It takes a lot of work and processing to bring raw, field cotton from the farmland to our homes, in its final form in a variety of products ranging from clothing and linens to nonwoven products like feminine hygiene and baby care.
In the course of reading about cotton at any point in the supply and distribution chain, you’ll often see the term “bale” referenced, as a unit for referencing cotton. In today’s article, we’ll take an in-depth look at cotton bales. Continue reading
As the 2018 cotton crop comes to a close, the overriding theme continues to be the trade showdown with China. On any given day, one might hear that trade talks are moving forward, and the very next day we hear that the trade talks are stalled or are even closed. The only thing that’s clear is that Sino-American trade talks are volatile, and both the US and China are trying to better their perceived position. Continue reading
The Barnhardt Manufacturing team visited Orlando last month for Hygienix 2018, the premier industry meeting for the absorbent hygiene and personal care markets.
More and more in the marketplace, consumers see a variety of cotton products across multiple product categories. In the last decade, we’ve seen a rise in products marketed as made with organic cotton.
Since cotton is a natural fiber, what makes organic cotton any different? Here are the facts about organic cotton that you need to know. Continue reading
In one of our articles from this past summer, we discussed several influences on the price of cotton worldwide, including the commodities markets and several factors related to the grading and classification of cotton based on quality.
Among the factors considered for measuring quality and determining class in a universal sense that’s unbiased by the application were color, uniformity, leaf, staple length, micronaire, strength, and trash content (bark, leaf, and other extraneous matter). For some market applications, such as certain types of fine, expensive clothing, all of these factors may be important. But for other applications, such as those marketed by nonwoven manufacturers, some factors have more importance than those in knitting of woven fabrics.
Let’s take a look at the factors that most affect the quality of cotton in nonwoven fabrics. Continue reading
As environmental sustainability continues to advance in the business world, we are all confronted with a fresh array of industry vernacular to understand. You may have run across the term, life cycle assessment, or its short form, LCA. Just what is life cycle assessment, and how is it affecting cotton? Continue reading
In a recent post “What Determines the Price of Cotton,” we discussed how cotton’s value or price is determined by a variety of factors, but perhaps most of all by how it’s graded according to USDA standards for classification.
The USDA uses standardized procedures for evaluating the physical attributes of raw cotton in order to provide buyers with a clear expectation of the quality of a specific bale of cotton for marketing and processing purposes. This process determines the value of a bale of cotton based on a set of predetermined criteria, such as fiber length, length uniformity, color, strength, micronaire, leaf grade, and extraneous matter. Continue reading
The cotton industry in the United States, led by trade groups like National Cotton Council of America, Cotton USA, and Cotton Incorporated, is implementing a 10-year sustainability plan with support across the supply chain from producers, ginners, warehousers, merchants, cottonseed crushers, cooperatives, and manufacturers like Barnhardt.
As is always the case with a natural product such as cotton, there are important times during the growing season that will determine the outcome of the crop. In many areas of the country, the blooms are on the plant, meaning that the cotton boll will soon appear. Some areas of the US are still looking for timely rainfall, while others only want good heat from the sun and very little rain. Clearly, the weather is out of our control, so let’s break down what the US crop is looking like as some areas of the country, such as the Corpus Christi area of Texas, are beginning the harvest, picking, ginning, and classing their cotton. Continue reading
Since 1929, Barnhardt Manufacturing has led the market in manufacturing purified cotton. Leadership of this longevity requires a commitment to innovation, and responding to customer needs and market demands. Continue reading