History of the Asbestos Business and Industry
Asbestos use in the United States dates back to the late 1800s. It was cheap, durable and fire-resistant. These properties led many companies to incorporate the mineral into processes and products. This trend continued until the dangers of asbestos became well known nearly a century later.
Many companies learned of the link between asbestos and health problems decades before the public at large. It took public and regulatory pressure to get most companies to finally stop using the mineral.
A variety of industries relied on asbestos, including:
- Asbestos suppliers: These companies sold asbestos to other companies.
- Mining companies: These companies mined the mineral and sold it to suppliers. The last asbestos mine in the United States closed in 2002.
- Product manufacturers: These companies made products that incorporated asbestos materials.
- Product users: These companies used products that contained asbestos. Construction companies fall into this category.
- Sellers and distributors: These companies sold asbestos products. Auto parts stores and building supply warehouses fall into this category.
During the asbestos heyday, a few notable companies built thriving businesses from asbestos products. One of the best known of these companies is Johns-Manville. It operated asbestos mines and produced asbestos construction materials. Similarly, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) sold asbestos-contaminated talcum powder products for years. Companies like these now face asbestos lawsuits because their products hurt and killed people.
People from all walks of life and occupations came into contact with asbestos in the workplace and in the home. Blue-collar workers and veterans are among those most likely to have been in contact with asbestos.
Being exposed can cause workers to develop asbestos diseases, such as lung cancer and mesothelioma. Individuals exposed to asbestos at work may be eligible for compensation.
Resources for Mesothelioma Patients
List of Most Common Asbestos Defendants
People diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases may file lawsuits to seek compensation. The companies listed below are commonly named in litigation due to the widespread use of their asbestos products. They are considered viable defendants, or companies financially capable of withstanding a lawsuit.
Asbestos companies often settle mesothelioma lawsuits before they go to trial. However, some may defend asbestos lawsuits until the end of the legal process.
Most of the companies listed here are still financially solvent and in operation today.
- A.W. Chesterton Company
- Advance Auto Parts
- Alcoa Corporation
- Alfa Laval Inc.
- Allied Signal Inc.
- American Biltrite
- American Cyanamid Company
- American Olean Tile Company
- American Optical
- American Standard Inc.
- Anchor Packing Company
- Armstrong International Inc.
- Arthur H. Thomas Company
- Atlantic Richfield Company
- Aurora Pump Company
- Avon Products Inc.
- Bath Iron Works
- Bechtel Corporation
- Bell & Gossett
- Bergen Tile & Linoleum Co.
- Bestobell Steam Traps
- Bethlehem Steel Corporation
- Bird Corporation
- Blodgett Corporation
- Boise Cascade Corporation
- Borg-Warner Automotive Inc.
- Buffalo Pumps Inc.
- Burnham Corporation
- Chattem Inc.
- Chevron and Texaco
- Cleaver-Brooks Company
- Colgate-Palmolive
- Connecticut Light and Power Company
- Crown Cork & Seal Company
- DAP Inc.
- De Laval Steam Turbine
- Deere & Company
- Dow Chemical Company
- Dupont Company
- Ericsson Inc.
- Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
- FMC Corporation
- Ford Motor Company
- Foseco Inc.
- Foster Wheeler Corporation
- Gardner Denver Inc.
- General Dynamics Electric Boat
- General Electric (GE)
- Gould’s Pumps Inc.
- Hamilton Manufacturing Company
- Hollingsworth & Vose Company
- Hysol Aerospace Corporation
- IBM (Endicott)
- Ingersoll-Rand Company
- International Paper Company
- J.H. France Refractories Co. Inc.
- John Crane Inc.
- Johnson & Johnson (LTL Management LLC)
- Kelly-Moore Paints
- Kewaunee Scientific Corporation
- Kraft Foods
- Labconco
- Longo Labs
- Metalclad Insulation Corporation
- Milwaukee Valve Company LLC
- Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing (3M)
- Mobil Oil Corporation (ExxonMobil)
- Monsanto
- National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA)
- P&H Mining Equipment Inc.
- Pfizer
- Procter & Gamble
- Riley Stoker Corporation
- R.T. Vanderbilt Company
- Shell Oil Company
- Sherwin-Williams Company
- Sid Harvey Industries Inc.
- Spirax Sarco Inc.
- Syd Carpenter Marine Contractor Inc.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific
- Trane U.S. Inc.
- Union Carbide Corporation
- Uniroyal Holding Inc.
- United States Steel Corporation
- Viking Pump Inc.
- Warren Pumps
- Weil-McLain Company
- Western Electric
- Westinghouse Electric Corporation
List of Bankrupt Asbestos Companies
Companies that face extensive litigation over asbestos exposure may declare bankruptcy. They may do this because of the overwhelming litigation costs, loss of business or the cost of stopping asbestos use. During bankruptcy proceedings, many companies create trust funds to provide compensation to present and future asbestos victims.
The companies listed below have all filed for bankruptcy and established trust funds. To make a claim on one of these asbestos bankruptcy trusts, claimants must meet the fund’s eligibility requirements. An asbestos lawyer can determine if you are eligible to file a claim.
- A-Best
- A.P. Green Industries
- A.P.I. Inc of Minnesota
- ABB Lummus
- Abex Corporation
- AC&S
- Aldrich Pump LLC & Murray Boiler LLC/Trane U.S. Inc.
- Allis-Chalmers
- Amatex Corporation
- Armstrong World Industries
- ASARCO LLC
- Babcock & Wilcox
- Bestwall LLC/Georgia-Pacific Corporation
- Bondex International
- Burns & Roe Group
- CE Thurston
- Celotex Corporation
- CertainTeed Corporation
- Combustion Engineering
- Congoleum
- Daimler Chrysler
- Dana Corporation
- Durabla Manufacturing Company
- Duro Dyne Corporation
- E. J. Bartells Company
- Eagle-Picher Industries
- Federal Mogul
- Flexitallic
- The Flintkote Company
- Forty-Eight Insulations
- GAF Corporation
- Garlock Sealing Technologies
- General Motors
- H. K. Porter Company
- Halliburton Company
- Harbison-Walker Refractories Company
- Hercules Chemical Company
- Imerys*
- Johns-Manville
- J. T. Thorpe Inc.
- Kaiser Aluminum
- Kaiser Gypsum Company Inc.
- Keene Corporation
- Kentile Floors
- Leslie Controls Inc.
- Maremont Corporation
- NARCO/Honeywell
- National Gypsum
- Oakfabco Inc.
- Owens-Corning Fiberglas
- Owens Corning/Fibreboard Corporation
- Owens-Illinois Inc.
- Pacor
- Paddock Enterprises LLC
- Pittsburgh Corning
- Plant Insulation Company
- Plibrico
- Porter-Hayden
- Quigley Company
- Rapid American
- Raytech Corporation
- Rock Wool Manufacturing Company
- Sepco Corporation
- Shook & Fletcher
- Synkoloid Company
- T.H. Agriculture and Nutrition LLC
- Thorpe Insulation Co.
- Turner & Newall
- Tyler Pipe / Swan Transportation
- Unarco
- U.S. Gypsum Company
- United Gilsonite Laboratories
- United States Mineral Products Company
- W.R. Grace
- Western MacArthur
- Yarway Corporation
*This company is in the process of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and creating an asbestos trust fund.
Though peak asbestos use occurred several decades ago, some companies are just now in the process of creating bankruptcy trusts. For example, in 2021, J&J created a subsidiary called LTL Management LLC to handle talcum powder claims. This subsidiary immediately filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and said it would fund its trust with $2 billion. Courts have rejected this bankruptcy plan twice, citing J&J’s ample financial resources.
List of Other Asbestos Defendants
Hundreds of companies used asbestos. Many of them willfully covered up their usage for many years. As a result, it may be difficult for asbestos-exposure victims to remember all of them. An experienced asbestos law firm can help patients uncover possible companies responsible for their exposure.
Common Questions About Asbestos Companies
- Can asbestos companies be held accountable for asbestos exposure?
Companies can be held responsible for asbestos exposure that results in disease or death. An experienced asbestos law firm can help victims pursue legal remedies. Potential options include lawsuits, settlements and trust fund claims. Asbestos lawyers can explain which choices may be best for you.
- Do companies still use asbestos?
Asbestos use in the U.S. has been restricted since the 1980s but isn’t fully banned. Many companies’ old asbestos products are still in use today, too. These products pose health risks to workers and the general public.
- Is asbestos used in the United States today?
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not yet fully banned asbestos. Some forms can still be legally imported. But the agency recently banned chrysotile asbestos. At the time of the ban, it was the only form of asbestos currently used or imported in the country.
Asbestos use and importation have been declining for years. But the EPA’s recent actions are an important step toward a true end to asbestos use in the United States.
