Shook & Fletcher
Shook and Fletcher Insulation Company made asbestos insulation products from 1949 through the 1970s. Asbestos litigation compromised the company’s finances and forced it to file for bankruptcy in 2002. That same year, it created an asbestos trust fund with $109 million to handle claims.
Written by D. Carl Money | Scientifically Reviewed by Sean Fitzgerald, PG | Edited by Amy Edel | Last Update: October 16, 2025
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Founded:1901 -
Years Operated:1901-present -
Headquarters:Birmingham, Alabama -
Business:Manufactures insulation products -
Asbestos Trust:Yes -
Bankruptcy Status:Filed in 2002
Shook & Fletcher’s History With Asbestos
Shook & Fletcher got its start manufacturing iron, coal and brick products. It transitioned into the insulation industry in 1949 when it began making asbestos-containing insulation products.
Asbestos was once considered the ideal fireproofing and insulating material for its ability to withstand high temperatures. As a result, insulation industry employees were at risk of exposure as they worked with these asbestos products.
Tens of thousands of these workers developed asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma after handling the company’s products. Many who became ill filed mesothelioma lawsuits.
Bankruptcy and Development of Shook & Fletcher Trust
Shook and Fletcher filed to reorganize through Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2002 because of asbestos litigation. The company had already paid more than $40 million in settlements.
The bankruptcy and reorganization plan created the Shook & Fletcher Asbestos Settlement Trust to handle asbestos claims. This asbestos trust fund was established in 2002 and contains an estimated $109 million to compensate people who file claims.
The Shook & Fletcher Asbestos Settlement Trust has raised its payment percentage from 50% to 58% as of May 30, 2025. This means claimants will now receive 58% of their approved claim value. Those who already received 50% will get an additional 8%, as long as the extra payment is at least $175.
Asbestos Litigation Involving Shook & Fletcher
Workers who developed asbestos-related diseases began filing asbestos lawsuits against Shook and Fletcher in the mid-1970s. At the time of the company’s bankruptcy, it reported at least 80,000 active asbestos lawsuits.
The wife of a former insulator filed one such lawsuit. Her husband passed away from mesothelioma from asbestos exposure at several companies, including Shook & Fletcher. Her wrongful death lawsuit ended in an award of $8.4 million dollars, which was split among all the companies he had worked for.
Before it went bankrupt, Shook & Fletcher joined 19 other asbestos companies in a 1993 class action lawsuit that tried to make insurance companies help pay asbestos claims. The courts threw the case out, and the Supreme Court refused to hear it. After that, Shook & Fletcher settled with every insurer except Safety National Casualty Company.
The fight with Safety National focused on insurance policies from 1983 to 1985. Lower courts ruled that Safety National only had to cover claims from those years. Shook & Fletcher tried to take the case to the Supreme Court a second time, but the Court said no again.
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Get Help NowShook & Fletcher’s Asbestos Products
Shook & Fletcher produced many products that may have contained asbestos. The company’s product line also included dozens of thermal and acoustic insulation products.
Products That Contained Asbestos
More than 34 manufacturing companies helped produce Shook & Fletcher products. These included Dow Chemical Company, Forrest Manufacturing Company and Owens Corning Fiberglass. Workers at these partner companies were also at risk of asbestos exposure during production.
Workers at Risk From Shook & Fletcher Products
Employees who manufactured these products before the 1970s faced a high risk of exposure to asbestos. Construction workers often came into contact with asbestos when installing or repairing Shook & Fletcher products.
Occupations at Risk
These materials remained on job sites long after the company stopped producing asbestos products. Even after the 1970s, industrial workers in certain occupations could have inhaled asbestos fibers while handling these products.
Shook & Fletcher’s Founding and Future
Shook & Fletcher began in 1901 as a manufacturer of iron, brick and coal products. The company expanded into the insulation industry in 1949 and remains one of the largest industrial insulation producers in the southeastern United States. In 1967, company employees purchased Shook & Fletcher, and it has stayed family-owned and operated ever since.
Until the 1970s, the company primarily used asbestos to provide the insulation component in its products. After that period, asbestos fibers were replaced with safer alternatives such as fiberglass and other materials, including polystyrene, talc and hexabromocyclododecane, known as HBCD.
Today, Shook & Fletcher operates 6 distribution facilities serving customers in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi and the Gulf Coast. The company partners with more than 30 manufacturers to produce more than 50 specialty products. None of these products are intended for residential insulation use.
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