Bondex International

Bondex International History of Asbestos Use

Bondex International began as a small brand in St. Louis, Missouri in 1959. The building products were a success among those in the construction industry and those looking to complete do-it-yourself projects. The fast-growing brand caught the eye of Republic Powdered Metals, which specialized in protective coatings and other industrial maintenance products. Bondex’s parent company Reardon Co. was purchased by Republic Powdered Metals, now known as RPM Inc. in 1966. This acquisition gave RPM Inc. control of Bondex, which was the Ohio-based company’s first foray into more consumer-focused products.

Additionally, Bondex was the company’s first acquisition. RPM Inc. would continue to acquire smaller companies including Rust-Oleum Corporation and DAP Products Inc. in an effort to increase its presence in the building materials market. Some of the companies RPM Inc. acquired were also known to have included asbestos in their products. Bondex used asbestos in its products before and after RPM Inc. acquired the brand, with certain products containing the mineral through 1981. DAP also used asbestos in some products until 1977.

Unfortunately, Bondex’s decades-long asbestos use exposed countless Americans to the toxin, leading to mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Because of these diagnoses, thousands of people began to file claims against Bondex, leading to its 2010 bankruptcy.

Bondex Asbestos Personal Injury Trust Fund

The Bondex Asbestos Personal Injury Trust was formally established under the company’s Chapter 11 reorganization plan, which was confirmed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.

The trust was funded with initial cash and additional scheduled payments totaling approximately $797.5 million. These funds were designated to compensate current and future asbestos claimants. The trust began accepting claims on July 1, 2016.

All asbestos trust funds pay a set percentage of each claim filed against it to ensure there are adequate funds for future claimants.

Most Recent Information From the Bondex Asbestos Personal Injury Trust

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

• More than 1,200 Bondex Asbestos Personal Injury Trust claims were paid.
• The trust paid approximately $30.6 million in Bondex asbestos claims.
• Approximately $436,300 was reported in settled but unpaid claims.
• The trust has approximately $575.43 million in total assets.
• The trust has paid approximately 14,700 Bondex asbestos claims since it was established.
• The trust has paid approximately $413.3 million to asbestos victims since it was established.

Current Bondex Asbestos Personal Injury Trust Payment Percentage

The current payment percentage is 29.5% for the Bondex Asbestos Personal Injury Trust. At a payment percentage of 29.5%, the current payout on a Bondex Expedited Review claim for mesothelioma is $23,600.

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

An experienced asbestos lawyer will evaluate the injured party’s case to determine the appropriate review process when submitting a Bondex asbestos trust claim. A sample of Bondex claims filed between 2023 and 2025 indicated that approximately 100% of claims were filed under the Individual Review (IR) process and 0% of claims were filed under the Expedited Review (ER) process.

• Expedited Review Process: Bondex claims filed under the ER process will have a streamlined review from the trust based on the medical and exposure requirements outlined in the Trust Distribution Procedures. Approved claims will receive the standard scheduled value based on the diagnosed disease level.
• Individual Review Process: Filing Bondex claims using the IR process may result in receiving a higher payment. Exposure, medical and personal records submitted with these claims undergo a thorough evaluation to determine an individual liquidated value. IR filing is required for certain lung cancer cases and secondary exposure.

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

Bondex International Asbestos Products

Bondex International made asbestos-containing products beginning in 1959. These products were produced under both Reardon Co. and RPM Inc. Asbestos was a known carcinogen as early as the 1920s. However, Bondex and its parent companies continued to use the cheap additive through the 1980s.

Asbestos is known to have been included in Bondex’s joint compound, texture paint, topping cement and roof cement, among others.

In addition to the Bondex brand name, Bondex International asbestos products were sold at:

• Reardon
• Trax
• Dramex
• Wards (through Montgomery Ward retailers)
• Penncraft (through JCPenney retailers)

Bondex International and Occupational Exposure

Bondex International was initially conceived as a do-it-yourself brand aimed at homeowners for repair jobs. However, the asbestos-containing products have also been the source of occupational asbestos exposure.

All employees working on the manufacture of Bondex brand products may have been exposed to asbestos during their regular job duties. Construction workers, including drywall tapers, masons and others, may have also used the asbestos-containing products while at their jobsites.

Today, demolition and construction workers may still be exposed to Bondex asbestos products when working on older homes, schools and public buildings.

Asbestos Litigation Against Bondex International

RPM Inc. started having asbestos-related litigation issues in the 1980s. By 2003, these asbestos claims had exhausted the available insurance coverage. Before 2003, insurance covered approximately 90% of Bondex's asbestos-related costs.

In the years that followed the end of the insurance payments, RPM Inc. was drowning in asbestos-related expenses. From 2005 through 2009, Bondex and Specialty Products Holding Corp., one of the other RPM subsidiaries that used asbestos, had asbestos costs between $60 million and $82 million each year. In 2000, when insurance was still making payments, they spent only $8.2 million on their asbestos litigation costs.

In 2010, without the assistance of the insurance payments, the burden of the asbestos-related costs led RPM Inc. to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy for its Bondex unit. At the time of filing, there were more than 10,000 asbestos lawsuits filed against Bondex International. That same year, a chief executive for RPM Inc. said the company had paid out more than $600 million to Bondex asbestos victims in the previous eight years alone.

Bondex’s bankruptcy reorganization established an asbestos trust fund to compensate current and future claimants. The trust also addressed liability for asbestos claims involving Bondex and Specialty Products Holding Corp.