Manufacturer: McQuay Inc. Headquarters: Minneapolis, Minnesota Founded: 1933 (incorporated as McQuay Inc.; origins as McQuay Radiator in the early twentieth century) Documented Asbestos Use: Mid-twentieth century (allegations in litigation records) Product Categories: Ventilation and convection heaters; unit heaters; unit ventilators; heat-transfer coils Legal Status: Tier 2 — Active and historical litigation; no bankruptcy trust established

Note on identity: McQuay Inc. of Minneapolis, a maker of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning equipment, is a separate and distinct company from McQuay-Norris Manufacturing Company, an automotive-parts maker. The two firms should not be conflated. This page concerns only McQuay Inc., the HVAC equipment manufacturer.

Company History

McQuay Inc. traces its origins to McQuay Radiator, a Minneapolis, Minnesota, manufacturer active in the early twentieth century, and was incorporated as McQuay Inc. in 1933. The company built a broad line of heating, ventilating, and heat-transfer equipment, including unit heaters, convection and ventilation heaters, unit ventilators, and heat-transfer coils, and became a leading supplier of heat-transfer coils and commercial air-handling equipment through the mid-twentieth century. McQuay later operated under successive ownership, including SnyderGeneral and, more recently, Daikin, under which the McQuay brand was eventually phased out.

McQuay heating and ventilating equipment was installed in schools, hospitals, commercial buildings, industrial facilities, and marine applications, where unit heaters and ventilators provided space heating and air circulation.

According to U.S. Navy machinery and equipment records, McQuay heating and ventilation equipment was documented as installed original equipment (OEM) aboard U.S. Navy vessels, including aircraft carriers such as USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and USS Forrestal (CVA-59). In shipboard service, heaters and ventilation units were installed in living, working, and machinery spaces alongside insulated steam and heating systems.

During the decades when heating and ventilating equipment of this type was manufactured — roughly the 1940s through the early 1980s — asbestos was a standard material in high-temperature gaskets, sealing, and thermal insulation across the industry. According to asbestos litigation records, workers who installed or maintained McQuay equipment during this era have alleged exposure to asbestos-containing components associated with those products.

Asbestos-Containing Products

McQuay did not manufacture asbestos as a raw material. However, according to asbestos litigation records, heaters, ventilators, and heat-transfer equipment associated with the company were alleged to have been furnished, installed, and maintained with asbestos-containing components during the period of their manufacture and use.

Gaskets were among the components most commonly identified in litigation involving heating and ventilating equipment of this type. Compressed asbestos fiber gaskets were an industry standard for sealing casings, access panels, coil connections, and flanged joints during the mid-twentieth century. Plaintiffs have alleged that unit heaters and ventilators were furnished and serviced with asbestos-containing gaskets.

Internal insulation and heat shielding used in heaters, unit ventilators, and casings that enclosed hot coils and heating elements is documented in litigation records involving heating equipment as an alleged source of asbestos fiber. Plaintiffs have alleged that thermal insulation associated with this equipment could release fibers when disturbed during installation, service, or removal.

External lagging and connected piping insulation. Steam and hot-water unit heaters were connected to insulated piping systems. Litigation records involving heating equipment allege that asbestos-containing insulation on the equipment and its connected piping was disturbed during installation and maintenance work.

Whether a specific McQuay model incorporated asbestos-containing components, and the extent of any such use, varies across individual cases and jurisdictions. Individuals seeking to confirm the composition of a particular unit are encouraged to consult product documentation from the relevant era or an attorney with access to product identification records.

Occupational Exposure

According to asbestos litigation records, exposure associated with heating and ventilating equipment of this type has been alleged across a range of commercial, industrial, and marine occupations. The following worker categories appear with regularity in claims involving heaters, ventilators, and heat-transfer equipment:

HVAC and Sheet-Metal Workers — Installers and service workers who mounted unit heaters and ventilators, connected them to ductwork and piping, and opened casings for service handled gaskets and insulation associated with this equipment.

Pipefitters and Steamfitters — Trades who connected steam and hot-water heaters into piping systems, and who broke and remade flanged joints, have alleged exposure to asbestos-containing gaskets.

Building Maintenance and Powerhouse Workers — Personnel responsible for keeping heating and ventilating equipment operational in schools, hospitals, and commercial buildings maintained heaters and ventilators as part of routine work.

Insulators — Workers who applied or removed thermal lagging on heaters and connected piping have alleged exposure to asbestos-containing insulation.

Navy Personnel and Shipyard Workers — Machinist’s mates, shipyard trades, and shipboard maintenance personnel who operated and serviced heating and ventilation equipment aboard naval vessels worked in enclosed spaces where insulated heating systems were in close proximity.

Bystander and Secondary Exposure — Litigation records also reflect claims by workers who were not directly servicing this equipment but worked nearby while others disturbed asbestos-containing gaskets or insulation, as well as family members exposed through take-home contamination on work clothing.

The period of heaviest alleged exposure corresponds approximately to the 1940s through the early 1980s, consistent with the broader industrial use of asbestos-containing materials before regulatory action by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prompted a significant reduction in asbestos use across American industry.

It should be noted that the latency period for asbestos-related diseases — including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and asbestos-related lung cancer — is typically between 20 and 50 years following initial exposure.

Trust Fund / Legal Status

McQuay Inc. is classified as a Tier 2 manufacturer for purposes of this reference site. This designation means that the company has been named as a defendant in asbestos-related litigation, but no dedicated asbestos bankruptcy trust fund has been established in its name. Accordingly, claims involving McQuay equipment are not resolved through a trust fund claims process in the same manner as claims against companies that reorganized under Chapter 11 specifically due to asbestos liability.

Plaintiffs have alleged in asbestos cases that asbestos-containing components were associated with McQuay heaters, ventilators, and heat-transfer equipment. Because the company has operated under successive ownership, including SnyderGeneral and Daikin, individuals pursuing legal claims may need to account for corporate succession when identifying appropriate defendants. An experienced asbestos attorney can assist in tracing corporate histories and identifying responsible parties.

For individuals who worked with McQuay equipment and were also exposed to asbestos-containing products from other manufacturers — a common circumstance in commercial, industrial, and marine environments — separate trust fund claims may be available through those manufacturers’ established asbestos trusts.

If you or a family member worked with or around McQuay unit heaters, ventilators, or heat-transfer equipment during the 1940s through the early 1980s and has since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer, legal options may be available.

Key points to understand:

  • McQuay Inc. (Minneapolis HVAC equipment) is distinct from McQuay-Norris (automotive parts); identifying the correct company is important when researching exposure history.
  • McQuay has been named in asbestos litigation, but does not operate a dedicated asbestos bankruptcy trust fund. Claims would be pursued through direct civil litigation rather than a trust claims process.
  • Corporate succession involving SnyderGeneral, Daikin, and other entities may be relevant to identifying proper defendants.
  • Workers exposed to multiple asbestos-containing products — as was common in schools, hospitals, power plants, shipyards, and other settings — may be eligible to file claims against multiple responsible parties, including manufacturers with established trust funds.
  • The long latency period for asbestos-related disease means that exposure from decades ago can give rise to claims today.
  • An attorney specializing in asbestos litigation can review your work history, identify relevant products and manufacturers, and advise on available legal remedies.

Documentation of your work history — including employers, job sites, job titles, and any product names or model numbers you can recall — is valuable when consulting with an attorney and should be preserved.

This reference article is provided for informational purposes to workers, families, and legal professionals researching asbestos exposure history. It does not constitute legal advice. Product identification and litigation history are drawn from publicly available court records and regulatory documentation.