The Stephan Company has filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, hoping to reorganize debt, and likely will need to create an asbestos trust fund to pay victims in the future.
The company, which was founded in 1897, is a premier distributor of barber, beauty and personal care items. The grooming and personal care company claims to be the first professional men’s hair care company in the United States.
The distributor, which is based in Tampa, Florida, is using a Chapter 11 bankruptcy to restructure debt. It plans to continue operating under court supervision. According to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, the bankruptcy is tied to ongoing mesothelioma lawsuits. Filing for bankruptcy can halt lawsuits and protect the company from needing to settle cases individually – or be subject to verdicts.
Hair Products and Asbestos
Hair care products can contain asbestos, possibly through a link to talc. Asbestos and talc are both natural minerals found near each other in soil.
Asbestos is the only cause of mesothelioma, which is a deadly type of cancer. Asbestos can also cause lung cancer and ovarian cancer.
Talc is a mineral used to absorb moisture and keep skin dry. Many companies turn talc into what’s called talcum powder, which can hide loose asbestos fibers. Using products containing talcum powder can release these fibers into the air.
Users and others in a barber or home can inhale the asbestos fibers, which are sharp and can get stuck in cell linings in the body. Asbestos being trapped in the body can lead to cells mutating and turning into cancer.
Next Steps for the Stephan Company
According to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, the Stephan Company has ties to Gold Bond Company, which has been the defendant in thousands of cancer lawsuits. The lawsuits claim the company’s talc products contain asbestos and have led to ovarian cancer and mesothelioma.
According to court documents, the Stephan Company’s ties to talc and asbestos are also from an old subsidiary called Old 97 Co. There are more than 500 pending lawsuits against the Stephan Company.
“While Stephan will contend that the talc products manufactured by its prior subsidiary, Old 97 Co., were safe, Stephan is facing significant potential liability and litigation defense costs resulting from an increasing number of lawsuits alleging personal injuries caused by talc (allegedly contaminated with asbestos) that was processed and sold by Old 97 Co., a former subsidiary later merged into Stephan,” court documents read.
If the bankruptcy is approved, the Stephan Company must create what’s called an asbestos trust fund. This fund will set a compensation amount for future victims.
Contact Mesothelioma Guide to learn more about compensation for mesothelioma. Asbestos trust funds are a quick way to receive financial help in the face of a mesothelioma diagnosis. Email Carl Jewett at cjewett@mesotheliomaguide.com.
Sources & Author
- About The Stephan Company. The Stephan Co. Retrieved from: https://thestephanco.com/pages/about-us. Accessed: 12/23/2025.
- A Century-Old Grooming and Personal-Care Company Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. WhatNow Tampa. Retrieved from: https://whatnow.com/tampa/local-news/a-century-old-grooming-and-personal-care-company-files-for-chapter-11-bankruptcy/. Accessed: 12/23/2025.
- St. Pete company linked to mesothelioma lawsuits files for bankruptcy. Tampa Bay Business Journal. Retrieved from: https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2025/12/02/stephan-co-lawsuits-asbestos-chapter11.html. Accessed: 12/23/2025.
- The Stephan Co. Files Voluntary Petition For Chapter 11 Relief. OTC Markets. Retrieved from: https://www.otcmarkets.com/news-otcapi/news/document/content/id?id=86795. Accessed: 12/23/2025.
