AC&S Asbestos Trust

1. Introduction & Background
   ACandS, Inc. was once one of the nation’s leading insulation contractors, working extensively in shipyards, refineries, chemical plants, and industrial facilities throughout the mid-20th century. Originally founded as the Armstrong Contracting and Supply Company, ACandS played a major role in constructing and maintaining high-temperature and high-pressure systems that required thermal insulation—a task that often relied heavily on asbestos-based materials.

One of the most hazardous products used by ACandS was sprayed Limpet asbestos, a friable, dust-producing insulation material manufactured by Keasbey & Mattison (K&M). ACandS was not only a licensed distributor of Limpet but also directly installed the product at thousands of industrial and commercial worksites across the United States. This role—both as a distributor and an installer—placed ACandS at the center of widespread occupational and secondary asbestos exposure. Workers who inhaled Limpet dust during installation or cleanup later developed serious health conditions, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.

Limpet asbestos was manufactured in at least two distinct formulations for the U.S. market—one using crocidolite and the other using amosite. Both crocidolite and amosite are amphibole asbestos minerals, considered significantly more carcinogenic than the more common chrysotile asbestos.

Despite growing evidence linking asbestos exposure to fatal diseases, ACandS continued using asbestos-containing products well into the 1970s and 1980s. As lawsuits mounted in the decades that followed, the company faced a growing wave of legal claims from injured workers and their families. Ultimately, the cost of settling and defending these claims drove ACandS to file for bankruptcy protection in 2002 in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, Case No. 02-12687.

As part of its Second Plan of Reorganization, ACandS established the ACandS Asbestos Settlement Trust in 2008. The Trust was created under Section 524(g) of the Bankruptcy Code to assume responsibility for the company’s present and future asbestos liabilities. Its purpose is to evaluate and pay valid asbestos-related claims in a fair and consistent manner, while ensuring that funds remain available for future claimants.

Today, the ACandS Asbestos Settlement Trust remains an important compensation source for individuals harmed by the company’s use and installation of asbestos-containing materials like Limpet. Understanding the company’s history, product involvement, and the structure of its Trust is critical for claimants navigating the compensation process.