About S.C. Johnson And Son Racine Manufacturing Racine Wisconsin
S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. — the maker of Windex, Pledge, Raid, and Johnson’s Wax — has operated its global headquarters and primary manufacturing operations in Racine, Wisconsin since 1886. The Racine campus expanded repeatedly throughout the twentieth century and ultimately included multiple production buildings for consumer products manufacturing, warehousing and distribution operations, research laboratories, aerosol filling lines and pressurized equipment systems, chemical blending and processing facilities, boiler houses and steam distribution systems, and architectural elements designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Racine sits at the heart of a southeastern Wisconsin industrial corridor that includes Milwaukee, West Allis, and Kenosha — a region where asbestos-containing materials were used extensively across dozens of major manufacturers throughout the mid-twentieth century. The SC Johnson campus was part of this broader Wisconsin industrial ecosystem, drawing on the same regional supply chains, insulation contractors, and union tradespeople who worked across the area and performed work at other heavily contaminated facilities.
The SC Johnson Racine complex, like virtually every large American manufacturing facility built or expanded between 1920 and the late 1970s, reportedly incorporated asbestos-containing materials into construction, insulation systems, and process equipment. Engineers specified these products deliberately because manufacturers marketed them aggressively for thermal resistance, chemical stability, fire retardance, and cost advantage.
SC Johnson’s manufacturing operations created specific conditions requiring heavy use of these materials: industrial boilers operating above 300°F, reportedly insulated with Thermobestos and calcium silicate pipe insulation pipe and block insulation; pressurized equipment in aerosol filling and chemical processing lines potentially incorporating gaskets and packing and other asbestos-containing components; asbestos-containing pipe covering and insulation materials used extensively throughout steam distribution and process piping systems; asbestos-containing electrical panels, switchgear, and wire insulation in electrical systems; and asbestos-containing ceiling tiles, floor tiles, roofing felts, and fireproofing products in structural and building materials.
The same manufacturers whose products allegedly appeared at SC Johnson’s Racine facility also reportedly supplied asbestos-containing materials to other major Wisconsin manufacturers of the same era, including Allen-Bradley in Milwaukee, Allis-Chalmers in West Allis, Falk Corporation in Milwaukee, and A.O. Smith in Milwaukee — establishing a well-documented regional pattern of asbestos use across southeastern Wisconsin industrial employment.
General Equipment at S.C. Johnson And Son Racine Manufacturing Racine Wisconsin
The equipment below represents the systems and infrastructure documented or typically present at this facility during the era when asbestos-containing materials were specified in industrial construction. This is general facility-equipment reference — not a legal attribution of any specific product, manufacturer, or exposure event to this facility. Material-category and manufacturer information is addressed in the AsbestosIndex Product Crosswalk linked under the records table below.
Documented Asbestos Evidence — Wisconsin
The records below are verified, state-documented asbestos removals at this facility. Each entry represents a regulated abatement project where the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Wisconsin DNR) was notified under federal NESHAP rules, the work was logged, and the asbestos-containing material was confirmed and removed under regulated conditions. These are not allegations or estimates — they are paper records tying documented asbestos-containing material to this specific site.
No Wisconsin DNR NESHAP abatement notifications have been identified for this facility in current public records. Per the framing above, absence of state-agency documentation should not be read as absence of asbestos — only as absence of a formal, regulated abatement event meeting reporting thresholds. Workers who recall encountering pipe insulation, block insulation, gaskets, or other asbestos-era construction materials at this facility may still have viable claims regardless of whether a state record exists.
Material Categories in Documented Records
The materials documented above (and similar asbestos-containing materials commonly encountered in records of this type) appear in the AsbestosIndex catalog with historical manufacturer and trust-fund information. Click a category to view manufacturers historically associated with that material:
Who May Have Been Exposed at S.C. Johnson And Son Racine Manufacturing Racine Wisconsin
Heat and Frost Insulators applied, removed, and repaired thermal insulation on pipes, boilers, vessels, and ductwork throughout the facility. They may have worked directly with asbestos-containing pipe covering products Thermobestos and calcium silicate pipe insulation, along with block insulation from these manufacturers. Cutting, fitting, and stripping asbestos-containing materials generated fine, respirable fibers at concentrations far exceeding safe occupational thresholds. Asbestos Workers Local 19 members, representing heat and frost insulators in the Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin region, may have performed work at the SC Johnson Racine facility or at similarly situated Wisconsin industrial campuses during this era.
Pipefitters and Steamfitters worked in boiler rooms, chemical processing areas, and utility corridors throughout the campus. They may have maintained insulated piping systems wrapped with asbestos cloth, with flanged connections sealed by asbestos-containing gaskets. They frequently worked alongside insulators stripping asbestos-containing insulation, creating bystander exposure even when not directly handling the material. Pipefitters Local 601 members, representing the Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin area, may have performed work at the SC Johnson Racine facility.
Boilermakers built, maintained, repaired, and inspected industrial boilers during scheduled outages and maintenance cycles. They may have handled asbestos-containing block insulation, refractory materials, high-temperature gaskets, and rope packing. They reportedly stripped and replaced asbestos-containing insulation in confined spaces, generating heavy fiber release. Boilermakers Local 107, based in Milwaukee, may have performed maintenance and repair work at the SC Johnson Racine facility during this era.
Electricians worked across the Racine campus in electrical systems and infrastructure throughout multiple building systems. They may have encountered asbestos-containing materials in electrical panels and arc chutes, wire insulation products, and fireproofing materials. Cutting through asbestos-containing fireproofing or ceiling tiles to route conduit was routine work throughout this era. IBEW Local 494 members may have performed electrical work at the SC Johnson Racine facility or at similar Wisconsin industrial facilities.
Maintenance Mechanics and Millwrights performed daily equipment maintenance and repairs throughout the facility. They may have encountered asbestos-containing materials in virtually every operational area, repaired equipment, cleaned up insulation debris, and disturbed asbestos-containing materials — often without adequate hazard knowledge or protective equipment.
Aerosol Line Operators and Chemical Process Workers assigned to aerosol filling lines and chemical processing areas with pressurized equipment may have been exposed to asbestos-containing gasket materials, insulation debris, and deteriorating ceiling and floor materials in high-traffic production environments.
Laborers and Custodial Workers cleaned production areas, boiler rooms, and maintenance shops throughout the campus. They may have swept or disturbed accumulated asbestos dust from insulation debris, releasing fibers through resuspension, sustaining repeated exposures over years to asbestos-containing materials.
Administrative and Clerical Workers, while generally at lower risk than trades workers, may have been exposed to asbestos-containing ceiling tiles, floor materials, and fireproofing products in office areas. Exposure risk increased for employees working in older building sections or areas undergoing renovation.
Wisconsin — Filing Deadline & Next Steps
Wisconsin law gives mesothelioma and asbestos-disease claimants 3 years from the date of medical diagnosis to file a personal-injury lawsuit (Wis. Stat. § 893.54). For wrongful-death claims after an asbestos-related death, the filing window is 3 years from the date of death (Wis. Stat. § 893.54). The two deadlines run on separate tracks — preserving one does not extend the other.
The personal-injury clock runs from diagnosis, not from exposure. Mesothelioma latency is typically 20 to 50 years, so workers exposed in the 1950s–1980s are being diagnosed today.
Practical first steps
- Document what you remember. Pay stubs, W-2s, union cards, photographs, coworker names, and dates of employment. The WorkChain widget on this page can save a copy you can email yourself.
- Preserve medical records. Pathology reports, biopsy results, imaging, and pulmonary-function tests are central to both civil claims and trust-fund filings.
- Identify household members. Spouses who laundered work clothing and children of plant workers are eligible for secondary-exposure claims when diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease.
- Speak with an asbestos attorney with Wisconsin experience. The first conversation is free and confidential. Asbestos trust-fund claims and civil claims run on different tracks — both can be pursued in parallel.
Asbestos-Related Diseases — Wisconsin
Asbestos fiber exposure can cause several specific diseases that typically appear decades after the original exposure. The latency period — the gap between exposure and diagnosis — usually runs 20 to 50 years. That's why workers exposed in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s are receiving diagnoses today.
Mesothelioma
A rare, aggressive cancer that affects the lining of the lungs (pleural mesothelioma), abdomen (peritoneal), or heart (pericardial). Mesothelioma is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure, which is why a mesothelioma diagnosis often points directly to historical workplace exposure. Average latency from first exposure to diagnosis is 30-50 years.
Asbestosis
A chronic, non-cancerous scarring of lung tissue caused by inhaled asbestos fibers. Asbestosis causes progressive shortness of breath, persistent cough, and reduced lung function. It does not improve with treatment, and it is a recognized basis for compensation under most trust schedules and civil claims.
Lung Cancer
Asbestos exposure significantly increases the risk of lung cancer, particularly when combined with a history of smoking. Asbestos-related lung cancer is compensable under the same trust schedules and civil claim avenues as mesothelioma.
Other Recognized Diseases
Pleural plaques, pleural thickening, laryngeal cancer, ovarian cancer, and certain gastrointestinal cancers are also recognized as asbestos-related under various trust schedules and case-law authorities, though eligibility and proof requirements vary by claim type.
If you have any of these diagnoses and you worked at this facility, lived with someone who did, or were exposed in any documented capacity, you may have a claim worth pursuing. Speak with an attorney before assuming you don't qualify.
Data Sources — Wisconsin
Information about facility equipment, industrial materials, and occupational records referenced on this page is drawn from publicly available sources where applicable, including:
- EPA ECHO Facility Compliance Database — enforcement and compliance records for industrial facilities
- OSHA Establishment Search — federal workplace inspection history
- EIA Form 860 Plant Data — power-plant equipment and ownership records (where applicable)
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources NESHAP asbestos abatement notification records
- Published asbestos trial and trust fund records (publicly filed court documents)
- AsbestosIndex Product & Manufacturer Crosswalk — historical asbestos-containing product schedules linked to manufacturers
If specific equipment or product claims in this article are sourced from a non-public database, the source is identified parenthetically within the text above.