Owens-Corning Fiberglas
Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation History
Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation was founded in 1938 as a joint venture between Corning Glass and Owens-Illinois. The company enjoyed tremendous success right from the onset, with first year sales of $2.5 million and more than 600 employees. The company was first traded publicly on the New York Stock Exchange in 1952. By the late 1970s, Owens-Corning Fiberglas had annual sales exceeding $2 billion. Those sales grew to more than $3 billion by the end of the 1980s. In 1996, the company renamed itself "Owens Corning" - dropping the Fiberglas moniker to reflect its broader product range and interests. Today, Owens Corning is at the forefront of glass fiber technology. They bill themselves as the world leaders in glass fiberization, and set the pace for new innovations in that industry.
Owens-Corning Products that Contained Asbestos
Owens-Corning Fiberglas manufactured and distributed several products that contained asbestos. Most notable was the popular "Kaylo" brand pipe covering and block insulation, which they sold from 1953 to 1973. Kaylo was used in commercial, residential and industrial insulation. Owens-Corning Fiberglas also sold One Cote Cement and Owens-Corning Fiberglas Insulating Cement - both asbestos-containing insulating cements that were sold in powdered form, the latter as early as the mid 1930s.
Products manufactured by Owens Corning that contained asbestos include (but are not necessarily limited to):
| Product | Years Manufactured |
|---|---|
| Owens Corning Kaylo Pipe Insulation | 1955-1975 (previously manufactured by Owens-Illinois 1946-1958) |
| Owens Corning Kaylo Heat Insulation | 1955-1975 |
| Owens Corning Kaylo Heat Insulating Block | 1955-19?? |
| Owens Corning One Cote Cement | 1962-1972 |
| Owens Corning Kaylo Laminated Panels | 1952-19?? |
| Kaylo Core Block and Pipe | 1953-1973 |
| Hy-lo | 1958-1972 |
| LK Insulation | 19??-1962 |
| Kaylo Pabco Division | 1960-1970 |
| Unarcoboard (renamed Fyrcor in 1971) | 1970-1972 |
| Unibestos | 1950s-19?? |
| OCF Mastic | 1944-1958 |
| OCF Type II Mastic | 1964-1978 |
| Fiberglass Sewn Blanket w/ Asbestos Paper Facing (OCF did not manufacture asbestos paper, but it was available as a special-order option) | 1938-1948 |
| Asbestos yarn ties (a special order option on fiberglass blankets) | 1938-1952 |
| Asbestos Finishing Cement | 1940-1949 |
Occupations at Risk for Asbestos Exposure
Owens-Corning asbestos-containing products enjoyed wide commercial success, which means workers in many industries potentially handled them and risked exposure to asbestos. Most at risk were workers that installed, handled and maintained pipe insulation: plumbers, boiler workers, construction laborers, insulators, and pipe fitters. Shipyard construction and repair workers and navy veterans who worked on warships particularly around boilers were also at risk for asbestos exposure from Owens-Corning Fiberglas pipe covering, block insulation and insulating cement. Anyone working in the same vicinity as workers in these occupations or directly with the products themselves could also be at risk for developing mesothelioma.
Recent News
In October of 2000, Owens Corning filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. They had tried for years to handle their significant asbestos liability without taking that step, but in the end decided such a move was in the best interest of their company, stockholders, and current and future claimants. A key provision of their plan to emerge from bankruptcy was the creation of a trust to manage and pay asbestos-related claims. That plan went into effect October 31, 2006. Workers and their families that were harmed due to direct or incidental contact with Owens Corning Fiberglas products are entitled to compensation from this trust. Early, Lucarelli, Sweeney and Strauss can help evaluate and process your claim with the Owens Corning Asbestos Trust.
