Johns Manville

Johns Manville is an American company based in Denver, Colorado, that manufactures insulation, roofing materials and engineered products.

For much of the 20th century, the then-titled Johns-Manville Corporation was the global leader in the manufacture of asbestos-containing products, including asbestos pipe insulation, asbestos shingles, asbestos roofing materials and asbestos cement pipe.

The Johns-Manville Corporation went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1928 and was included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average from 1930 (replaced the North American Company) to 1982 (replaced by American Express). It was a Fortune 500 company in each of the years 1955-1996. The company had crossed the $10 million revenue threshold in 1911. The $100 million mark was first exceeded in 1942 during World War 2 and then in peace-time in 1947. In 1981, Johns-Manville Corporation was renamed simply Manville.

In 1982, facing unprecedented liability for asbestos injury claims, the company voluntarily filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

Berkshire Hathaway bought the company in 2001.

Today, Johns Manville is still a manufacturer and marketer of (asbestos-free) products for building insulation, mechanical insulation, commercial roofing and roof insulation, as well as fibers and non-woven materials for commercial, industrial and residential applications. The company serves markets that include aerospace, automotive and transportation, air handling, appliance, HVAC, pipe and equipment, filtration, waterproofing, building, flooring, interiors and wind energy. Johns Manville has annual sales over $4.5 billion. The company employs 8,000 people and operates 46 manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe.