Raybestos-Manhattan & Raymark Industries

Raybestos’ History With Asbestos

In 1925, Raybestos added asbestos to brakes, clutches, valves, textiles and insulating materials to strengthen products and reduce the risk of fire in friction components. Arthur H. Raymond and Arthur F. Law started the A.H. Raymond Company in 1902 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and built its reputation on the original “Raymond Brake,” expanding the brake product line throughout the 20th century.

In 1982, the company changed its name to Raymark and phased out asbestos use during the 1980s. By that time, Raybestos already faced numerous personal injury claims related to its  asbestos products. The company denied knowledge of asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma for decades, and Sumner Simpson, who led the company for 40 years, became involved in legal proceedings while attempting to shield the company from asbestos liabilities.

From 1919 to 1989, Raymark Industries manufactured Raybestos products in Stratford, Connecticut, under various names including Raytech, Raybestos Industries, and Raybestos-Manhattan. In 1985, Echlin, an automotive aftermarket supplier, acquired the Raybestos brand and formed Brake Parts Inc., which continues to produce brakes and brake parts under the Raybestos name today, primarily for automobiles.

Development of Raybestos Trust

Raytech, a spinoff of Raymark, handled Raybestos’ non-asbestos business assets starting in 1987. Asbestos liabilities from Raybestos and Raymark products stayed with the original companies, but both Raymark and Raytech eventually filed for bankruptcy. 

Raytech filed under Chapter 11 in 1989 and emerged from bankruptcy in April 2001, establishing the Raytech Corporation Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust. The trust processes claims for people exposed to asbestos from Raybestos, Raymark and related corporate entities.

The trust sets payment amounts for different asbestos-related diseases, which adjust over time to reflect inflation. As of July 31, 2024, the trust sets payouts for mesothelioma at $179,760, lung cancer at $59,249, other cancers at $30,918, and severely disabling asbestosis at $59,249.

While all asbestos trusts pay a fraction of each claim to ensure funds are available for all claimants, effective November 14, 2024, the Raytech Trust pays only 1.35% of each claim. This is one of the lowest rates of any asbestos trust fund. The payment percentages for most other asbestos trust funds range from 20% to more than 50%.

Asbestos Litigation Involving Raybestos

In the 1980s, CEO Craig Smith led Raymark in aggressively contesting mesothelioma lawsuits. The company even sued some law firms representing people exposed to asbestos decades earlier.

Some notable cases include Stevens v. Raymark Industries Inc., in which the widow of a former employee received compensation after her husband died from asbestosis in 2000. The State of Connecticut also sued Raymark and recovered costs spent on cleaning up asbestos from the company’s manufacturing plants.

A major case, Cimino v. Raymark, began as a class-action lawsuit in 1990. In 2018, a 3-judge arbitration panel in Beaumont, Texas, awarded $140 million to more than 2,000 refinery and chemical workers, adding to a previous $38 million settlement.

A California jury awarded $2.1 million to a man in 2012 who developed mesothelioma after handling asbestos brake parts. He had repaired brakes as a plumber and had helped his father service trucks from a young age. He identified Raybestos as one of several companies responsible for the asbestos in the brakes and brake parts he worked with.

Raybestos’ Asbestos Products

Raybestos produced a variety of products that contained asbestos. The material strengthened components and helped prevent fires in friction materials such as brakes and clutches.

Products Containing Asbestos 

• Aprons
• Blankets
• Brakes
• Brake linings
• Brake pads
• Cloth
• Clutches
• Clutch linings
• Disc brakes
• Drum brakes
• Felt
• Fire curtains
• Packing material
• Rope
• Tape
• Valves
• Yarn

These products were widely used in automotive, industrial and construction applications. Many of them involved high heat or friction, which is why asbestos was added to improve durability and safety.

Workers at Risk From Raybestos Products

Workers who handled Raybestos’ asbestos products faced significant exposure, especially those working in Raymark, Raytech or Raybestos manufacturing plants. Asbestos in brakes, clutches and industrial materials put people in multiple occupations at risk.

Jobs at Risk of Asbestos Exposure 

• Acoustical workers
• Automobile mechanics
• Automobile shop workers
• Automobile supply store workers
• Boiler workers
• Factory workers
• Industrial workers
• Insulators
• Machinists
• Maintenance mechanics
• Mill workers
• Railroad mechanics
• Refinery workers
• Shipyard workers
• Textile workers
• Welders

Raybestos used asbestos in products for automobiles, trucks, trains and large industrial machinery. Its products appeared on job sites across industries, including automobile factories, chemical plants, steel mills, power plants, refineries and railways. The same asbestos materials strengthened brakes, clutches and equipment components while reducing fire risk in high-friction applications.

Raybestos Contamination Sites

Raybestos’ manufacturing operations in Connecticut and Pennsylvania released asbestos and other contaminants into nearby areas. Cleanup and monitoring efforts have continued for decades to reduce exposure risks and protect local communities.

Key Contamination Sites

• Hatboro, Pennsylvania: EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List in 1989. Air monitoring in 2018 found no asbestos in nearby neighborhoods, and cleanup continues.
• Housatonic River, Connecticut & Massachusetts: The company dumped waste into the river. A restoration plan and environmental assessment remain ongoing.
• Manheim, Pennsylvania: Operations from 1906 to 1998 contaminated soil and groundwater. The site joined Pennsylvania’s Brownfield Action Team program in 2005, keeping landfills capped and monitoring groundwater.
• Stratford, Connecticut: The Raybestos plant contaminated soil, air, and local seafood with asbestos, lead, and copper. Higher-than-average mesothelioma rates appeared among residents under 25.

Cleanup and monitoring projects continue in these locations to prevent future exposure. Residents and workers in these areas may still benefit from public health initiatives and ongoing environmental assessments.

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