Flintkote Company
The Flintkote Company was founded in 1901 and incorporated in Massachusetts in 1917. The company grew rapidly and by the 1920s Flintkote had expanded its sales to Europe. In the 1930s Flintkote opened plants in New York, New Jersey, Louisiana, Illinois and California.
In 1956, the company made a series of acquisitions, which allowed Flintkote to produce gypsum, pipes, paper products and additional types of asbestos and cement. By 1963 the company ran 147 plants, of which 21 were international.
The company produced water-resistant products, such as Hydralt protective coating. Flintkote also produced Thermalkote, which was used to cover insulation and was resistant to both water and weather. Thermalkote could also be used to seal boiler walls. Both of these products contained a large measure of asbestos.
As early as the 1920s, physicians recognized that exposure to asbestos caused severe sickness when asbestosis was identified by British medical journals. At the same time, insurance companies in the United States and Canada stopped selling life insurance to asbestos workers. Moreover, safer substitutes for most asbestos uses were known as early as the 1930s. Nevertheless, Flintkote chose to protect its substantial profit margins rather than discontinue use of the mineral. Flintkote used asbestos until the 1980s.
Asbestos fibers remain in a person’s lungs for years and symptoms may not develop for decades. Flintkote’s victims might live for decades without knowing of the deadly injury they sustained. Thus, thousands developed severe illness from Flintkote. Those most severely injured by Flintkote’s irresponsibility were the hard-working men and women employed in construction, factories, and as boilermakers and pipe fitters.
Thus, Flintkote faced many lawsuits as a result of its use of asbestos. Flintkote sold its construction, stone and cement products units in 1987 to raise capital. Still, the company entered bankruptcy protection in 2004. If you or a loved one has been injured by Flintkote, it is important that you contact The Gori Law Firm immediately for more information on your rights.