Plibrico Company

First known as the Pliable Brick Company, the Plibrico Company was founded in 1914. Plibrico’s founder was an innovator in the field of refractory materials. He recognized the potential for custom-designed materials and on-site installation. The company manufactured aluminosilicate and high alumina monolithic refractories. For some time, the company also used asbestos due to the material’s heat resistant and durable nature.

For over a century, Plibrico has manufactured refractory products for both industrial and thermal uses. The company’s use of asbestos extends from the 1950s to the 1970s.

Over the last few decades, the company has ranked routinely as one of the biggest monolithic refractories in the country.

Plibrico’s CEO announced in 2019 that the company was entering a new European partnership as it expanded throughout 12 countries.

Produced in both Illinois and Ohio, Plibrico’s firebrick products are one of the most common asbestos-containing products manufactured by the company. Some of the workers known to have been exposed to asbestos at these locations include boiler workers, insulators, furnace operators, and pipefitters. Asbestos threads, however, are known to travel and can end up in the lungs of anyone who goes near them which includes factory workers who do not directly handle asbestos.

Some of the products manufactured by Plibrico known to contain asbestos include Airlite, boiler wall, insulating block, and insulating cement.

The majority of Plibrico’s asbestos lawsuits occurred in the 1980s and 1990s. These costly lawsuits continued into the 2000s. In 2001, Plibrico was a defendant in a notable case involving a New Jersey Steamfitters Union. These as well as other class actions led the company to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2002. 

After emerging from bankruptcy, the Plibrico Company established the Plibrico 524(g) Trust which is also known as the Plibrico Asbestos Trust. The trust addresses asbestos claims against the company on a first-in-first-out basis. The current payment percent of the Plibrico Trust is 1.36%, which is one of the lowest amounts paid by any asbestos trust.

Asbestos lawsuits against Plibrico were first brought against the company in the 1980s and 1990s but lasted into the 2000s. Over the years, the company has been involved in countless asbestos lawsuits.

In 2001, Plibrico was named along with various other companies in a lawsuit brought on behalf of the union of New Jersey Local 475 Steamfitters.

The company was also unnamed in a lawsuit initiated by a patient who had been diagnosed with mesothelioma. The case led the court to state that public and private factors associated with asbestos lawsuits make them nationally important.

Regardless of whether you are a former Plibrico worker or were exposed to asbestos-containing products manufactured by the company in the other way, you should remember that you have a right to pursue compensation. Contact the Throneberry Law Group today to schedule a free case evaluation.