Northern District of Georgia Judge Julie Carnes denied defendant Masco motion for summary judgment in a case alleging that Masco, a large insulation contractor, orchestrated a price fixing cartel amoung four of the five largest fiberglass insulation manufacturers. The complaint alleges that because of its size, Masco was able to negotiate lower prices from the manufacturers than its numerous smaller competitors. Masco went further, however, extracting agreements from the manufacturers to ensure a specific price spread. The manufacturers are said to have participated in the scheme in order to obtain Masco support for increated fiberglass insulation prices. The court cited documents reflecting that the manufacturers needed to clear price changes with Masco to ensure that they did not violate the agree upon spread. The court also certified a nationwide class of insulation contractors.