About Owens-Illinois and the Paddock Enterprises Trust
Owens-Illinois, Inc. is a major glass container manufacturer headquartered in Perrysburg, Ohio. In the late 1940s, the company developed and began manufacturing Kaylo — a calcium-silicate pipe and block insulation product that contained significant amounts of amosite (brown) asbestos. Kaylo was marketed heavily to industrial insulation contractors as a high-temperature pipe insulation and quickly became one of the most widely used industrial insulation products in the country.
Owens-Illinois manufactured Kaylo from approximately 1948 until 1958, when it sold the product line to Owens Corning. During that decade, Kaylo with O-I’s high-asbestos formulation was installed at refineries, chemical plants, power plants, shipyards, and virtually every other type of large industrial facility in the United States. Scientific studies of Kaylo from the O-I era have shown particularly high amosite asbestos content, contributing to the devastating mesothelioma rates seen in workers exposed during this period.
After decades of asbestos litigation, Owens-Illinois created a subsidiary called Paddock Enterprises LLC to hold its asbestos liabilities. In January 2020, Paddock Enterprises filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and the subsequent reorganization plan established a court-supervised asbestos trust. The trust operates with a 50% payment percentage, reflecting the company’s substantial funding commitment and the relatively defined (ten-year) production window for O-I Kaylo.
Trust Fund Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Trust Name | Paddock Enterprises Asbestos Personal Injury Trust |
| Predecessor Company | Owens-Illinois, Inc. / Paddock Enterprises LLC |
| Bankruptcy Filing | January 2020 (Paddock Enterprises LLC) |
| Payment Percentage | 50% |
| Mesothelioma Scheduled Value | Contact attorney for current value |
| Key Product | Kaylo calcium-silicate insulation (Owens-Illinois era, 1948–1958) |
| Exposure Window | Products manufactured 1948–1958; installations in service for decades longer |
| Claim Types Accepted | Mesothelioma, lung cancer, other asbestos-related diseases |
The 50% payment percentage is among the highest of any active asbestos trust, making the Paddock Enterprises Trust a highly significant claim for workers exposed to early Kaylo formulations. Your attorney will obtain current scheduled values and calculate the expected payment amount for your specific disease category.
Who Is Eligible to File with the Paddock Enterprises Trust?
Eligibility requires exposure to Kaylo insulation manufactured by Owens-Illinois — meaning Kaylo products from the 1948 to 1958 production period — combined with a qualifying asbestos disease diagnosis. Because asbestos has a long latency period, workers exposed to O-I Kaylo in the 1950s may only now be developing mesothelioma.
Eligible occupations and exposure scenarios include:
- Insulators and pipe covering mechanics who applied Kaylo insulation in the 1950s–1970s
- Workers who disturbed or removed Kaylo insulation installed in the O-I era at any point afterward
- Pipefitters and steamfitters who worked alongside insulation crews using Kaylo
- Shipyard workers where Kaylo was specified for naval and commercial vessel construction
- Power plant workers at facilities insulated with Kaylo during construction or expansion projects in the 1950s
- Refinery workers at facilities where Kaylo was used in original construction
- Construction supervisors and laborers present at job sites during Kaylo installation
Important: Because Owens-Illinois only made Kaylo from 1948 to 1958, claims must document exposure to Kaylo from that era specifically. Kaylo made after 1958 by Owens Corning is covered under the OC Subfund, not this trust. Many job sites used Kaylo from both eras, and your attorney can file claims with both trusts simultaneously if the evidence supports it.
How to File a Paddock Enterprises Trust Claim
- Consult a mesothelioma attorney: Because Paddock Enterprises is a newer trust (established 2020), attorney experience with this specific trust’s procedures is important. The attorney will evaluate your work history for O-I Kaylo exposure.
- Distinguish O-I vs. OC Kaylo exposure: Your attorney will document the specific facilities and time periods of your exposure to establish whether the Kaylo involved was from the Owens-Illinois era, the Owens Corning era, or both.
- Medical documentation: Current pathology reports, diagnostic imaging, surgical records, and oncology records are compiled.
- Claim submission: The attorney submits the claim package to the Paddock Enterprises Trust administrator following current trust distribution procedures (TDP).
- Review and payment: Claims are reviewed and, upon approval, paid at 50% of the applicable scheduled value.
Because this trust was established more recently than many others, your attorney should have current knowledge of the trust’s claim filing procedures and any recent adjustments to scheduled values or payment percentages.
Can You File Other Claims at the Same Time?
Yes. The Paddock Enterprises Trust covers only the Owens-Illinois era of Kaylo production (1948–1958). If you were exposed to Kaylo at any point after 1958, or to other insulation products at your worksite, you may have separate claims with the Owens Corning OC Subfund, the Manville Trust, Pittsburgh Corning Trust, and others. These are entirely separate claims that can be filed simultaneously.
Many workers with O-I Kaylo exposure also have claims against solvent asbestos defendants in litigation. Asbestos lawsuit recoveries and trust fund payments are independent of each other and can proceed concurrently under your attorney’s management.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Paddock Enterprises Trust pays at 50% of the scheduled disease value — one of the highest payment percentages among all active asbestos trusts. This reflects Owens-Illinois’s significant funding commitment and the defined scope of O-I Kaylo production. For a worker with mesothelioma, this represents a potentially substantial payment; your attorney will calculate the specific amount based on current scheduled values.
Owens-Illinois manufactured Kaylo from approximately 1948 through 1958, when it sold the product to Owens Corning. O-I Kaylo from this decade contained particularly high levels of amosite asbestos and has been associated with elevated rates of mesothelioma in workers exposed during this period. Kaylo made after 1958 by Owens Corning is a separate product covered by a different trust.
No. Owens-Illinois (a glass manufacturer) and Owens Corning (an insulation and roofing manufacturer) are entirely separate companies that happen to share a similar founding name. Owens-Illinois developed Kaylo, and Owens Corning later purchased and continued making it. Each company’s asbestos liability is handled through a separate trust. If you were exposed to Kaylo over a long career, you may have claims against both trusts.
Paddock Enterprises LLC is a subsidiary created by Owens-Illinois to hold and resolve its asbestos personal injury liabilities. By filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2020, Paddock was able to establish a court-supervised asbestos trust, protecting Owens-Illinois’s ongoing operations from further asbestos litigation while ensuring that victims receive compensation through the trust fund process.