Wilmington, North Carolina

Located on the banks of the Cape Fear River, Wilmington serves as county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina and is the eighth most populous city in the United States. Wilmington was named after Spencer Compton, the Earl of Wilmington, who served as Prime Minister under King George II. The largest employers in Wilmington are Progress Energy, General Electric, Corning, Inc., and International Paper.

Wilmington’s location between the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Fear River attracted industry to the area since its founding in 1739. Leading up to the turn of the 20th century, Wilmington’s lumber industry and naval stores fueled local economy and before long the city had become a major Atlantic port city. In 1941, during the early days of World War II, the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company was developed on the east bank of the Cape Fear River by Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company. The new shipyard was located on 55 acres and had a total of six shipways. From 1941 through 1946, North Carolina Shipbuilding Company built 243 vessels including navy ships, liberty ships, attack cargo ships, amphibious force flagships, and ammunition ships. Other businesses attracted to Wilmington’s ideal industrial climate over the years are Allied Chemical, E.I. Dupoint De Nemours & Company, Gulf Oil Corp, and Hercules, Inc. Wilmington’s present-day industrial base includes electrical, medical, and electronic equipment; food processing; paper products; and pharmaceuticals. The tourism and film production markets also have a significant impact on local economy.

Over the years, the city of Wilmington has been home to numerous manufacturing and industrial jobsites where asbestos containing products were regularly used. Workers exposed to asbestos may be at risk to develop mesothelioma, a type of cancer. Asbestos attorneys may be able to assist you if you were exposed to asbestos in Wilmington and then diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Jobsites in Wilmington where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

A number of jobsites in Wilmington, NC have been identified as harboring asbestos containing materials. These sites, at one point in their history, were known to have exposed a variety of tradesmen to asbestos. We will be documenting in more detail how asbestos exposure occurred at these sites in the future on this web site.