Iknowitsoundslikeaclich,Riddlesays,butweareemployeefocused.Thatfocusextendsfromlendingemployeesmoneyintimesofneedtotheobviouspride
bothRiddleandBarnhardttakeintheiremployeesinvolvementinsafetyinitiativesandjobdevelopment.
Thecompanysbusinessmodelisequallyfocused.Wedontwanttobeeverythingtoeverybody,Riddlesays.Wethinkintermsofniches(towhich)wecanbring
expertise.
Barnhardtsays:Oneofourstrengthsisthatwedmuchratherselltomanufacturersthatmakehighendqualityproducts.Wevetakenthephilosophyofgoingthe
extramiletodevelopthosecustomers.
Provenresults
Theapproachhaspaidoff.AnnualsalesatNCFIhavegrownabout5%yearoveryearforthelast10years.Riddleexpectstoseethatrateaccelerateinthenext
yearorso.Wethinkrecoveryinthefurnitureandmattressandbeddingindustrieswilldriveourannualsalesupby6%to7%.

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ChrisBradleyisvicepresidentofsalesforNCFIsConsumerProductsDivision,whichsellstothe
mattress,furniture,aviation,athleticandmedicalindustries.(HeisnotrelatedtoAceBradley.)
(Mattressesandbeddingaccessories)havebeenourfastestgrowingsegmentforthelastthreeyears
20%yearoveryear,hesays.
Thatgrowthcomesinpart,Bradleysays,fromastrategicdecisionwemadetofocusoncompaniesand
applicationsthatinvolvecompletedfoamcoresratherthanfoamasacomponentininnerspring
mattresses.ThishasallowedNCFItodevelopstrategicpartnershipswithcompaniesthatwanttodevelop
theirownfoambeds.
BecauseNCFIpouredmorethan220typesoffoamthisyear,itcouldaddressavarietyofcustomer
needs.

AbunintheovenTrademarkedVxGelMemoryFoam
pillowsarecutfromaCNCmachine.

Becausewepour,cutandglue,wehavetheabilitytocombinemultipleproductsintoonemattresscore,
Bradleysays.Whencustomersdescribewhattheywant,wecangivethemfivetosixoptionsto

consider.
Thisflexibilityalsoappealstothecompanysmanyretailcustomers.NCFIproducesmattressesandmattresspadsforbigboxchainsandInternetmerchants.
Atremendouspartofourgrowthcomesfrompartnerswhosellcompressedmattressesthatareshippedalloverthecountry,Bradleysays.
Thecompanysgelinfusedmemoryfoamspurredthatgrowth.Becausethegelisintroducedintothepreblendprocess,itdoesnotflakeout,Bradleysays,resulting
inaproductthathasawidetemperaturerangeandbehavesasitshould.
Environmentalmission
NCFIsnewestproduct,BioLuxMax5,setsanewstandardforbiobasedcontentinflexiblefoam.Fiftythreepercentofthenewfoamiscomposedofsoyorpalmoil,
anachievementthatearnedittheU.S.DepartmentofAgriculturesCertifiedBiobasedProductlabel.ItisthefirstU.S.producedfoamtoreceivethatdesignation.
(Seestoryonpage45.)
Reducingenergyconsumptionandcarbonemissionsandworkingtowardgreatersustainabilityhavebeenpartofourprocesssincetheearly1990s,Bradleysays.
WeveconsistentlymaximizedtherenewablecontentinourBioLuxproductlineandthatdoesntstopwith53%real,significantrenewablecontentthatour
customerscanshowtheirconsumers.
NCFIscommitmenttoenvironmentalstewardshipearnedthecompanytheEPAsStratosphericOzoneProtectionAward.Riddlesays:TheEPAawardsaysthat
westandoutasoneofthebestU.S.companieswhenitcomestoeliminatingemissionsofozonedepletingsubstances.Ithasalwaysbeenpartofourmissionto
leaveasbigamarkaswecanwithourqualityandprocesseswhileleavingassmallafootprintaswecan.
NCFIpoursandfabricatesflexiblefoamatits500,000squarefootMountAiryfacility.Thecompanys100,000squarefootplantinHickory,NorthCarolina,isusedto
makecushioningcomponentsforupholsteredfurnitureandpillowsforbedding.
Scrapmaterialfrombothplantsissenttothecompanys100,000squarefootplantinDalton,Georgia,whereitisgroundupandrecycledintocarpetunderlayment.A
fourthfacilityinSaltLakeCityisusedforproducingrigidandsprayfoams.
NCFIsfocusoninnovationandinsistenceonqualityhavepaidoffinyetanotherway.Wehaveacustomerreturnrateonourcompressedmattressesoflessthan
2%,whichisfantasticintheindustry,Bradleysays.
Whatsahead
AlthoughNCFIexecutivesareconfidentabouttheircompanyspotentialforcontinuedgrowth,they
recognizethatcontinuingchallengesmustbemet.Theconsolidationofthemattressindustryhas
decreasedtheirpoolofcustomers,Riddlesays,becausemorepeoplearepouringtheirownfoam.
Riddlealsobelievesthatitisimportanttocarefullyevaluatenewmaterialsastheybecomeavailable.You
havetobecarefulaboutexaggeratedclaimsthatpeoplemakeaboutgel,gelfoamsandothermaterials.
Wehavetohaveobjectiveevidence,hesays.
LewisBarnhardtseeschangesintheregulatoryenvironmentasparticularlychallenging.Wehaveaguy
whospends50%ofhistimeingroupsdiscussingchemicalindustryissueslikeoffgassing,hesays.
Bothbelievethattheircompanybringssignificantadvantagestoitsmarket,however.
BarnhardtManufacturinghasbeeninbusinessfor115years,Barnhardtsays.Wehavelongterm
relationshipsandrespectintheindustryasanethicalcompetitorandsupplychainpartner.Thats
invaluable.

ReviveGelFusionNCFIsnewgelextrusionlinefusesgeland
polyurethanefoamintoasinglepart.

Riddleseesthecompanyslongtermfocus,coupledwiththeflexibilityinherentinbeingprivatelyheld,assignificantstrengths.IcancallLewisandsaythatIneed
todosomethingandhaveadecisioninanhourandIdonthavetomeet(theexpectations)ofaquarterlyfocus,hesays.
Intheend,bothbelieve,itsallaboutpassion.Ourcustomers,employeesandsupplychainpartnersarethepassionthatfuelthisorganization,Barnhardtsays.

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