Manufacturer: Reliance Electric Company Headquarters: Cleveland, Ohio Founded: 1904 (Reliance Electric name adopted 1909) Documented Asbestos Use: Mid-twentieth century (allegations in litigation records) Product Categories: Electric drive motors for pumps and valves; industrial and adjustable-speed electric motors Legal Status: Tier 2 — Active and historical litigation; no bankruptcy trust established

Company History

Reliance Electric Company traces its founding to 1904 in Cleveland, Ohio, through the work of industrialist Peter M. Hitchcock and inventor John C. Lincoln, who developed early adjustable-speed direct-current motors. Operating first under the Lincoln name, the enterprise became the Reliance Electric & Engineering Company in 1909 and grew into one of the country’s major manufacturers of industrial electric motors. Reliance motors were used to drive machinery throughout American industry — including steel mills, manufacturing plants, and pumping and valve installations — and the company remained a significant motor manufacturer through the twentieth century before being acquired by Exxon in 1979 and later by Rockwell.

Reliance electric drive motors were applied as prime movers for pumps, valves, fans, and other machinery in industrial and marine service, where a motor’s windings and internal components operated at elevated temperatures and required electrical and thermal insulation.

According to U.S. Navy machinery and equipment records, Reliance Electric drive motors were 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, drive motors powered pumps, valves, and auxiliary machinery in engineering and machinery spaces.

During the decades when industrial electric motors of this type were manufactured — roughly the 1940s through the early 1980s — asbestos was a standard material used for electrical insulation, arc resistance, and thermal protection in motors and electrical equipment across the industry. According to asbestos litigation records, workers who installed or maintained Reliance motors during this era have alleged exposure to asbestos-containing components associated with those products.

Asbestos-Containing Products

Reliance Electric did not manufacture asbestos as a raw material. However, according to asbestos litigation records, electric motors associated with the company were alleged to have incorporated, or to have been installed and maintained with, asbestos-containing components during the period of their manufacture and use.

Electrical winding and slot insulation. Asbestos was widely used as an electrical and thermal insulating material in motor windings, slot liners, and phase insulation during the mid-twentieth century because of its heat resistance. Plaintiffs have alleged that motors of this era incorporated asbestos-containing electrical insulation, and that rewinding or servicing motors could disturb these materials.

Gaskets and terminal insulation. Litigation records involving electrical equipment allege that gaskets sealing motor housings and terminal boxes, and insulating components at terminal connections and lead exits, contained asbestos.

Associated equipment insulation. Because motors drove pumps, valves, and other machinery that were themselves insulated or gasketed, litigation records involving motor-driven equipment allege that asbestos-containing gaskets and insulation on the connected machinery were disturbed during installation and maintenance work.

Whether a specific Reliance motor 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 industrial electric motors of this type has been alleged across a range of industrial and marine occupations. The following worker categories appear with regularity in claims involving electric motors and motor-driven equipment:

Electricians and Motor-Repair Workers — Workers who installed, wired, rewound, and serviced electric motors handled winding insulation, slot liners, and terminal components alleged to contain asbestos.

Millwrights and Machinery Mechanics — Maintenance personnel who mounted, aligned, and rebuilt motor-driven pumps and valves were among those who could disturb asbestos-containing gaskets and insulation on the equipment, according to plaintiffs’ allegations.

Pipefitters and Pump Mechanics — Trades who maintained the pumps and valves that Reliance motors drove worked in close proximity to the connected motors and to gasketed and insulated equipment.

Powerhouse and Industrial Maintenance Workers — Personnel responsible for keeping plant machinery operational serviced motors and their driven equipment as part of routine work.

Navy Personnel and Shipyard Workers — Electrician’s mates, machinist’s mates, and shipyard trades who installed and maintained drive motors and motor-driven machinery aboard naval vessels worked in enclosed machinery spaces where insulated electrical and steam systems were in close proximity.

Bystander and Secondary Exposure — Litigation records also reflect claims by workers who were not directly servicing motors but worked nearby while others disturbed asbestos-containing insulation or gaskets, 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

Reliance Electric Company 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 Reliance motors 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 Reliance electric motors. Because the company passed through corporate ownership including Exxon and Rockwell, 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 Reliance motors and were also exposed to asbestos-containing products from other manufacturers — a common circumstance in 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 Reliance electric motors 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:

  • Reliance Electric 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 Exxon, Rockwell, and other entities may be relevant to identifying proper defendants.
  • Workers exposed to multiple asbestos-containing products — as was common in steel mills, power plants, shipyards, and other industrial 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.