Owens Corning/Fibreboard Corporation

Owens Corning/Fibreboard Corporation History of Asbestos Use

Owens Corning began after a failed Owens-Illinois experiment. The company was attempting to find ways to melt glass rods. Although the experiment did not achieve its original purpose, an Owens-Illinois scientist created a very fine glass fiber. These glass fibers sparked a joint project between Owens-Illinois and Corning Glass Works.

Owens Corning was so successful that by 1949 Owens-Illinois and Corning Glass Works were accused of monopolizing the fiberglass market. As a result, the two parent companies were forced to relinquish control of Owens Corning. The company went public in 1952.

It was around this time that Owens Corning began using asbestos in its products. These asbestos-containing products were produced at Owens Corning plants in:

• California
• Georgia
• Indiana
• Texas

Owens Corning opened its Santa Clara, California, facility in 1949 before further expanding into California in early 1972. The additional factory in Bakersfield may have also briefly used asbestos prior to Owens Corning ending all asbestos use that same year.

Owens Corning prospered in the 1970s and 1980s. It held market share in not only the fiberglass building materials space it started in, but also ventured into other areas, like aerospace. This prosperity was in part due to its marketing strategies. It used the Pink Panther cartoon in its advertisements and even trademarked the color pink, the first time a company has trademarked a color.

However, its success did not last forever. In 1986, Owens Corning had insurmountable debt from overspending in research. By 1990, it was forced to borrow billions of dollars and restructure the company. As the company was working through restructuring, including massive layoffs and shuttering of plants across the country, Owens Corning also began seeing the consequences of its asbestos use. The company was named in numerous asbestos-related lawsuits stemming from its nearly 20 years of asbestos use.

In 1997, in the midst of asbestos litigation, Owens Corning acquired Fibreboard Corporation. At the time, the company was a leader in vinyl siding and other building materials. Fibreboard Corporation also had a history of asbestos use, which resulted in further asbestos claims against Owens Corning.

Despite its economic struggles for some time, the company has since continued to grow as a major player in the building materials market. The company no longer uses asbestos fibers in its products, though continues to see repercussions from past asbestos use. In 2018, Owens Corning consolidated net sales were more than $7.1 billion.

Fibreboard Asbestos Trust Fund

Owens Corning/Fibreboard Corporation filed for bankruptcy in October 2000 due to the extensive cost of asbestos litigation. As part of the bankruptcy proceedings, an asbestos trust fund was required to be established. As a result, the company set aside funds to form the Owens Corning/Fibreboard Corporation Asbestos Personal Injury Trust.

Included within this trust is the Fibreboard Asbestos Personal Injury Trust subfund, which began accepting claims on August 27, 2007. The subfund was initially funded with $1.56 billion.

Most Recent Information From the Fibreboard Asbestos Personal Injury Trust

According to the trust’s year-end 2025 report, as of December 31, 2025:

• Approximately 19,650 Fibreboard Asbestos Personal Injury Trust claims were paid.
• The trust paid approximately $19.55 million in Fibreboard asbestos claims.
• Approximately $660,000 was reported in settled but unpaid claims.
• The trust has approximately $260.1 million in total assets.
• The trust has paid approximately 456,520 Fibreboard asbestos claims since it was established.
• The trust paid approximately $1.43 billion to asbestos victims since it was established.

Current Fibreboard Asbestos Personal Injury Trust Payment Percentage

The current payment percentage is 3.5% for the Fibreboard Asbestos Personal Injury Trust. At a payment percentage of 3.5%, the current payout on a Fibreboard Expedited Review claim for mesothelioma is $4,725.

Determining Review Process When Filing a Fibreboard Asbestos Personal Injury Trust Claim

An experienced asbestos lawyer will review the injured party’s information to determine the appropriate review process for filing a Fibreboard asbestos trust claim. A sample of Fibreboard claims filed between 2023 and 2025 indicated that approximately 76% of claims were filed under the Expedited Review (ER) process. Approximately 24% of Fibreboard claims were filed using the Individual Review (IR) process.

• Expedited Review Process: Fibreboard claims meeting all medical and exposure requirements outlined in the Trust Distribution Procedures can be filed under the ER process for a streamlined review. These claims will receive the standard scheduled value based on the diagnosed disease level.
• Individual Review Process: Fibreboard claims submitted under the IR process undergo a thorough evaluation of exposure, medical and personal records to determine an individual liquidated value. IR is required for certain lung cancer and certain secondary exposure claims. Secondary exposure claims involving mesothelioma may use either ER or IR.

The trust remains active and continues to accept Fibreboard asbestos claims. Payment amounts vary based on diagnosis, age, exposure history and other claim-specific factors. Claimants can learn how a mesothelioma lawyer can help.

Owens Corning/Fibreboard Corporation Asbestos Products

Owens Corning used asbestos in its products from 1953 until 1972. During this time, the company labeled these asbestos-containing products as “non-toxic.” However, other companies and researchers had already discovered and made it known that asbestos was a toxic mineral. For instance, one historical asbestos study connected the mineral to mesothelioma definitively in 1960. Unfortunately, many manufacturers, including Owens Corning, continued adding asbestos to their products to increase durability and resistance to heat and fire. Asbestos-containing products made by Owens Corning included insulation, cement and adhesive, among others.

Upon acquiring Fibreboard Corporation in 1997, Owens Corning also took on liability for the company’s past asbestos use. Fibreboard Corporation included asbestos fibers in the production of its flooring and insulation. The Fibreboard Corporation asbestos-containing products were marketed under the name PABCO.

Owens Corning/Fibreboard Corporation and Occupational Exposure

The popularity of Owens Corning products skyrocketed as soon as they hit the market in 1938. This demand for its goods not only required a large staff but also led to its asbestos-containing products being used nationwide.

Those who worked for Owens Corning from 1953 to 1972 may have been exposed to asbestos while on the job. Construction workers, insulators and military personnel, among others, may have also been exposed to Owens Corning asbestos-containing products on jobsites across the country.

By the 1980s, Owens Corning employed nearly 30,000 people. Employees who handled or worked near asbestos-containing products before the company ended asbestos use may have been exposed. Today, Owens Corning employs approximately 25,000 people worldwide.

Asbestos Litigation Against Owens Corning/Fibreboard Corporation

Owens Corning leadership maintains that it sold no more than 1% of all asbestos-related products. However, the company’s asbestos use has been found to have caused asbestos-related diseases in thousands of people.

The first asbestos-related lawsuit was filed against Owens Corning in 1978. The landmark case was brought by two individuals diagnosed with asbestosis. The workers filed the class action lawsuit on behalf of more than 5,000 other workers who were also exposed to Owens Corning asbestos-containing products. The case resulted in huge settlement payouts for the claimants. Most notably, the three New York asbestos victims in the case were awarded $18 million each. People exposed to Owens Corning asbestos products can learn how a mesothelioma lawyer can help.

In 1996, Owens Corning attempted to mitigate its mounting debt by contesting one-third of the asbestos claims filed against it. However, by 2000, Owens Corning/Fibreboard Corporation was driven to bankruptcy by the 243,000 asbestos-related claims it faced.