Plenco — Plastics Engineering Company

Plenco (Plastics Engineering Company) was founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1934 and later relocated operations to Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The company manufactured phenolic molding compounds — including the Plenco 343 and Plenco 316 grades, among others — through the asbestos era.

Asbestos use period

Plenco used asbestos as a filler in phenolic molding compounds from 1950 through 1983. This is one of the longest documented asbestos-use timelines among the major compound manufacturers, extending several years past most of its competitors.

Plants

  • Chicago, Illinois (1934-1950s) — original founding location, Illinois manufacturing operations
  • Sheboygan, Wisconsin (1950s-present) — current operations, where asbestos-phenolic compound manufacturing continued through 1983

Litigation history

The Plenco litigation history is one of the most quantitatively documented in this category:

  • Liberty Mutual Insurance paid $14.3 million in settlements and judgments on Plenco asbestos exposure claims (publicly reported)
  • Multiple worker-exposure cases involving both compound manufacturing employees and downstream molding-shop workers
  • The 1950-1983 asbestos use window means Plenco-related claims may involve more recent worker employment than most asbestos-era cases

Plenco product grades

The Plenco product line included multiple asbestos-filled phenolic compound grades:

  • Plenco 343 — general-purpose phenolic molding compound
  • Plenco 316 — phenolic molding compound for electrical applications
  • Other grades for specialized industrial molding

These specific grades are documented on the AsbestosIndex product archive with full product reference pages.

Worker exposure pathways at Plenco plants

Workers at the Chicago and Sheboygan Plenco operations were exposed during raw asbestos handling, compound formulation, pelletizing, packaging, and shipping. The extended use timeline through 1983 means workers employed in the late 1970s and early 1980s may also have substantial exposure history.

If you worked with this company’s asbestos-phenolic compounds

Worker exposure documentation typically includes: pay stubs and W-2s showing employment dates, union dispatch records (for union-shop members), social security earnings statements, and any company-issued product or material safety information you may have retained.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956

All consultations are free. No fee unless a financial recovery is made on your behalf.

References to manufacturers, products, and litigation history reflect what has been alleged or documented in publicly filed asbestos litigation, federal regulatory records, and industry archives. This information does not constitute a finding of fact or liability.