Heat & Frost Insulators (Local 1 St. Louis, Local 17 Chicago, Local 39 Omaha, and the broader HFIAW Local network) were employed by insulation contracting companies that installed, removed, and maintained asbestos-containing materials at the power plants, refineries, hospitals, schools, factories, and military bases documented elsewhere on this site.
These contractors purchased asbestos-containing pipe covering, block insulation, refractory, cement, and spray materials from a relatively concentrated set of manufacturers (the major asbestos defendants now in bankruptcy trusts) and dispatched insulators to job sites — sometimes for new construction, sometimes for outages and tear-out work, sometimes for maintenance over decades.
Several of these contractors employed insulators across multiple states, which is why the same contractor name appears in depositions filed in jurisdictions from Missouri to Iowa to Minnesota and beyond. The contractor list below is drawn from publicly filed asbestos litigation records and trade-union archives — it is not exhaustive, and inclusion does not constitute any finding of fact or liability.
Major Insulating Contractors — Documented in Public Litigation Records
AC&S (Armstrong Contracting & Supply)
One of the largest national insulating contractors of the asbestos era. Headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, AC&S dispatched insulators to power plants, refineries, military facilities, and industrial sites across the country from the 1950s through the 1970s. Documented in publicly filed asbestos litigation as an employer of HFIAW Local 39 (Omaha) members and many other Local jurisdictions. Filed for asbestos-related bankruptcy in 2002.
Vaughn Insulation Service (also Vaughan Insulation)
Regional insulating contractor that employed Heat & Frost Insulators across the upper Midwest, including Local 39 (Omaha) jurisdiction in Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota. Named in publicly filed Nebraska-area depositions of insulators who worked at the Cooper Nuclear Station, Sheldon Station, Lon D. Wright Power Plant, and other facilities. Reportedly purchased asbestos pipe covering, block insulation, and cement from the major manufacturers of the era.
Midwest Insulation
Regional insulating contractor employing HFIAW Local 39 (Omaha) insulators throughout the upper Midwest. Named in Nebraska-area trust attestations as one of the contractors that dispatched workers to Nebraska power plants, refineries, and industrial sites during the 1950s–1970s asbestos era.
Triangle Asbestos Works
Indiana–Ohio regional insulating and asbestos-products contractor. Named in publicly filed depositions of HFIAW Local 18 (Indianapolis), Local 37 (Evansville), and Local 50 (Columbus/Dayton) members. Documented as a supplier and installer of asbestos-containing insulation at industrial facilities across the Midwest.
Kickham Boiler & Erection Co.
St. Louis–area boiler-erection contractor that employed Heat & Frost Insulators from HFIAW Local 1 (St. Louis) at power plants and industrial facilities throughout Missouri and Metro East Illinois. Documented in publicly filed Missouri and Illinois asbestos litigation. Operations included new boiler installation, refractory work, and the insulation that surrounded high-temperature equipment.
Superior Boiler Works
Hutchinson, Kansas–based boiler manufacturer and erector. Worked at industrial facilities across Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Named in publicly filed Local 27 (Kansas City) and Local 39 (Omaha) depositions.
Nooter Boiler Works
St. Louis, Missouri–based boiler erection and pressure-vessel contractor (Nooter Corporation). Long-standing employer of HFIAW Local 1 insulators and boilermakers. Documented in publicly filed Missouri asbestos litigation.
Lattner Boiler Manufacturing
Cedar Rapids, Iowa–based boiler manufacturer and contractor. Named in publicly filed Iowa and upper-Midwest depositions involving HFIAW Local 74 (Des Moines), Local 81 (Cedar Rapids), and Local 39 (Omaha) members.
E. J. Bartells Co.
Pacific Northwest insulating contractor (Seattle, Washington). Major employer of HFIAW Locals in the Pacific Northwest. Filed for asbestos-related bankruptcy.
Plant Insulation Company
California-based insulating contractor (Burlingame, CA). Dispatched insulators to refineries, shipyards, and industrial facilities across the West Coast. Filed for asbestos-related bankruptcy.
Manville Service Corporation
Insulation contracting subsidiary of Johns-Manville Corporation. Performed installation work at facilities where Johns-Manville asbestos-containing materials were specified. Folded into the broader Johns-Manville asbestos bankruptcy in 1982.
Holland Insulation
Regional insulating contractor named in publicly filed Midwest asbestos litigation. Documented as an employer of HFIAW Local insulators at industrial facilities.
Why Contractors Matter in Your Documentation
A complete asbestos-exposure history typically requires both:
- The job sites where you worked (the power plants, refineries, hospitals, factories — see the Workplaces section)
- The contractors who employed you at those sites (this page)
For each job, asbestos-attorney case preparation typically asks:
- Which contractor dispatched you?
- What years did you work for them?
- Which products did the contractor specify or install on that job?
- Were other trades (boilermakers, pipefitters, electricians) also working on-site?
Your union dispatch records (the Local’s hiring-hall logs), pay stubs, W-2s, and Social Security earnings statements are the records that connect you to specific contractors and specific jobs. The contractor name then links to the products documented in public litigation records — and to the bankruptcy trusts established by the now-bankrupt manufacturers of those products.
See the Trust Funds section for documentation requirements per trust, and the Local Unions section for resources on retrieving historical union dispatch records.
References to contractors, companies, and facilities reflect what has been alleged or documented in publicly filed asbestos litigation and union archives. This list is not exhaustive and inclusion does not constitute any finding of fact or liability. This site does not provide legal or medical advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by use of this site.