Established in 1871 in the large town of Rochdale in England’s Greater Manchester, Turner & Newall, became one of the first companies in the United Kingdom to turn asbestos into cloth.
In 1879, the company changed its name to Turner Brother Asbestos Company. The company proceeded to change its name several additional times: from Turner & Newall. In 1998, an entity in the United States purchased Turner & Newall. The entity, however, quickly found itself overcome by asbestos claims.
The company’s name changed again to Turner & Newall, though it continued to use asbestos until at least the 1970s. In 1998, an American company purchased Turner & Newall, but it was quickly overwhelmed with asbestos claims. As a result, Turner & Newall filed for bankruptcy in 2001. A trust fund was formed to compensate asbestos victims.
The History of Asbestos Usage and Turner & Newall
Immediately following its founding, Turner & Newall experienced substantial success. The company began manufacturing cotton-related products and cloth-based packaging. The company’s owners weaved fibers of asbestos into various products including cloth and became the first company in the United Kingdom to do so. Due to their profound success, the company changed its name to Turner Brother Asbestos Company in 1879.
The company widened its business offerings and began to participate in other industries. This included opening an asbestos cement manufacturing company shortly before the first World War. The plant became one of its best-known products.
Then, due to its expansion, Turner Brothers combined with the Washington Chemical Company as well as Newall’s Insulation Company and later merged with J.W. Roberts in 1920. Following this merger, the company adopted the name Turner & Newall.
While it removed asbestos from the company’s name, Turner & Newall. Despite removing the word,” asbestos,” from the company’s name, Turner & Newall remained focused on using the material in its manufacturing process.
In the 1930s, the company focused on expanding even further by acquiring the manufacturer Keasbey and Mattison, which made asbestos construction and motor vehicle parts.
Life at T&N and Asbestos Handling
Workers at T&N routinely underwent x-rays to assess the level of asbestos to which they had been exposed. Workers who displayed asbestos signs were moved to jobs deemed to have less duty.
At this point in time, the risks of asbestos were becoming clearly known. In the middle 1950s, research established a definite link between the material and cancer. T&N did not want this study to be published and later their own medical team published a baby to contradict these details.
The T&N Asbestos Trust Fund
Currently, the T&N Trust Fund compensates 8.5% of asbestos claims. T&N’s fund, which is a division of the larger Federal-Mogul Asbestos Personal Injury Trust Fund was created in 2007. Initially, the trust was funded with $635 million.
Contact an Experienced Mesothelioma Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-containing product manufactured by Turner & Newall, you should not hesitate to obtain the assistance of the Throneberry Law Group. Reach us today by calling (888) 506-1131.
