AC&S Inc. Asbestos Settlement Trust

About the AC&S Settlement Trust

Armstrong Contracting & Supply, Inc. — commonly known as AC&S — was a major industrial insulation contractor operating primarily in Pennsylvania, the mid-Atlantic states, and the broader eastern United States. AC&S was a contracting subsidiary of Armstrong World Industries, the well-known Lancaster, Pennsylvania manufacturer of floor coverings, ceiling tiles, and building products. Through its contracting arm, AC&S performed insulation work at steel mills, power plants, oil refineries, chemical plants, naval shipyards, and other large industrial facilities throughout the mid-twentieth century.

For decades, AC&S workers installed asbestos pipe covering, block insulation, spray fireproofing, and insulating cements as a routine part of their work. The insulators employed by AC&S — members of the Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers union — were among the most heavily exposed workers in the asbestos era. They cut, shaped, and fitted asbestos insulation materials in poorly ventilated spaces, generating clouds of airborne asbestos fibers throughout their workdays. Other tradespeople — pipefitters, boilermakers, electricians — working alongside AC&S crews experienced substantial bystander exposures as well.

The scale of AC&S's operations meant that the company's asbestos liability was enormous. As asbestos disease claims multiplied through the 1980s and 1990s, AC&S Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2002. The bankruptcy proceeding was complex, involving extensive negotiations over the scope and funding of the trust. The AC&S Inc. Asbestos Settlement Trust was ultimately established in 2008 — six years after the bankruptcy filing — reflecting the difficulties in resolving a large-volume, heavily subscribed asbestos liability.

The resulting payment percentage of 3.2% is among the lowest in the asbestos trust system, a direct consequence of the mismatch between the trust's funded assets and the enormous volume of claims it was designed to satisfy. For mesothelioma claimants, the actual payment is approximately $8,320 — a modest amount compared to many other trusts, but still worth filing because it adds to the cumulative compensation available from multiple simultaneous trust claims and potential litigation.

Trust Fund Details

Note: The low payment percentage reflects the trust's heavily subscribed status. Even at 3.2%, the AC&S claim is worth filing as part of a comprehensive multi-trust strategy. Consult an asbestos attorney for current payment percentages.

Who Is Eligible to File an AC&S Settlement Trust Claim?

Eligibility for the AC&S Trust requires demonstrating that you worked on a project where AC&S, Inc. was the insulation contractor and that you were exposed to asbestos during that work. You must also have a qualifying asbestos-related disease diagnosis. Eligible claimants include:

• AC&S insulators (journeymen and apprentices) who directly handled and applied asbestos insulation materials on AC&S contracting projects
• Pipefitters and steamfitters who worked alongside AC&S crews during insulation installation and removal at industrial facilities
• Maintenance workers and mechanics at facilities where AC&S performed insulation contracting, who were exposed as bystanders
• Steel mill workers at Pennsylvania and mid-Atlantic steel facilities where AC&S crews regularly performed insulation work on furnaces and piping
• Power plant employees at generating stations served by AC&S insulation contractors
• Naval shipyard workers at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and other eastern shipyards where AC&S performed ship insulation contracting
• Chemical plant workers at petrochemical facilities in the mid-Atlantic region served by AC&S
• Refinery workers at eastern refineries where AC&S conducted insulation work on process piping and equipment
• Laborers and helpers who assisted AC&S journeymen on job sites throughout the company's operating territory
• Secondary exposure claimants — spouses and family members exposed to asbestos brought home on AC&S workers' clothing and tools

AC&S's primary period of asbestos-intensive contracting activity spans roughly the 1940s through the mid-1970s. Workers from this era who were later diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or other asbestos diseases remain eligible to file claims today.

How to File an AC&S Settlement Trust Claim

The AC&S Trust claim process follows the standard asbestos trust framework. An asbestos attorney handles the process on contingency — no fees until you recover compensation. The steps are:

1. Consult an asbestos attorney. Because the AC&S Trust pays only 3.2% of scheduled values, it is most effectively pursued as part of a broader strategy that includes claims against all other applicable trusts. An attorney experienced in multi-trust insulation contractor claims can build the most comprehensive recovery plan for your situation.
2. Document your medical diagnosis. Obtain pathology reports, operative records, oncology records, and a treating physician statement confirming your mesothelioma or asbestos disease and linking it to occupational asbestos exposure. These documents are the foundation of every trust claim.
3. Establish your AC&S work connection. Your attorney will help you gather evidence showing you worked on an AC&S project. Relevant records include Heat and Frost Insulators union dispatch records, Social Security earnings statements showing AC&S employment, co-worker affidavits confirming AC&S project work, and any surviving employment records from AC&S or its successor entities.
4. Prepare and submit the claim package. Your attorney prepares the standardized AC&S Trust claim form and assembles the full documentation package for submission to Claims Management, Inc. (CMI), the trust's claims processor.
5. Select your review pathway. For the AC&S Trust, most mesothelioma claimants elect Expedited Review given the lower payment amount and the efficiency of a standard review process. Individual Review is available but rarely changes outcomes significantly at this payment level.
6. Claim is reviewed and approved. CMI reviews the claim for medical and exposure eligibility under the TDP. Approved mesothelioma claims are offered payment at the current 3.2% rate.
7. Receive payment. Approved claims are paid approximately $8,320 for mesothelioma at the current percentage. This amount, combined with payments from other trusts and any litigation proceeds, contributes to a larger total recovery.

Can You File Other Claims at the Same Time?

Yes — and for AC&S claimants, filing multiple simultaneous trust claims is especially important given the trust's low 3.2% payment rate. Insulators who worked for AC&S were exposed to asbestos products manufactured by dozens of companies over their careers. Products from Johns Manville, Owens Corning, Armstrong World Industries, Celotex, Eagle-Picher, Keene Corporation, Combustion Engineering, and many others were commonly used on the same job sites. Each of these manufacturers has established its own asbestos trust fund.

Critically, AC&S's parent company Armstrong World Industries has its own separate trust — the Armstrong World Industries Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust — with its own payment schedule. Workers exposed both on AC&S contracting projects and to Armstrong-manufactured products may be eligible to file with both trusts. Similarly, workers who worked for other insulation contractors in addition to AC&S may have valid claims against those contractors' trusts as well. An experienced asbestos attorney can simultaneously coordinate the AC&S claim with all other applicable trust claims and evaluate whether civil litigation against solvent defendants provides additional recovery opportunities. The combined total from a comprehensive multi-trust strategy commonly reaches hundreds of thousands of dollars even when individual trusts like AC&S pay relatively small amounts.

Frequently Asked Questions