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Johns-Manville plant at Manville, New Jersey

Johns-Manville's plant at Manville, New Jersey, was dedicated in 1912, according to a 1962 history in J-M News Pictorial, the company's employee magazine: "On August 12, 1912, the plant was dedicated and the first J-M operations began to move in from the old factory which was on a pier at the foot of 39th Street in Brooklyn."7 The same article said "The starting force of 5 men has been increased to over 3,000."7 The sources give different starting years: in sworn answers in 1989 and 1990, the fund that answered lawsuits for Manville Corporation said the company operated the Manville plant "from 1913 through 1985."5,6

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What the plant made

The earliest line the sources date is magnesia insulation: in 1929, the Manville edition of The J-M Factory Circle wrote that "in February of 1913 the Magnesia Building was set in operation and the manufacturing of 85 percent Magnesia pipe covering and blocks was begun."1 The same article said the paper mill, roofing shop and pipe covering plants soon followed, "and these were closely followed by the Packing and Textile plants."1 In June 1928, The J-M Circle wrote that asbestos "is now being woven into textiles at Waukegan Factory, just as it is at Manville."2 A 1980 Johns-Manville item in Asbestos, the industry's trade journal, recalling 1930, said "All shingle-making equipment was being transferred to the plant at Manville, New Jersey."3

Manville made high-temperature insulation for the Navy: the Navy's list of qualified products names Manville as the plant for J-M's Superex in 1951 and for Thermobestos in 1956 and 1972.9 In 1949, a J-M production engineering report noted "Research pilot plant equipment now installed in "C" Building at Manville" and said "An initial order of Thermobestos covering is now being made on the pilot plant equipment."10 The report concerned Thermobestos pipe covering.10 In the 1960s the employee magazine wrote of a Thermobestos department at the Manville Industrial Insulations Plant, where a sign with the "THERMOBESTOS WEEKLY COST OF YOUR REJECTS" was "posted prominently," and in 1965 Asbestos, in a report on the Thermal Insulation Society's Philadelphia chapter, referred to "Johns-Manville's Thermobestos Plant in Manville, New Jersey."11,12,13,14

Other insulations followed. In 1958 Johns-Manville said Min-K was made in "a pilot plant in Manville, N. J."; in 1967 the employee magazine placed it at "the Industrial Insulations Plant at Manville, N. J."13,15 The magazine described Metal-On production at the Manville plant in 1959 and 1961.16,17 A 1960 J-M industrial engineering report describes a Flexboard forming machine in H Building at the Manville factory.18 In September 1969, Asbestos reported that Johns-Manville was "investing in full-scale production facilities at Manville, New Jersey" for its new asbestos-cement extrusion products, "primarily Corspan and Facespan," with the facility "expected to be completed by the end of this year."4 A 1970 letter from M. W. Burleson, general manager of J-M's Industrial Insulations Division, lists Firetard, Min-K, Fibroid and Doublex asbestos paper as made at the Manville plant.19

The Manville fund's sworn answers of 1989 and 1990 list the products made at the Manville plant, from numbered cements, asbestos jackets and 85% Magnesia block and pipe covering to asbestos papers and millboards, asbestos cloth, rope and textiles, Transite pipe, Corrugated Transite, automotive friction materials, Min-K, Superex and Thermobestos.5,6 Manville's own descriptions of some of these products, reported to the EPA and published in 1990, give Thermobestos "asbestos fibers, 5 to 10%," Min-K "asbestos fiber, 5 to 20%," Flexboard "asbestos fiber, 40 to 70%," and Firetard "asbestos, 95 to 98%"; those figures describe the products, not Manville's output in particular.20

The people who worked there

In February 1950, Asbestos reported that P. D. Cannon, "formerly Manager of the company's Industrial Products plant at Manville, N. J.," had succeeded Alexander Cromwell.8 The Manville fund's 1990 answers name the doctors who served the Manville plant, beginning with Doctor D. T. DuBow, "11/29/51 to 12/1/65," and including Doctor R. M. Liss, "1968 to 1985."6

Location

Manville, New Jersey, the city named in the documents. The dot marks the city, not the plant's address.

Pictures of products made here

Labels, packages, photographs and catalog pages from our library of products documents say were made at this plant. Each picture has its own page and library number.

Asbestos products made here

The products documents say were made at this plant, with the years a document gives for the product here. Each product's page has what the documents say about it, including its asbestos content.

Asbestos claims

If you or a family member worked at this plant, lived with someone who did, or worked with its products, and later developed mesothelioma or another asbestos disease, a claim may be paid by the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust. Free case review.

What each document says

Every statement about this plant in the documents, in each document's own words.

The J-M Circle, 1929, October 1929

  • Asbestos products made: “in February of 1913 the Magnesia Building was set in operation ... followed by the Packing and Textile plants” (Johns-Manville), said by The J-M Factory Circle (Manville edition), as recorded by The J-M Circle, p. 131

The J-M Circle, 1928, June 1928

  • Asbestos products made: “Asbestos is now being woven into textiles at Waukegan Factory, just as it is at Manville” (Johns-Manville), said by The J-M Circle, as recorded by The J-M Circle, p. 42

Asbestos Magazine, 1980, March 1980

  • Products made: “All shingle-making equipment was being transferred to the plant at Manville, New Jersey” (Johns-Manville Corporation), said by Johns-Manville Corporation, as recorded by Asbestos (magazine), p. 523

Asbestos Magazine, 1969, September 1969

  • Products made: “full-scale production facilities at Manville, New Jersey, to convert ACE production ... primarily Corspan and Facespan” (Johns-Manville Corporation), said by Asbestos (magazine), as recorded by Asbestos (magazine), p. 244

Manville Fund's Answers to Interrogatories in Gunn v. Celotex (1989)

  • Operated: “Manville, New Jersey from 1913 through 1985” (Johns-Manville), p. 615
  • Products made: “0352 Cement; 12 lb. Asbestos Tape; 15A Asbestos Jacket; 45A Asbestos Jacket; #50 Weatherproofing Felt; 301 Cement; 302 Cement; 340 Cement; 364 Cement; 7700 Coated Asbestos Jacket; 85% Magnesia Block; 85% Magnesia Pipe Covering; Aertite; Albaseal; Anti-Sweat; Armaturo Asbestos Paper; Asbestobord; Asbestocel; Asbestos Cloth; Asbestos Fire Felt; Asbestos Firetard; Asbestos Jelly Rolls; Asbestos Paper and Rollboard; Asbestos Pipe Blanket; Asbesto-Sponge (felted, sectional, molded); Asbestos Roll Fire Felt; Asbestos Rope; Asbestos Sheet; Asbestos Tape; Asbestos Textiles; Asbestos Tubing; Asbestos Turbine Blanket; Asbestos Welding Paper; Automotive Friction Materials; Body Sealer; Branchtite; Ceilinite; Colorsil; Commercial Grade Asbestos Paper; Corrugated Transite; Corspan; D.C. Flexstone; Doublex Asbestos Paper; Duplex Asbestos Paper; Duxseal; Engineers Insulating Tape; Facespan; Fibrofil Cement; Fibroid Asbestos Paper; Fil Insul Cement; Fine Corrugated Asbestocel; Flexboard; Flexible Min-K; H-Navaseal; HF Navaseal; High Strength Fibroid Asbestos Paper; High Temperature Flexible Min-K Blankets; Industrial Vent Caulking; Insulkote ET; Insulkote SG; Insulkote ST; Laptite Cement; Long Fiber Asbestos Paper; Metal On; Microbestos Paper; Millboard 101; Millboard 102; Millboard 103; Millboard 104; Millboard 105; Millboard 106; Millboard 219; Millboard C; Millboard XXX; Min-K 500; Min-K 1301; Min-K 2000; Min-Klad; Molded Packings; MX-3803 Asbestos Filler; Navy 450 Cement; Niagrite; Nodrseal; Non-Burn Asbestos Paper; Pan-O-Cel; Plastiseal F; Silicated Thermobestos Block; Silicated Thermobestos Pipe Covering; Sonite; Standard Flexible Min-K Blankets; Stove Putty; Superex M Block; Superex 1900 Block; Superex Cement; Superex Cement for Navy; Superex M Pipe Covering; Super Fire Felt; Thermobestos Block; Thermobestos Pipe Covering; ThermoFire Felt; Thermomat; Thermotape; Thermowrap; Transhield Asbestos Felt; Transite Pipe; Transite Ridge Roll and Battens; Transoseal; Type T Nodrseal; Uniseal; Vitribestos; Vitro Fire Felt; Wet Strength Fibroid Asbestos Paper; White Surface Asbestos Jacket; Woven Asbestos Sheet Packing” (Johns-Manville), p. 615

Manville Fund's Responses to Plaintiffs' Interrogatories in Moore v. H.K. Porter (1990)

  • Operated: “Main Street, Manville, New Jersey 08835 (1913 to 1985)” (Johns-Manville), p. 196
  • Dust and health: “earliest claim ... filed May 8, 1929 by Anna Pirskowski, a former Manville Plant employee” (Johns-Manville), p. 946
  • Dust and health: “Manville, NJ Plant: 11 physician entries” (Johns-Manville), p. 556
  • Products made: “0352 Cement; 12 lb. Asbestos Tape; 15A Asbestos Jacket; 45A Asbestos Jacket; #50 Weatherproofing Felt; 301 Cement; 302 Cement; 340 Cement; 364 Cement; 7700 Coated Asbestos Jacket; 85% Magnesia Block; 85% Magnesia Pipe Covering; Aertite; Albaseal; Anti-Sweat; Armaturo Asbestos Paper; Asbestobord; Asbestocel; Asbestos Cloth; Asbestos Fire Felt; Asbestos Firetard; Asbestos Jelly Rolls; Asbestos Paper and Rollboard; Asbestos Pipe Blanket; Asbesto-Sponge (felted, sectional, molded); Asbestos Roll Fire Felt; Asbestos Rope; Asbestos Sheet; Asbestos Tape; Asbestos Textiles; Asbestos Tubing; Asbestos Turbine Blanket; Asbestos Welding Paper; Automotive Friction Materials; Body Sealer; Branchtite; Ceilinite; Colorsil; Commercial Grade Asbestos Paper; Corrugated Transite; Corspan; D.C. Flexstone; Doublex Asbestos Paper; Duplex Asbestos Paper; Duxseal; Engineers Insulating Tape; Facespan; Fibrofil Cement; Fibroid Asbestos Paper; Fil Insul Cement; Fine Corrugated Asbestocel; Flexboard; Flexible Min-K; H-Navaseal; HF Navaseal; High Strength Fibroid Asbestos Paper; High Temperature Flexible Min-K Blankets; Industrial Vent Caulking; Insulkote ET; Insulkote SG; Insulkote ST; Laptite Cement; Long Fiber Asbestos Paper; Metal On; Microbestos Paper; Millboard 101; Millboard 102; Millboard 103; Millboard 104; Millboard 105; Millboard 106; Millboard 219; Millboard C; Millboard XXX; Min-K 500; Min-K 1301; Min-K 2000; Min-Klad; Molded Packings; MX-3803 Asbestos Filler; Navy 450 Cement; Niagrite; Nodrseal; Non-Burn Asbestos Paper; Pan-O-Cel; Plastiseal F; Silicated Thermobestos Block; Silicated Thermobestos Pipe Covering; Sonite; Standard Flexible Min-K Blankets; Stove Putty; Superex M Block; Superex 1900 Block; Superex Cement; Superex Cement for Navy; Superex M Pipe Covering; Super Fire Felt; Thermobestos Block; Thermobestos Pipe Covering; ThermoFire Felt; Thermomat; Thermotape; Thermowrap; Transhield Asbestos Felt; Transite Pipe; Transite Ridge Roll and Battens; Transoseal; Type T Nodrseal; Uniseal; Vitribestos; Vitro Fire Felt; Wet Strength Fibroid Asbestos Paper; White Surface Asbestos Jacket; Woven Asbestos Sheet Packing” (Johns-Manville), p. 216

J-M News Pictorial, 1962, November–December 1962

  • Opened: “On August 12, 1912, the plant was dedicated” (Johns-Manville), p. 137
  • Workforce: “The starting force of 5 men has been increased to over 3,000” (Johns-Manville), p. 137

Asbestos Magazine, 1950, February 1950

  • Operated: “the company's Industrial Products plant at Manville, N. J. (P. D. Cannon formerly Manager)” (Johns-Manville), p. 428

Asbestos Information Association trial exhibit AIA-123: Asbestos Information Association/North America, Proceedings of the Fifth Industry-Government Conference, September 17-18, 1980 (1981)

  • Description: “asbestos-cement pipe plant: chrysotile mainly, but also crocidolite and amosite” (Johns-Manville), said by J. A. McKinney, President, Johns-Manville Corporation, as recorded by Asbestos Information Association/North America (conference proceedings), p. 13522

Other names

Documents call this plant “Manville Plant”, “Manville, N.J.”, “Manville, New Jersey”, “Manville, New Jersey (Industrial Insulations Plant)”, “Manville Industrial Insulations Plant”, “Manville (N. J.) Industrial Insulations Plant”, “Manville, NJ Plant”, “Johns-Manville's Thermobestos Plant in Manville, New Jersey”, “Manville”, “Manville, New Jersey, C Building”, “Manville, New Jersey (pilot plant)”, “Manville, New Jersey plant”, “Manville, NJ”, “Manville Plant (Manville, N.J.)”.

See also

References

  1. The J-M Circle, 1929, October 1929 (October 1, 1929), p. 13.
  2. The J-M Circle, 1928, June 1928 (June 1, 1928), p. 4.
  3. Asbestos Magazine, 1980, March 1980 (March 1, 1980), p. 52.
  4. Asbestos Magazine, 1969, September 1969 (September 1, 1969), p. 24.
  5. Manville Fund's Answers to Interrogatories in Gunn v. Celotex (December 7, 1989), pp. 61–64.
  6. Manville Fund's Responses to Plaintiffs' Interrogatories in Moore v. H.K. Porter (February 15, 1990), pp. 19, 21–23, 55.
  7. J-M News Pictorial, 1962, November–December 1962 (November 1, 1962), p. 13.
  8. Asbestos Magazine, 1950, February 1950 (February 1, 1950), p. 42.
  9. Military Qualified Products List (1951–1995) (December 3, 1951), pp. 2, 26, 108.
  10. J-M Production Engineering Report on Equipment for Thermobestos Pipe Covering and Thermoflex Felts (October 3, 1949), pp. 2, 6.
  11. J-M News Pictorial, 1963, January 1963 (January 1, 1963), p. 10.
  12. J-M News Pictorial, 1962, July–August 1962 (July 1, 1962), p. 5.
  13. J-M News Pictorial, 1967, April 1967 (April 1, 1967), pp. 3, 14.
  14. Asbestos Magazine, 1965, February 1965 (February 1, 1965), p. 11.
  15. Asbestos Magazine, 1958, April 1958 (April 1, 1958), p. 14.
  16. J-M News Pictorial, 1959, December 1959 (December 1, 1959), p. 4.
  17. J-M News Pictorial, 1961, February 1961 (February 1, 1961), p. 8.
  18. W. F. Fischer on the Rejection of Improved Dust Control for the Manville Rigid Shingles Building (1961), Appropriation request 040-IR-0325 with engineering report, November 30, 1960 (November 30, 1960), p. 4.
  19. M. W. Burleson's Notice to the Industrial Insulations Division on Health Hazard Caution Labels (July 1, 1970), p. 2.
  20. Asbestos; Publication of Identifying Information (February 13, 1990), pp. 14–15.
  21. J-M News Pictorial, 1964, October–November 1964 (October 1, 1964), p. 8.
  22. Asbestos Information Association trial exhibit AIA-123: Asbestos Information Association/North America, Proceedings of the Fifth Industry-Government Conference, September 17-18, 1980 (September 17, 1980), p. 135.

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“Johns-Manville plant at Manville, New Jersey.” AsbestosClaims.Law Library. https://asbestosclaims.law/library/plants/manville-nj-johns-manville.

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