COLRAIN — Barnhardt Manufacturing Co. has announced its Main Road plant will cease operations at the end of January, laying off all 31 employees in the process.

Company President Lewis Barnhardt said in a statement Tuesday that “business loss and other costs beyond our control” make it financially unfeasible to keep the purification plant in Colrain’s Griswoldville village operational.

“We have enjoyed being a part of the Colrain community for the last 15 years,” he said. “Our plan is to close the plant by Feb. 1, 2023.”

The cotton bleaching company reportedly informed its workers of the news on Monday and representatives met with Town Administrator Kevin Fox the following morning to discuss the decision.

“I was somewhat surprised. I hadn’t gotten wind about it at all,” Fox said around 11:30 a.m., about an hour after meeting with Barnhardt representatives. “They were surprised I didn’t know, but I didn’t.”

Fox said he was told that some workers would remain on site at 247 Main Road after Jan. 31 to complete work necessary to shutter the facility that has operated under Barnhardt’s management since 2007. The building previously housed Fiberweb, a natural fiber business.

Barnhardt Manufacturing Co., based in North Carolina, is a family-owned business that was founded in 1900 by Thomas M. Barnhardt to produce layered batting from unbleached cotton fibers. At the time, this cotton batting was used as a cushioning product for furniture, horse collars, buggy seats, quilts and comforters. Today, the business is run by the fourth generation of Barnhardts, with the facility processing raw cotton for use as hygienic material in medical and personal products.

According to Paula Harrison, Colrain’s treasurer and collector, Barnhardt’s tax bill for fiscal year 2023 (July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023) is $59,117. Fox said he believes Barnhardt is the largest private employer in Colrain.

Barnhardt’s announcement comes more than three years after a sulphuric acid leak from the Main Road plant on Sept. 1, 2019, reportedly killed at least 270,000 fish, including rare species. The company pledged to improve its site infrastructure across all areas of operation and, about two years later, agreed to pay nearly $1.5 million in settlements for the incident.

“We are committed to continuously improving our impact on the environment and look forward to sharing our progress on this journey with the community in the coming year,” company spokesperson Jennifer Bright said in a statement in September 2020.

Barnhardt notified the state Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) at about 8 a.m. on Sept. 1, 2019, that its employees had discovered a leak about two hours prior and worked immediately to stop it. MassDEP was told the tank was in containment and there was no release to the environment, but it was later realized the leak sprayed outside the tank’s containment structure, hitting a drainage swale and causing runoff into the North River. Containment of affected soils and a cleanup were conducted after this discovery.

Barnhardt later apologized for the incident.

The sulphuric acid spill frustrated area residents and about 15 people took to the bridge over the North River in Colrain with signs and banners a week later to express their disappointment. The demonstrators convened on the bridge before walking to Barnhardt for a brief silent protest across the street.

Fox mentioned sewage from 19 households in Colrain is sent to the Main Road facility for processing. Therefore, one of the biggest challenges now is figuring out septic solutions for the people affected.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.

]]>