Fibreboard Company
The Fibreboard Company was founded in 1884 and established its first insulation plant in Emeryville, California. Incorporated in 1911, the firm continued to operate independently, manufacturing and distributing various wood-based insulation materials, many of which contained asbestos.
Asbestos-containing products, primarily consisting of cements, block insulations, and pipe coverings were produced until 1972. Some floor and roofing products manufactured and distributed by Fibreboard during this time also contained asbestos.
The corporation was acquired in 1976 by the Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, which owned it until 1988, when Fibreboard became an independent corporation again, while suffering record operating losses and facing tens of thousands of asbestos liability claims.
The company recovered significantly through the 1990s, posted good profits and paid approximately $3 billion in asbestos-related claims. Fibreboard was acquired in 1997 by the Owens-Corning Corporation, which assumed the company’s remaining asbestos liability and is addressing it through the trust.