About North American Refractories and the NARCO Trust
North American Refractories Company (NARCO) was a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based manufacturer of refractory products — the heat-resistant materials used to line industrial furnaces, kilns, boilers, ladles, and other equipment operating at extreme temperatures. Refractory products must withstand temperatures exceeding 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and asbestos was incorporated into NARCO’s bricks, mortars, and castable products to enhance their thermal properties and structural integrity.
NARCO products were used at steel mills, iron foundries, glass manufacturing plants, cement kilns, aluminum smelters, paper mills, chemical plants, and power plants across the United States. Workers who installed, repaired, and removed NARCO refractory linings in these facilities were exposed to asbestos dust generated during cutting, drilling, grinding, and demolition of the refractory materials.
Through a chain of corporate acquisitions, NARCO eventually came under the ownership of Honeywell International (formerly Allied Signal, which had been Allied Chemical). When NARCO’s asbestos liability became unmanageable, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The NARCO Asbestos Trust was established with substantial funding from Honeywell as part of the reorganization agreement. Honeywell’s financial commitment to the trust is the reason it can pay at 100% for the highest disease categories.
Trust Fund Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Trust Name | North American Refractories Company Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust (NARCO Trust) |
| Predecessor Company | North American Refractories Company (NARCO) |
| Funding Entity | Honeywell International Inc. |
| Payment Percentage (Mesothelioma) | 100% — full scheduled value paid |
| Mesothelioma Scheduled Value | Contact attorney for current scheduled value |
| Key Products | Refractory brick, refractory mortar, castable refractories, refractory coatings (asbestos-containing) |
| Primary Industries | Steel manufacturing, iron foundry, glass manufacturing, cement, aluminum smelting, power generation |
| Claim Types Accepted | Mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, pleural disease (100% payment for mesothelioma) |
The 100% payment percentage for mesothelioma means that a qualifying claimant receives the trust’s full scheduled value for mesothelioma without any reduction. This makes the NARCO Trust one of the most significant trust claims for workers with qualifying NARCO exposure. Your attorney will obtain the current scheduled value to calculate the specific payment amount.
Who Is Eligible to File with the NARCO Trust?
Eligibility requires documented exposure to North American Refractories Company asbestos-containing refractory products and a qualifying asbestos disease diagnosis.
Industries and occupations commonly exposed to NARCO refractory products:
- Steel mill workers: Workers at blast furnaces, open hearth furnaces, electric arc furnaces, and ladle systems lined with NARCO refractory products. NARCO was a major supplier to the steel industry.
- Iron foundry workers: Workers at foundries where iron and steel castings were made in furnaces and ladles with refractory linings
- Glass manufacturing workers: Workers at glass plants where furnaces are lined with refractory materials
- Cement kiln workers: Workers at cement plants where kilns are lined with refractory brick
- Aluminum smelter workers: Workers at aluminum reduction facilities where refractory linings were used in smelting pots
- Refractory bricklayers and laborers: Workers who installed and demolished refractory linings as a trade
- Power plant workers: Workers at fossil fuel power plants where boiler furnace linings were made of refractory materials
Qualifying diagnoses: mesothelioma (100% payment), asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease.
How to File a NARCO Trust Claim
- Consult a mesothelioma attorney: Your attorney will assess whether your work at steel mills, foundries, or other high-temperature industrial facilities involved NARCO refractory products.
- Establish NARCO product exposure: Your attorney compiles evidence that NARCO brand refractory products were used at your specific facilities during your employment, using facility records, NARCO distribution records, and co-worker testimony.
- Medical documentation: Your pathology report and other diagnosis documentation are assembled to confirm mesothelioma or another qualifying condition.
- Claim submission: The attorney submits the completed claim package to the NARCO Trust administrator.
- Review and payment: Upon approval for mesothelioma, the trust pays the full 100% of the scheduled value — the complete scheduled payment without reduction.
Can You File Other Claims at the Same Time?
Yes. NARCO refractory products were used at industrial facilities that also contained asbestos insulation (Manville, Unibestos, Kaylo), asbestos-containing equipment gaskets (Dresser/Harbison-Walker), and other asbestos products. Steelworkers and foundry workers who were exposed to NARCO refractories typically have multiple additional trust claims based on other asbestos products at their facilities. All claims can be filed simultaneously, and a lawsuit against solvent defendants can proceed at the same time. Your attorney will identify every applicable trust.
Frequently Asked Questions
The NARCO Trust pays at 100% of the scheduled disease value for mesothelioma. This means eligible claimants receive the trust’s full scheduled payment amount without any reduction — one of only a small number of active asbestos trusts that pay at the 100% level. This makes the NARCO Trust particularly significant for workers with documented NARCO exposure and a mesothelioma diagnosis.
Honeywell International (formerly Allied Signal, formerly Allied Chemical) acquired North American Refractories through a chain of corporate transactions, making Honeywell the indirect parent company of NARCO. When NARCO filed for bankruptcy, Honeywell was required as part of the settlement to fund the trust substantially. Honeywell’s financial commitment — combined with NARCO’s own assets — provides the trust with sufficient resources to pay at the 100% level for mesothelioma claims.
NARCO refractory products were used at any facility requiring high-temperature furnace or kiln linings: steel mills (blast furnaces, electric arc furnaces), iron and non-ferrous foundries, glass manufacturing plants, cement kilns, aluminum smelters, petroleum refineries (cracking units and process heaters), chemical plants, and coal-fired power plants. Workers at all of these facilities who worked on furnace and kiln relining operations may have NARCO exposure.
Yes. NARCO was one of the largest refractory suppliers to the American steel industry, and steelworkers who worked near furnace relining operations or who were otherwise exposed to NARCO refractory brick and mortar are a primary eligible group. NARCO claims are particularly important for steelworkers from major steel-producing regions including Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago, Gary, and Birmingham.