Crown Cork and Seal

Crown Cork & Seal is the largest metal packager in the United States and has a long history. Crown was founded by William Painter in 1892. Painter invented the “crown cork” bottle cap and set up a shop manufacturing them. By 1906, Crown had plants in Germany, France, England, Japan and Brazil. In 1927, Charles McManus turned Crown Cork & Seal into Crown Holdings, Inc. During World War II, the company received a government citation for developing a gas mask canister. By the 1950s, the company had begun manufacturing aerosol containers and was nearing bankruptcy by the end of the decade.

John Connelly, a former supplier, became president and set the company’s finances back on track. By the 1970s, the company was prospering and had reached $1 billion in net sales. In the 1990s, Crown began making acquisitions and expanding to manufacturing plastics. By the 21st century, Crown sold off its cosmetic and plastic businesses yet reported a strong $7.9 million in net sales. John Conway is the current president and CEO of the company and Crown is expanding, quickly becoming a leading international manufacturer. Crown now has 139 plants located in 41 countries.

Crown Cork & Seal and Asbestos

Crown did not manufacture any products that contained asbestos. They did acquire another company in 1963, Mundet Cork, which did manufacture products containing asbestos. Mundet Cork’s products that contained asbestos include the following:

• Mundet Mineral Wool Finishing Cement
• Mundet Mineral Wool Insulating Cement
• Mundet Cork 85% Magnesia Asbestos Insulation
• Mundet Block Insulation
• Mundet Pipe Covering

Those at risk of asbestos exposure are not limited to employees of Mundet’s insulation plant. Many customers that used the Mundet insulation, including several oil refineries and the U.S. Navy, are also at risk. Most of Mundet’s products are used commercially, so repair and installation workers are those most at risk.

Finishing cement must be durable. It is made of sand, limestone and asbestos to make it fire resistant. Many construction workers were exposed to asbestos from working with finishing cement, insulation and other building materials. Asbestos is inexpensive, easy to obtain and has many desirable characteristics that make it ideal for construction products. Unfortunately, even when companies became aware of the dangers of asbestos exposure, the products were still used.

Magnesia asbestos pipe insulation is made of magnesia alba or magnesium carbonate. Mixing 85 percent magnesium and 15 percent asbestos binds the material giving it strength and cohesion. Chrysotile asbestos fibers were most frequently used in United States manufacturing and in Mundet’s pipe insulation. Medical studies show that prolonged exposure to any form of asbestos can cause mesothelioma.

Crown Cork & Seal and Asbestos Litigation

Ninety days after Crown’s acquisition of Mundet, they sold the insulation business. Crown was only interested in Mundet’s bottle cap business. However, many employees and family members from Mundet’s insulation business have filed lawsuits against Crown due to asbestos exposure causing mesothelioma.

There is a press release on Crown’s website from December 2001 stating that the Governor of Pennsylvania signed a law to limit asbestos liabilities incurred from an acquisition or merger. The amount of liability is limited to the value of the predecessor’s assets. Mundet’s total assets in 1966 were reportedly around $15 million, which is the limit of Crown’s liability. As of 2001, Crown had already paid $350 million in asbestos claims and by May 2003, that number had jumped to $413 million.

If you have been exposed to asbestos from one of Mundet’s products, see a healthcare professional regularly to monitor your health for signs of mesothelioma. It can take decades for mesothelioma to develop and early detection significantly affects treatment options.