James Hardie Industries
Corporate brand
UnclaimedGlobal building-materials company and major manufacturer of fibre-cement siding, cladding and construction backer-board products.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
James Hardie Industries plc is an Irish-domiciled, American-Irish building-materials company whose principal business is the manufacture and sale of fibre-cement products. The company is best known for exterior siding and cladding systems marketed under the James Hardie name, together with construction backer board and related products. Fibre cement is generally made from cement, sand and reinforcing cellulose or wood fibres, and is promoted for its durability, design flexibility, resistance to moisture and fire, and relatively low maintenance requirements. The business originated in Australia in 1888, when James Hardie, an emigrant from Linlithgow, Scotland, established an importing enterprise in Melbourne dealing in oils and animal hides. Andrew Reid joined him and became a partner in 1895. Hardie later retired and sold his interest to Reid. During the twentieth century the company expanded into building products, insulation, pipes and brake linings. It became a major producer of asbestos-cement materials and other asbestos-containing products, operating plants across several Australian states. Exposure associated with those historical operations caused serious disease, including asbestosis and mesothelioma, and ultimately produced extensive litigation, compensation claims and regulatory scrutiny. The company developed asbestos-free fibre cement during the 1980s and completed its transition away from asbestos production in 1987. This technology became the foundation of its modern business. The change also marked a strategic shift from a diversified Australian industrial manufacturer toward an international specialist in fibre-cement building systems. Its portfolio now covers siding, exterior cladding, trim, soffits and interior construction boards, serving residential construction, remodeling and selected commercial applications. James Hardie was listed on the Sydney Stock Exchange in 1951 and is now listed in Australia and the United States. Its corporate domicile moved from Australia to the Netherlands in 2001 and then to Ireland in 2010. The company maintains a corporate presence in Chicago and operates manufacturing facilities in multiple countries, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines. North America is a particularly important market for its branded siding and cladding systems. The company’s history remains inseparable from the asbestos compensation controversy. In the 1990s and early 2000s, asbestos-related subsidiaries were separated from the parent company and transferred to the Medical Research and Compensation Foundation. Subsequent actuarial reassessments indicated that the foundation’s resources were insufficient for projected claims. A New South Wales judicial inquiry criticized the company’s disclosures and the assumptions used to estimate liabilities. Following sustained pressure from victims, unions and governments, James Hardie agreed to establish a long-term voluntary compensation arrangement. Shareholders approved the scheme in 2007. Related proceedings against former directors and executives continued for years, with the High Court of Australia in 2012 upholding findings that seven former non-executive directors had misled the stock exchange about the compensation fund. Today, James Hardie presents itself primarily as a global fibre-cement technology and building-products company. Its competitive proposition combines branded materials, product systems, installation guidance and design options rather than relying solely on commodity construction materials. The legacy asbestos matters continue to form a significant part of the company’s public history, while its current commercial identity is centered on asbestos-free fibre-cement products for new construction and renovation.
History
James Hardie began in Melbourne in 1888 as an importing business founded by Scottish emigrant James Hardie. Andrew Reid joined the enterprise and became a partner in 1895. After Hardie retired in 1911, Reid acquired his half of the business. The company subsequently expanded from imports into industrial and building products. By the middle of the twentieth century, James Hardie had become a large Australian manufacturer and distributor of building materials, insulation, pipes and brake linings. Many of its products used asbestos, including asbestos-cement sheets. The company operated asbestos facilities in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. Workers and other people exposed to asbestos associated with these operations later developed diseases including asbestosis, pleural abnormalities and mesothelioma. The company listed on the Sydney Stock Exchange in 1951. In 1961 its brake-lining activities were combined with Turner & Newall’s Ferodo business, creating Hardie-Ferodo, in which James Hardie initially held 60 percent. It acquired the remaining interest in 1980. During the 1970s and 1980s, the health consequences of asbestos became increasingly evident. James Hardie began placing warnings on products in 1978, developed asbestos-free fibre cement during the 1980s, and ceased asbestos manufacturing in March 1987. The asbestos legacy later became the defining corporate controversy in the company’s history. During the 1990s, the group transferred assets from subsidiaries that carried asbestos liabilities. In 2001 those subsidiaries were separated from James Hardie and transferred to the Medical Research and Compensation Foundation. The same year, the corporate parent moved its domicile to the Netherlands, citing tax and shareholder benefits. Statements that the foundation was adequately funded were later challenged as future claims were reassessed. The foundation’s projected liabilities rose substantially, and concern grew that victims would not receive full compensation. The New South Wales government commissioned a judicial inquiry in February 2004. The inquiry criticized the actuarial assumptions and the company’s representations about the fund, although it found that the parent company was not legally obliged at that time to provide compensation. Political pressure, union campaigns and government action led to negotiations for a new compensation structure. James Hardie agreed in December 2004 to support a voluntary fund, but tax and legal issues delayed implementation. In February 2007, shareholders approved the final scheme by an overwhelming majority. ASIC proceedings against former directors and executives followed. In 2009, the New South Wales Supreme Court found that directors had misled the stock exchange regarding the company’s ability to fund asbestos claims. Appeals produced differing intermediate outcomes, but in 2012 the High Court upheld findings against seven former non-executive directors. Former chief executive Peter Macdonald received a substantially longer banning period and a fine in connection with the matter. Alongside the compensation controversy, James Hardie continued internationalizing its asbestos-free fibre-cement business. The corporate domicile moved to Ireland in 2010, while management operations became associated with Chicago. The modern group focuses on branded siding, cladding, trim and backer-board systems for residential and commercial construction in North America, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and other markets. Its public identity therefore combines a major global fibre-cement business with a long-running and consequential asbestos legacy.
- 2012
High Court confirms directors’ liability findings
[1]Australia’s High Court upheld findings that seven former non-executive directors misled the stock exchange about asbestos compensation funding.
- 2010
Corporate domicile moves to Ireland
[1]James Hardie transferred its corporate domicile to Ireland.
- 2007
Compensation scheme approved
[1]Shareholders approved the long-term asbestos compensation scheme by 99.6 percent.
- 2004
New South Wales judicial inquiry begins
[1]The state government commissioned an inquiry into the compensation fund, corporate disclosures and the treatment of asbestos liabilities.
- 2001
Corporate domicile moves to the Netherlands
[1]The parent company moved its domicile from Australia to the Netherlands while asbestos-related subsidiaries were separated into the Medical Research and Compensation Foundation.
- 1987
Asbestos manufacturing ends
[1]James Hardie ceased manufacturing asbestos-containing products after developing asbestos-free fibre-cement technology.
- 1978
Product warnings introduced
[1]The company began warning that inhalation of asbestos dust could cause cancer.
- 1961
Hardie-Ferodo is formed
[1]James Hardie combined its brake-lining division with Turner & Newall’s Ferodo business and initially retained a 60 percent holding.
- 1951
Listed on the Sydney Stock Exchange
[1]The company became publicly listed in Australia during its asbestos-cement and industrial-products era.
- 1895
Andrew Reid becomes a partner
[1]Andrew Reid joined the business and became a full partner with James Hardie.
Products and positioning
Branded, design-oriented and performance-focused building materials positioned above undifferentiated commodity cladding, emphasizing durability, fire and moisture resistance, appearance, installation systems and low maintenance.
Exterior building products
James Hardie fibre-cement siding and cladding
Branded fibre-cement boards and panels for residential and selected commercial exteriors. The range is marketed around durability, appearance, fire resistance, weather performance and reduced maintenance, with multiple profiles, textures and finishes intended to imitate or complement timber and other cladding styles.
Cement backer board
HardieBacker
Cement backer-board products used as a substrate beneath tile and other interior finishes, particularly in areas exposed to moisture. The system is designed to provide a stable, cementitious base for installation rather than serving as a decorative exterior cladding product.
Exterior trim
HardieTrim
Fibre-cement trim and accessory products used around windows, doors, corners, rooflines and other details. Trim products extend the siding system into a coordinated exterior package and provide design options intended to reduce reliance on separate wood components.
Controversies
2009
New South Wales court findings concerning investor disclosures
The New South Wales Supreme Court found that former directors had misled the stock exchange about the group’s capacity to fund asbestos claims; later litigation culminated in a 2012 High Court ruling.
2004
Medical Research and Compensation Foundation controversy
The company faced intense criticism after asbestos liabilities were separated from the operating group and the foundation holding them was later found to have inadequate resources under revised estimates.
Marketing campaigns
- 1988Australian Library of Fine Arts donation
Australia
For Australia’s bicentenary, James Hardie donated a major Australian art collection to the State Library of Queensland.
Outcome. The collection became known as the James Hardie Library of Australian Fine Arts and entered the library’s arts and rare-books holdings.
- 1981Parramatta Eels shirt sponsorship
Australia
James Hardie sponsored the Parramatta Eels’ playing shirts during a long-running Australian sports-marketing relationship.
Outcome. The initial shirt-sponsorship period ran through 1995, with sponsorship reported as resuming in 2025.
- 1968Bathurst naming-rights sponsorship
Australia
James Hardie became naming-rights sponsor of the Bathurst 500 and later Bathurst 1000 motor race, continuing the association through 1987.
Outcome. The sponsorship ended after the 1987 event period.
Brand decisions
2010
Move of corporate domicile to IrelandStrategyBackground
Following its earlier Netherlands domicile, James Hardie continued to reorganize its international corporate structure.
Action taken
The company moved its corporate domicile to Ireland while maintaining major operating and management activities outside Ireland.
Aftermath
Ireland became the company’s legal headquarters, while Chicago became an important management location.
2007
Approval of asbestos compensation schemeOtherBackground
Revised estimates showed that the earlier compensation foundation could not adequately meet expected future claims, prompting political and social pressure for a new arrangement.
Action taken
The company negotiated and submitted a voluntary compensation scheme to shareholders, who approved it by 99.6 percent.
Aftermath
The scheme began operating in 2007 and became the principal framework for eligible asbestos victims associated with the company’s historical operations.
2001
Move of corporate domicile to the NetherlandsStrategyBackground
The company sought tax and shareholder advantages while continuing to operate an international building-products business.
Action taken
James Hardie relocated its corporate domicile to the Netherlands and separated asbestos-related subsidiaries into the Medical Research and Compensation Foundation.
Aftermath
The structure became a central issue in the later compensation controversy and judicial inquiry.
Claimed tax savings over seven years. $86 million (2001 relocation plan)
1987
Complete transition to asbestos-free fibre cementStrategyBackground
Growing evidence of asbestos-related disease created severe health, legal and reputational risks for the company’s historical product portfolio.
Action taken
James Hardie ended asbestos manufacturing and adopted asbestos-free fibre-cement production as the technological basis of its future building-materials business.
Aftermath
The transition became central to the company’s modern identity, although historical asbestos liabilities continued for decades.
Recent events
Reported
James Hardie launches It’s Possible campaign[2]
James Hardie launched its It’s Possible global marketing campaign, including television, digital, social media, public relations, influencer and media activity. Television commercials were scheduled to begin airing in major U.S. metro markets on April 30, 2021.
Reported
James Hardie appoints Jason Miele as CFO[3]
James Hardie announced Jason Miele's appointment as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately; interim CFO Anne Lloyd stepped down from that position and remained a non-executive board member.
Reported
James Hardie receives the 2020 Crystal Vision Award[4]
James Hardie Building Products Inc. received the 2020 Crystal Vision Award from World Vision for its philanthropic efforts.
Sources4 sources
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