Historical insulation research
Kaylo Ownership and Manufacturing Timeline
Trace Owens-Illinois, Owens Corning, manufacturing locations and dates.
1943–1948: development and commercial production
Historical testimony describes limited Owens-Illinois pilot operations beginning in 1943 and commercial Kaylo manufacture beginning around 1948. The company operated Kaylo facilities in Berlin and Sayreville, New Jersey, during parts of this period.
1953: a distribution change
Under a 1953 agreement, Owens-Illinois continued manufacturing Kaylo while Owens Corning took responsibility for distribution. That helps explain why a worker might remember Owens Corning branding before the manufacturing business changed ownership.
1958: sale of the Kaylo division
Owens Corning purchased the Kaylo division in 1958, including manufacturing assets. Court opinions and testimony trace the transition and the Berlin plant.
1960s–1972: later production and reformulation
Kaylo continued as an Owens Corning product. Judicial accounts describe efforts to replace asbestos in the formulation and identify 1972 as the end of manufacture of asbestos-containing Kaylo.
A note about company names
Owens-Illinois and Owens Corning are distinct companies. Both appear in Kaylo history, but their roles changed over time.
Continue exploring
Kaylo Historical Insulation Library
The Kaylo name, makers, ownership changes, historical product forms and original records.
Explore history →Kaylo Pipe Covering History
Recognize half-round insulation sections, fitting work, hot piping and maintenance.
Explore history →Kaylo Block Insulation History
Rigid insulation blocks, cutting, fitting and high-temperature equipment.
Explore history →Kaylo Insulation: Trades and Workplaces
How insulators, pipefitters, mechanics, laborers and shipyard workers encountered insulation work.
Explore history →Kaylo Historical Records and Archives
Court opinions, testimony, company records and archival photographs.
Explore history →Selected source records
Maryland Court of Appeals, Owens-Illinois v. Armstrong (1992)
Illinois appellate record, Kaylo manufacturing and distribution stipulation
University of Toledo, Owens Corning corporate archives finding aid
ToxicDocs, Kaylo division testimony and manufacturing records
Start with what you remember
You do not need to know the product manufacturer before asking for help investigating a work or family exposure history.
Original historical documents
Read the Kaylo records at ToxicDocs
These source documents connect the product history to the actual historical record.
1953 · Owens-Illinois / Owens-Corning agreement, reproduced in discovery
Kaylo sales and distribution agreement
Historical agreement identifies the parties and distribution arrangements beginning in 1953.
1987 · Court testimony reproducing Owens-Illinois discovery responses
Kaylo manufacturing and plant testimony
Testimony identifies Berlin and Sayreville plant periods, product composition and the 1958 sale.
1991 · Owens-Corning litigation discovery
Owens-Corning interrogatory responses
Responses discuss the historical Kaylo product, rebranding under Hy-Lo and Armstrong LK, and development of asbestos-free Kaylo.
1996 · Owens-Illinois litigation discovery
Owens-Illinois interrogatory answers
Corporate responses address the April 1958 transfer and custody of historical records.
Additional historical court records
Explore original court opinions and documentary leads on the Saranac research, Kaylo manufacturing and distribution, the 1958 business transfer, and carton labeling. Read the Kaylo court-records research →