Why Mesothelioma Cases Occur in Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin built its industrial reputation on heavy manufacturing, brewing, and lakefront commerce. For much of the 20th century, the city was home to an extraordinary concentration of heavy equipment manufacturers: Allis-Chalmers produced turbines, generators, and mining equipment; A.O. Smith manufactured water heaters, automotive frames, and industrial equipment; Briggs & Stratton built engines; Falk Corporation produced industrial gears and couplings. Each of these operations relied on asbestos for heat resistance, insulation, and fireproofing in both their products and their facilities.
According to WikiMesothelioma.com, heavy manufacturing and power generation workers face among the highest risks of occupational asbestos exposure in the United States. Milwaukee's diverse industrial base — spanning heavy equipment, engines, brewing, power generation, and port operations — meant that asbestos exposure was not concentrated in a single industry but was distributed across the entire city's economy.
Beyond manufacturing, Milwaukee's We Energies (formerly Wisconsin Electric Power Company) power plants used asbestos insulation throughout their generating stations. The Port of Milwaukee handled cargo including asbestos products and provided ship repair services where asbestos insulation was standard. Even Milwaukee's famous breweries — Miller, Pabst, and Schlitz — used asbestos insulation in their steam systems, boilers, and pasteurization equipment. The result was a city where asbestos exposure reached into virtually every corner of the working landscape.
The 20-to-50-Year Latency Period
Mesothelioma does not appear immediately after asbestos exposure. The disease has a latency period of 20 to 50 years, meaning workers exposed in Milwaukee's factories, power plants, and breweries during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s are being diagnosed now. A turbine assembler at Allis-Chalmers who handled asbestos insulation in 1968 may only receive a mesothelioma diagnosis in 2025 or later. This extended latency period is why Milwaukee continues to produce new mesothelioma cases decades after its industrial peak.
Milwaukee workers frequently moved between employers within the city's manufacturing sector, accumulating asbestos exposure at multiple facilities. A machinist might have worked at Allis-Chalmers, then A.O. Smith, and later at a We Energies power plant — each job adding to the cumulative exposure burden. This multi-employer history strengthens legal claims by connecting patients to multiple trust funds and defendants.
Milwaukee's Asbestos Legacy by the Numbers
At its industrial peak, Milwaukee's major manufacturers employed tens of thousands of workers. The Allis-Chalmers West Allis complex alone was one of the largest manufacturing campuses in the Midwest. Asbestos was used in the products these companies made, in the facilities where they worked, and in the power plants and infrastructure that supported operations. Wisconsin ranks among the states with notable mesothelioma incidence, and Milwaukee's diversified industrial base is a primary contributor. If you worked at any manufacturing plant, power station, brewery, or port facility in the Milwaukee area, documenting your asbestos exposure history is a critical first step.
