3M
Encyclopedia
3M Company formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational
conglomerate
corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota
, United States
.
With over 80,000 employees, they produce more than 55,000 products, including: adhesive
s, abrasive
s, laminate
s, passive fire protection
, dental products, electronic materials, medical products, car care products (such as sun films, polish, wax, car shampoo, treatment for the exterior, interior and the under chassis rust protection), electronic circuits and optical films. 3M has operations in more than 60 countries – 29 international companies with manufacturing operations, and 35 with laboratories. 3M products are available for purchase through distributors and retailers in more than 200 countries, and many 3M products are available online directly from the company.
in Illgen City
before moving to Two Harbors
in 1902. The company moved to Duluth
, and then to St. Paul
, staying for 52 years before outgrowing the campus and moving to its current headquarters at 3M Centre in Maplewood
. The new campus in Maplewood is 475 acres (1.9 km²) and has over 50 buildings, including an Innovation Center that displays products 3M has taken to market.
The company began by mining stone from quarries for use in grinding wheels. Struggling with quality and marketing of its products, management supported its workers to innovate and develop new products which became its core business. Twelve years after being founded, 3M developed its first exclusive product: Three-M-ite cloth. Other innovations in this era included masking tape, waterproof sandpaper and Scotch brand tapes
. By 1929 3M made its first moves toward international expansion by forming Durex to conduct business in Europe. The same year, the company’s stock was first traded over the counter and in 1946 listed on the New York Stock Exchange
(NYSE). The company is currently a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average
and of the S&P 500
.
to manufacturers in the East for making grinding wheels. After selling one load, on June 13, 1902 the five went to the Two Harbors office of company secretary John Dwan, which was on the shore of Lake Superior
and is now part of the 3M National Museum, and signed papers making Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing a corporation
. In reality, however, Dwan and his associates were not selling what they thought; they were really selling the worthless mineral anorthosite
.
Failing to make sandpaper
with the anorthosite, the founders decided to import minerals like Spanish
garnet
, after which sale of sandpapers grew. In 1914, customers complained that the garnet was falling off the paper. The founders discovered that the stones had traveled across the Atlantic Ocean
packed near olive oil
, and the oil had penetrated the stones. Unable to take the loss of selling expensive inventory, they roasted the stones over fire to remove the olive oil. This was the first instance of research and development
at 3M.
" and sound deadening materials for cars. 3M's corporate image is built on its unique, innovative products, with up to 33% of sales each year from new products.
During the 1950s the company expanded worldwide with operations in Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Australia, and the United Kingdom in large part by Clarence Sampair. In 1951, international sales were approximately $20 million. 3M’s achievements were recognized by the American Institute of Management naming the company “one of the five best-managed companies in the United States" and included it among the top 12 growth stocks (3M).
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, 3M published a line of board games, largely under the "3M bookshelf game series
" brand. These games were marketed to adults and sold through department stores, with easily learned simple rules but complex game play and depth and with uniformly high quality components. As such, they are the ancestors of the German "Eurogames". The games covered a variety of topics, from business and sports simulations to word and abstract strategy games. They were a major publisher at the time for influential designers from the United States of America Sid Sackson
and Alex Randolph
. In the mid-1970s, the game line was taken over by Avalon Hill
.
After three years of testing, in 1969 3M introduced its first and only traffic signal
, the Model 131. Labeled a "programmable visibility" signal, the signal had the unique ability to be "programmed" so it was visible from certain angles. The Model 131's "programmability" was achieved via masking a clear glass lens with aluminum adhesive tape. It was the first of its type and one of only two of the design in history. 3M sold these signals for special-use applications, such as left turn signals, skewed intersections, or dangerous intersections where a very bright indication is needed. The signals are very heavy (roughly 55 pounds per signal head) and expensive to maintain, and removal is frequent in some areas. In addition to the 3M Model 131 traffic signal, 3M also marketed and sold a retrofit kit for 12 inches (304.8 mm) conventional signals using modified M-131 optics, a retrofit kit for eight-inch (203 mm) conventional signals using a smaller version of the M-131 optical assembly, a Model 130 Programmable Visibility pedestrian signal (a M-131 with pedestrian signal indications), and a few bi-modal modifications of the M-131. As of 2007, 3M no longer manufactures the signals but has continued to supply parts.
3M's Mincom division introduced several models of magnetic tape recorders for instrumentation
use and for studio sound recording. An example of the latter is the model M79 recorder http://www.3m79.com, which still has a following today. 3M Mincom was also involved in designing and manufacturing video production equipment for the television and video post-production
industries in the 1970s and 1980s, with such items as character generator
s and several different models of video switchers, from models of audio
and video router
s to video mixers for studio production work.
3M Mincom was involved in some of the first digital audio
recordings of the late 1970s to see commercial release when a prototype machine was brought to the Sound 80
studios in Minneapolis
. After drawing on the experience of that prototype recorder, 3M later introduced in 1979 a commercially available digital audio recording system called the "3M Digital Audio Mastering System" http://mixonline.com/TECnology-Hall-of-Fame/1978-EM-Mastering/, which consisted of a 32-track digital audio tape recorder and a companion 4-track digital recorder for final mastering. 3M later designed and manufactured several other commercially available models of digital audio recorders used throughout the early to mid-1980s.
In 1980 the company introduced Post-it note
s. In 1996, the company's data storage and imaging
divisions were spun off as the Imation Corporation. Imation has since sold its imaging and photographic film
businesses to concentrate on storage.
Today 3M is one of the 30 companies included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average
(added on August 9, 1976), and is ranked number 101 on the Fortune 500
listing. The company has 132 plants and over 67,000 employees worldwide, with sales offices in over 200 countries. The vast majority of the company's employees are local nationals, with few employees residing outside their home country. Its worldwide sales are over $20 billion, with international sales 58% of that total.
On December 20, 2005, 3M announced a major partnership with Roush-Fenway Racing, one of NASCAR
's premier organizations. In 2008 the company will sponsor Greg Biffle
in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as he drives the #16 Ford Fusion. In addition, on February 19, 2006, 3M announced that it would become the title sponsor of the 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway
for at least the next three years.
On April 4, 2006, 3M announced its intention to sell pharmaceutical non-core business
. The pharmaceuticals businesses were sold off in three deals, in Europe, the Americas, and the remainder of the world. Another division of the Health Care business, Drug Delivery Systems remains with 3M. The Drug Delivery System division continues to contract manufacture inhalants and transdermal drug delivery systems and has now taken on manufacture of the products whose licenses were sold during the divestiture of the pharmaceuticals business. On September 8, 2008, 3M announced an agreement to acquire Meguiar's, a car care products company that was family-owned for over a century.
Today, after 100 years, 3M follows a business model based on "the ability to not only develop unique products, but also to manufacture them efficiently and consistently around the world (3M)."
On October 13, 2010, 3M completed acquisition of Arizant Inc.
In 1999, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began investigating perfluorinated chemicals
(PFCs) after receiving data on the global distribution and toxicity of PFOS, the former key ingredient in Scotchgard
. 3M, the former primary producer of PFOS from the United States of America, announced the phase-out of PFOS, PFOA, and PFOS-related product production in May 2000. PFCs produced by 3M were used in non-stick cookware and stain resistant fabrics. The Cottage Grove
facility released PFCs from the 1940s to 2002. In response to PFC contamination of the Mississippi River and surrounding area, 3M states the area will be "cleaned through a combination of groundwater pump-out wells and soil sediment excavation." The restoration plan is to be based on an analysis of the company property and surrounding lands. The on-site water treatment facility that handles the plant's post-production water is not capable of removing the PFCs, which were pumped into the nearby Mississippi River. The clean-up cost estimate is $50–56 million, which will be funded from a $147 million environmental reserve set aside in 2006. The search area for PFCs in the Mississippi River now extends to five states, spanning approximately half of the river's total distance. Perfluorochemicals do not break down or degrade in the environment.
In 2002, 3M ranked 70th on the Political Economy Research Institute's (PERI) list of the top 100 corporations emitting airborne pollutants in the United States. In March 2010, PERI ranked 3M at 98th place on the list.
In 2008, 3M created the Renewable Energy Division within 3M’s Industrial and Transportation Business to focus on Energy Generation and Energy Management.
In late 2010, the state of Minnesota sued 3M claiming they pumped PFCs, a very toxic chemical according to the EPA, into local waterways.
3M owns substantially all of its physical properties. Because 3M is a global enterprise characterized by substantial intersegment cooperation, properties are often used by multiple business segments.
Selected factory detail information:
Multinational corporation
A multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...
conglomerate
Conglomerate (company)
A conglomerate is a combination of two or more corporations engaged in entirely different businesses that fall under one corporate structure , usually involving a parent company and several subsidiaries. Often, a conglomerate is a multi-industry company...
corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota
Maplewood, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,947 people, 13,758 households, and 9,190 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,017.5 people per square mile . There were 14,004 housing units at an average density of 808.5 per square mile...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
With over 80,000 employees, they produce more than 55,000 products, including: adhesive
Adhesive
An adhesive, or glue, is a mixture in a liquid or semi-liquid state that adheres or bonds items together. Adhesives may come from either natural or synthetic sources. The types of materials that can be bonded are vast but they are especially useful for bonding thin materials...
s, abrasive
Abrasive
An abrasive is a material, often a mineral, that is used to shape or finish a workpiece through rubbing which leads to part of the workpiece being worn away...
s, laminate
Laminate
A laminate is a material that can be constructed by uniting two or more layers of material together. The process of creating a laminate is lamination, which in common parlance refers to the placing of something between layers of plastic and gluing them with heat and/or pressure, usually with an...
s, passive fire protection
Passive fire protection
Passive fire protection is an integral component of the three components of structural fire protection and fire safety in a building. PFP attempts to contain fires or slow the spread, through use of fire-resistant walls, floors, and doors...
, dental products, electronic materials, medical products, car care products (such as sun films, polish, wax, car shampoo, treatment for the exterior, interior and the under chassis rust protection), electronic circuits and optical films. 3M has operations in more than 60 countries – 29 international companies with manufacturing operations, and 35 with laboratories. 3M products are available for purchase through distributors and retailers in more than 200 countries, and many 3M products are available online directly from the company.
History
3M started out on the North Shore of Lake SuperiorLake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
in Illgen City
Illgen City, Minnesota
Illgen City is an unincorporated community in Lake County, Minnesota, United States.The community is located immediately northeast of the city of Silver Bay at the junction of Minnesota Highway 61 and Minnesota Highway 1....
before moving to Two Harbors
Two Harbors, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,613 people, 1,636 households, and 953 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,120.7 people per square mile . There were 1,631 housing units at an average density of 505.9 per square mile...
in 1902. The company moved to Duluth
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
, and then to St. Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, staying for 52 years before outgrowing the campus and moving to its current headquarters at 3M Centre in Maplewood
Maplewood, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,947 people, 13,758 households, and 9,190 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,017.5 people per square mile . There were 14,004 housing units at an average density of 808.5 per square mile...
. The new campus in Maplewood is 475 acres (1.9 km²) and has over 50 buildings, including an Innovation Center that displays products 3M has taken to market.
The company began by mining stone from quarries for use in grinding wheels. Struggling with quality and marketing of its products, management supported its workers to innovate and develop new products which became its core business. Twelve years after being founded, 3M developed its first exclusive product: Three-M-ite cloth. Other innovations in this era included masking tape, waterproof sandpaper and Scotch brand tapes
Scotch Tape
Scotch Tape is a brand name used for certain pressure sensitive tapes manufactured by 3M as part of the company's Scotch brand.- History :The precursor to the current tapes was developed in the 1930s in Minneapolis, Minnesota by Richard Drew to seal a then-new transparent material known as...
. By 1929 3M made its first moves toward international expansion by forming Durex to conduct business in Europe. The same year, the company’s stock was first traded over the counter and in 1946 listed on the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
(NYSE). The company is currently a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average
Dow Jones Industrial Average
The Dow Jones Industrial Average , also called the Industrial Average, the Dow Jones, the Dow 30, or simply the Dow, is a stock market index, and one of several indices created by Wall Street Journal editor and Dow Jones & Company co-founder Charles Dow...
and of the S&P 500
S&P 500
The S&P 500 is a free-float capitalization-weighted index published since 1957 of the prices of 500 large-cap common stocks actively traded in the United States. The stocks included in the S&P 500 are those of large publicly held companies that trade on either of the two largest American stock...
.
Founding
The founders original plan was to sell the mineral corundumCorundum
Corundum is a crystalline form of aluminium oxide with traces of iron, titanium and chromium. It is a rock-forming mineral. It is one of the naturally clear transparent materials, but can have different colors when impurities are present. Transparent specimens are used as gems, called ruby if red...
to manufacturers in the East for making grinding wheels. After selling one load, on June 13, 1902 the five went to the Two Harbors office of company secretary John Dwan, which was on the shore of Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
and is now part of the 3M National Museum, and signed papers making Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing a corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
. In reality, however, Dwan and his associates were not selling what they thought; they were really selling the worthless mineral anorthosite
Anorthosite
Anorthosite is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock characterized by a predominance of plagioclase feldspar , and a minimal mafic component...
.
Failing to make sandpaper
Sandpaper
Sandpaper, also known as glasspaper, is a heavy paper with abrasive material attached to its surface.Sandpaper is part of the "coated abrasives" family of abrasive products. It is used to remove small amounts of material from surfaces, either to make them smoother , to remove a layer of material...
with the anorthosite, the founders decided to import minerals like Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
garnet
Garnet
The garnet group includes a group of minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. The name "garnet" may come from either the Middle English word gernet meaning 'dark red', or the Latin granatus , possibly a reference to the Punica granatum , a plant with red seeds...
, after which sale of sandpapers grew. In 1914, customers complained that the garnet was falling off the paper. The founders discovered that the stones had traveled across the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
packed near olive oil
Olive oil
Olive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
, and the oil had penetrated the stones. Unable to take the loss of selling expensive inventory, they roasted the stones over fire to remove the olive oil. This was the first instance of research and development
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
at 3M.
Expansion
The company's late innovations include waterproof sandpaper (1921) and masking tape (1925), as well as cellophane "Scotch TapeScotch Tape
Scotch Tape is a brand name used for certain pressure sensitive tapes manufactured by 3M as part of the company's Scotch brand.- History :The precursor to the current tapes was developed in the 1930s in Minneapolis, Minnesota by Richard Drew to seal a then-new transparent material known as...
" and sound deadening materials for cars. 3M's corporate image is built on its unique, innovative products, with up to 33% of sales each year from new products.
During the 1950s the company expanded worldwide with operations in Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Australia, and the United Kingdom in large part by Clarence Sampair. In 1951, international sales were approximately $20 million. 3M’s achievements were recognized by the American Institute of Management naming the company “one of the five best-managed companies in the United States" and included it among the top 12 growth stocks (3M).
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, 3M published a line of board games, largely under the "3M bookshelf game series
3M bookshelf game series
The 3M bookshelf game series was a series of board games produced by 3M from 1962 to 1975. These games were marketed towards adults and were designed to fit onto a standard bookshelf. Each game fit into a slip cover that was made to resemble the spine of a hardcover book...
" brand. These games were marketed to adults and sold through department stores, with easily learned simple rules but complex game play and depth and with uniformly high quality components. As such, they are the ancestors of the German "Eurogames". The games covered a variety of topics, from business and sports simulations to word and abstract strategy games. They were a major publisher at the time for influential designers from the United States of America Sid Sackson
Sid Sackson
Sid Sackson was a significant American board game designer and collector.His most popular creation is probably the business game Acquire...
and Alex Randolph
Alex Randolph
Alexander Randolph was a designer of board games. Randolph's game creations include TwixT, Breakthru, Inkognito , Raj, Ricochet Robot, and Enchanted Forest ....
. In the mid-1970s, the game line was taken over by Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
.
Traffic light
Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...
, the Model 131. Labeled a "programmable visibility" signal, the signal had the unique ability to be "programmed" so it was visible from certain angles. The Model 131's "programmability" was achieved via masking a clear glass lens with aluminum adhesive tape. It was the first of its type and one of only two of the design in history. 3M sold these signals for special-use applications, such as left turn signals, skewed intersections, or dangerous intersections where a very bright indication is needed. The signals are very heavy (roughly 55 pounds per signal head) and expensive to maintain, and removal is frequent in some areas. In addition to the 3M Model 131 traffic signal, 3M also marketed and sold a retrofit kit for 12 inches (304.8 mm) conventional signals using modified M-131 optics, a retrofit kit for eight-inch (203 mm) conventional signals using a smaller version of the M-131 optical assembly, a Model 130 Programmable Visibility pedestrian signal (a M-131 with pedestrian signal indications), and a few bi-modal modifications of the M-131. As of 2007, 3M no longer manufactures the signals but has continued to supply parts.
3M's Mincom division introduced several models of magnetic tape recorders for instrumentation
Instrumentation
Instrumentation is defined as the art and science of measurement and control of process variables within a production, or manufacturing area....
use and for studio sound recording. An example of the latter is the model M79 recorder http://www.3m79.com, which still has a following today. 3M Mincom was also involved in designing and manufacturing video production equipment for the television and video post-production
Post-production
Post-production is part of filmmaking and the video production process. It occurs in the making of motion pictures, television programs, radio programs, advertising, audio recordings, photography, and digital art...
industries in the 1970s and 1980s, with such items as character generator
Character generator
A character generator, often abbreviated as CG, is a device or software that produces static or animated text for keying into a video stream. Modern character generators are computer-based, and can generate graphics as well as text...
s and several different models of video switchers, from models of audio
Audio router
- Inputs and Outputs :The number of inputs and outputs varies dramatically. The way routers are described is normally number of inputs by number of outputs e.g. 2x1, 256x256.- Signals :...
and video router
Video router
A Video router or Matrix are used for transporting video signals from sources or inputs to output destinations.- Inputs and outputs :...
s to video mixers for studio production work.
3M Mincom was involved in some of the first digital audio
Digital audio
Digital audio is sound reproduction using pulse-code modulation and digital signals. Digital audio systems include analog-to-digital conversion , digital-to-analog conversion , digital storage, processing and transmission components...
recordings of the late 1970s to see commercial release when a prototype machine was brought to the Sound 80
Sound 80
Sound80 was a recording studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States founded by Tom Jung and Herb Pilhofer in 1969. Largely involved with local artists, the studio is best known for recording portions of Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks in 1974, but also made what is believed to be the first...
studios in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. After drawing on the experience of that prototype recorder, 3M later introduced in 1979 a commercially available digital audio recording system called the "3M Digital Audio Mastering System" http://mixonline.com/TECnology-Hall-of-Fame/1978-EM-Mastering/, which consisted of a 32-track digital audio tape recorder and a companion 4-track digital recorder for final mastering. 3M later designed and manufactured several other commercially available models of digital audio recorders used throughout the early to mid-1980s.
In 1980 the company introduced Post-it note
Post-it note
A Post-it note is a piece of stationery with a re-adherable strip of adhesive on the back, designed for temporarily attaching notes to documents and other surfaces. Although now available in a wide range of colours, shapes, and sizes, Post-it notes are most commonly a square, canary yellow in colour...
s. In 1996, the company's data storage and imaging
Imaging
Imaging is the representation or reproduction of an object's outward form; especially a visual representation .- Imaging methodologies and technologies :...
divisions were spun off as the Imation Corporation. Imation has since sold its imaging and photographic film
Photographic film
Photographic film is a sheet of plastic coated with an emulsion containing light-sensitive silver halide salts with variable crystal sizes that determine the sensitivity, contrast and resolution of the film...
businesses to concentrate on storage.
Today 3M is one of the 30 companies included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average
Dow Jones Industrial Average
The Dow Jones Industrial Average , also called the Industrial Average, the Dow Jones, the Dow 30, or simply the Dow, is a stock market index, and one of several indices created by Wall Street Journal editor and Dow Jones & Company co-founder Charles Dow...
(added on August 9, 1976), and is ranked number 101 on the Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
listing. The company has 132 plants and over 67,000 employees worldwide, with sales offices in over 200 countries. The vast majority of the company's employees are local nationals, with few employees residing outside their home country. Its worldwide sales are over $20 billion, with international sales 58% of that total.
On December 20, 2005, 3M announced a major partnership with Roush-Fenway Racing, one of NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
's premier organizations. In 2008 the company will sponsor Greg Biffle
Greg Biffle
Gregory Jack "Greg" Biffle is a NASCAR driver who drives the #16 3M Ford Fusion for Roush Fenway Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. After racing in the NASCAR Winter Heat Series in the mid-90s, he was recommended to Jack Roush by former announcer Benny Parsons...
in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as he drives the #16 Ford Fusion. In addition, on February 19, 2006, 3M announced that it would become the title sponsor of the 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway is a two-mile moderate-banked D-shaped superspeedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than in Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is sometimes known as a "sister track" to Texas...
for at least the next three years.
On April 4, 2006, 3M announced its intention to sell pharmaceutical non-core business
Pharmaceutical company
The pharmaceutical industry develops, produces, and markets drugs licensed for use as medications. Pharmaceutical companies are allowed to deal in generic and/or brand medications and medical devices...
. The pharmaceuticals businesses were sold off in three deals, in Europe, the Americas, and the remainder of the world. Another division of the Health Care business, Drug Delivery Systems remains with 3M. The Drug Delivery System division continues to contract manufacture inhalants and transdermal drug delivery systems and has now taken on manufacture of the products whose licenses were sold during the divestiture of the pharmaceuticals business. On September 8, 2008, 3M announced an agreement to acquire Meguiar's, a car care products company that was family-owned for over a century.
Today, after 100 years, 3M follows a business model based on "the ability to not only develop unique products, but also to manufacture them efficiently and consistently around the world (3M)."
On October 13, 2010, 3M completed acquisition of Arizant Inc.
Environmental record
Perfluorinated compounds
A perfluorinated compound is an organofluorine compound with all hydrogens replaced by fluorine on a carbon chain—but the molecule also contains at least one different atom or functional group. Thus, PFCs have properties similar to fluorocarbons as they are fluorocarbon derivatives...
(PFCs) after receiving data on the global distribution and toxicity of PFOS, the former key ingredient in Scotchgard
Scotchgard
Scotchgard is a 3M brand of products used to protect fabric, furniture, and carpets from stains.The original formula for Scotchgard was discovered accidentally in 1952 by 3M chemists Patsy Sherman and Samuel Smith...
. 3M, the former primary producer of PFOS from the United States of America, announced the phase-out of PFOS, PFOA, and PFOS-related product production in May 2000. PFCs produced by 3M were used in non-stick cookware and stain resistant fabrics. The Cottage Grove
Cottage Grove, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 30,582 people, 9,932 households, and 8,462 families residing in the city. The population density was 899.9 people per square mile . There were 10,024 housing units at an average density of 295.0 per square mile...
facility released PFCs from the 1940s to 2002. In response to PFC contamination of the Mississippi River and surrounding area, 3M states the area will be "cleaned through a combination of groundwater pump-out wells and soil sediment excavation." The restoration plan is to be based on an analysis of the company property and surrounding lands. The on-site water treatment facility that handles the plant's post-production water is not capable of removing the PFCs, which were pumped into the nearby Mississippi River. The clean-up cost estimate is $50–56 million, which will be funded from a $147 million environmental reserve set aside in 2006. The search area for PFCs in the Mississippi River now extends to five states, spanning approximately half of the river's total distance. Perfluorochemicals do not break down or degrade in the environment.
In 2002, 3M ranked 70th on the Political Economy Research Institute's (PERI) list of the top 100 corporations emitting airborne pollutants in the United States. In March 2010, PERI ranked 3M at 98th place on the list.
In 2008, 3M created the Renewable Energy Division within 3M’s Industrial and Transportation Business to focus on Energy Generation and Energy Management.
In late 2010, the state of Minnesota sued 3M claiming they pumped PFCs, a very toxic chemical according to the EPA, into local waterways.
Operating facilities
3M’s general offices, corporate research laboratories, and certain division laboratories are located in Maplewood, Minnesota. In the United States, 3M has nine sales offices in eight states and operates 74 manufacturing facilities in 27 states. Internationally, 3M has 148 sales offices. The Company operates 93 manufacturing and converting facilities in 32 countries outside the United States.3M owns substantially all of its physical properties. Because 3M is a global enterprise characterized by substantial intersegment cooperation, properties are often used by multiple business segments.
Selected factory detail information:
- Cynthiana, KentuckyCynthiana, KentuckyAs of the census of 2000, there were 6,258 people, 2,692 households, and 1,639 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,873.6 people per square mile . There were 2,909 housing units at an average density of 870.9 per square mile...
, USAUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
factory producing Post-It notePost-it noteA Post-it note is a piece of stationery with a re-adherable strip of adhesive on the back, designed for temporarily attaching notes to documents and other surfaces. Although now available in a wide range of colours, shapes, and sizes, Post-it notes are most commonly a square, canary yellow in colour...
s (672 SKU) and scotch tapeScotch TapeScotch Tape is a brand name used for certain pressure sensitive tapes manufactured by 3M as part of the company's Scotch brand.- History :The precursor to the current tapes was developed in the 1930s in Minneapolis, Minnesota by Richard Drew to seal a then-new transparent material known as...
(147 SKU). It has 539 employees and was established in 1969. - Newton AycliffeNewton AycliffeNewton Aycliffe is a town in County Durham, England. Founded in 1947 under the New Towns Act of 1946, it is the oldest new town in the north of England.-Geography:...
, County DurhamCounty DurhamCounty Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, UKUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
factory producing respirators for workers safety, using laser technology. It has 370 employees and recently there was an investment of £4,5 million ($9 million).
Products
- 3M High Visibility Signals3M High Visibility Signals3M High Visibility Signals were a line of traffic signal products produced by the 3M Company from 1969 to 2007. The flagship of the product line was the 3M Model 131 High Visibility Signal.-History:...
: a line of traffic signal devices, with the flagship being the Model 131 12" vehicle signal head. Produced from 1969–2007 - ACCR
- Aearo
- Avagard Hygiene Range
- BondoBondo (putty)Bondo is a brand of two-part putty manufactured by 3M. Originally used mainly for automobile body repair, Bondo has been widely used by carpenters to repair wood. The Bondo brand of filler or putty is composed of a polyester resin that, when mixed with a hardener or catalyst, turns into a putty...
- Cavilon
- Chrome & Metal Polish
- Clarity
- Coban
- Command Adhesive
- Comply Steam Indicators
- Crimplok
- 3M Purification
- DI-NOC
- Durapore
- Dobie
- Dynatel
- FastBond Adhesives
- Fibrlok
- Filtrete
- FluorinertFluorinertFluorinert is the trademarked brand name for the line of electronics coolant liquids sold commercially by 3M. It is an electrically insulating, stable fluorocarbon-based fluid which is used in various cooling applications. It is mainly used for cooling electronics...
- Gold Privacy Filter
- Hookit sandpaper
- ImiquimodImiquimodImiquimod is a prescription medication that acts as an immune response modifier. It is marketed by Meda AB, Graceway Pharmaceuticals and iNova Pharmaceuticals under the trade names Aldara and Zyclara, and by Mochida as Beselna. It is also referred to as R-837.- History :The original FDA approval...
- Littmann StethoscopesDavid LittmannDavid Littmann, M.D., was a German cardiologist and Harvard Medical School professor and researcher. The name Littmann is well known in the medical field for the patented Littmann Stethoscope reputed for its acoustic performances for auscultation.With Gus Machlup, Dr. David Littmann founded...
- Littmann Model 3200 Electronic Stethoscope with Zargis Cardioscan
- Medipore
- Micropore Hypoallergenic Skin Tape
- Microfoam
- Multimedia ProjectorsVideo projectorA video projector is an image projector that receives a video signal and projects the corresponding image on a projection screen using a lens system. All video projectors use a very bright light to project the image, and most modern ones can correct any curves, blurriness, and other...
- Natural View protection film
- NexcareNexcareNexcare is 3M's personal health care brand. The brand competes with Johnson & Johnson's Band-Aid brand in the adhesive bandage and first aid market. The brand also sells similar products such as bandages, gauze, surgical tape, cold sore treatment and liquid bandage products.-External links:*...
- O-Cel-O
- Post-it notePost-it noteA Post-it note is a piece of stationery with a re-adherable strip of adhesive on the back, designed for temporarily attaching notes to documents and other surfaces. Although now available in a wide range of colours, shapes, and sizes, Post-it notes are most commonly a square, canary yellow in colour...
- Reddot ECK Electrodes
- RestonRestonReston may refer to:* Reston, Florida, an unincoporated communicty in Florida, United States* Reston, Lincolnshire, a parish in England, UK* Reston, Manitoba, a small community in southwestern Manitoba, Canada* Reston Scar, a fell in Cumbria, England, UK...
- SandBlaster
- Scotch TapeScotch TapeScotch Tape is a brand name used for certain pressure sensitive tapes manufactured by 3M as part of the company's Scotch brand.- History :The precursor to the current tapes was developed in the 1930s in Minneapolis, Minnesota by Richard Drew to seal a then-new transparent material known as...
- Scotch Magic TapeMagic tapeMagic Tape, also known as Magic Transparent Tape, is a brand within the Scotch Tape family of adhesive tapes made by 3M, sold in distinctive plaid packaging....
- Scientific AnglersScientific AnglersScientific Anglers is a fly fishing company specializing in a variety of fly fishing tackle products. Scientific Anglers is noted for the invention of PVC coated floating fly line and continued innovations in fly line cores and coatings...
- Scotch-Brand Masking Tape
- Scotch-Brite
- Scotchcal Film
- ScotchgardScotchgardScotchgard is a 3M brand of products used to protect fabric, furniture, and carpets from stains.The original formula for Scotchgard was discovered accidentally in 1952 by 3M chemists Patsy Sherman and Samuel Smith...
- ScotchliteScotchliteScotchlite is a retroreflective material made by 3M. Its primary use is in nighttime high-visibility applications, such as 'reflective tape' for cyclists, safety vests for road workers, or the front of many traffic signs...
- Scotchcast Fibreglass casting
- Scotchprint Graphics
- Scotch-Weld Adhesives
- Steridrape
- Steri-Strip
- Stikit sandpaper
- Super 77 Classic Spray Adhesive
- TartanTartan trackTartan Track is the trademarked all-weather synthetic track surfacing made of polyurethane which is used for track and field competitions. It lets athletes compete in bad weather without serious performance loss and improves their results over other surfaces...
- TegadermTegadermTegaderm is a transparent medical dressing manufactured by 3M. Tegaderm transparent dressings can be used to cover and protect wounds and catheter sites....
- ThinsulateThinsulateThinsulate is a trademark of the 3M Corporation, for a type of synthetic fiber thermal insulation used in clothing. The word is a portmanteau of thin and insulate...
- VelostatVelostatVelostat is a packaging material impregnated with carbon black to make it electrically conductive. It is used for the protection of items or devices that are prone to damage from electrostatic discharge. It was developed by Custom Materials, now part of 3M....
- VHB
- VikuitiVikuitiVikuiti is a 3M Company brand name devoted to optical technology enhancing products.The brand was launched in 1997 and is mainly known in the LCD display market. 3M became a market leader by being the first company to introduce prismatic brightness enhancement films , followed by multilayer based...
- Wetordry sandpaper
- Microtouch Touch Screens
Current officers
- George W. BuckleyGeorge W. BuckleySir George William Buckley is a British businessman. He is currently the Chairman, President, and Chief Executive of 3M. He was named to these positions on December 7, 2005....
– Chairman, President and Chief Executive OfficerChief executive officerA chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization... - Inge G. Thulin – Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer
- David Meline – Senior Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerChief financial officerThe chief financial officer or Chief financial and operating officer is a corporate officer primarily responsible for managing the financial risks of the corporation. This officer is also responsible for financial planning and record-keeping, as well as financial reporting to higher management...
- Joaquin Delgado – Executive Vice President, Electro and Communications Business
- Michael A. Kelly – Executive Vice President, Display and Graphics Business
- Angela S. Lalor – Senior Vice President, Human Resources
- Julie Bushman – Executive Vice President, Safety, Security and Protection Services Business
- Ian Hardgrove – Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales
- Michael G. Vale – Executive Vice President, Consumer and Office Business
- Frederick J. Palensky – Executive Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Technology Officer
- Brad T. Sauer – Executive Vice President, Health Care Business
- Chris Holmes – Executive Vice President, Industrial and Transportation Business
- Marschall I. Smith – Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs and General Counsel
- H.C. Shin – Executive Vice President, International Operations
- John K. Woodworth – Senior Vice President, Corporate Supply Chain Operations
Presidents
| 1902–1905 | Henry S. Bryan |
| 1905–1906 | Edgar B. Ober |
| 1906–1909 | Lucius P. Ordway |
| 1909–1929 | Edgar B. Ober |
| 1929–1949 | William L. McKnight William L. McKnight William L. McKnight was an American businessman and philanthropist who served his entire career in the 3M corporation, rising to chairman of the board from 1949 to 1966. He founded The McKnight Foundation in 1953.... |
| 1949–1953 | Richard P. Carlton |
| 1953–1963 | Herbert P. Buetow |
| 1963–1966 | Bert S. Cross |
| 2005–present | George W. Buckley George W. Buckley Sir George William Buckley is a British businessman. He is currently the Chairman, President, and Chief Executive of 3M. He was named to these positions on December 7, 2005.... |
Chief executive officers
| 1966–1970 | Bert S. Cross |
| 1970–1974 | Harry Heltzer Harry Heltzer Harry Heltzer was the Chairman & Chief Executive Office of 3M from 1970 to 1975. Harry was also President of 3M from 1966 to 1970. Harry was forced to resign from 3M amidst allegations of improper campaign contributions during the Nixon years. Harry later went on to divorce his wife Bernice... |
| 1974–1979 | Raymond H. Herzog |
| 1979–1986 | Lewis W. Lehr |
| 1986–1991 | Allen F. Jacobson |
| 1991–2001 | L.D. DeSimone |
| 2001–2005 | W. James McNerney, Jr. |
| 2005 | Robert S. Morrison (interim) |
| 2005–present | George W. Buckley George W. Buckley Sir George William Buckley is a British businessman. He is currently the Chairman, President, and Chief Executive of 3M. He was named to these positions on December 7, 2005.... |
Chairman of the board
| 1949–1966 | William L. McKnight William L. McKnight William L. McKnight was an American businessman and philanthropist who served his entire career in the 3M corporation, rising to chairman of the board from 1949 to 1966. He founded The McKnight Foundation in 1953.... |
| 1966–1970 | Bert S. Cross |
| 1970–1975 | Harry Heltzer Harry Heltzer Harry Heltzer was the Chairman & Chief Executive Office of 3M from 1970 to 1975. Harry was also President of 3M from 1966 to 1970. Harry was forced to resign from 3M amidst allegations of improper campaign contributions during the Nixon years. Harry later went on to divorce his wife Bernice... |
| 1975–1980 | Raymond H. Herzog |
| 1980–1986 | Lewis W. Lehr |
| 1986–1991 | Allen F. Jacobson |
| 1991–2001 | L.D. DeSimone |
| 2001–2005 | W. James McNerney, Jr. |
| 2005–present | Sir George W. Buckley George W. Buckley Sir George William Buckley is a British businessman. He is currently the Chairman, President, and Chief Executive of 3M. He was named to these positions on December 7, 2005.... |
See also
- FireproofingFireproofingFireproofing, a passive fire protection measure, refers to the act of making materials or structures more resistant to fire, or to those materials themselves, or the act of applying such materials. Applying a certification listed fireproofing system to certain structures allows these to have a...
- Firestop pillowFirestop pillowFirestop pillows are passive fire protection items, used for firestopping holes in wall or floor assemblies required to have a fire-resistance rating...
- FirestopFirestopA firestop is a passive fire protection system of various components used to seal openings and joints in fire-resistance rated wall and/or floor assemblies, based on fire testing and certification listings....
- IntumescentIntumescentAn intumescent is a substance which swells as a result of heat exposure, thus increasing in volume, and decreasing in density. Intumescents are typically used in passive fire protection and, in America, require listing and approval use and compliance in their installed configurations in order to...
- Passive fire protectionPassive fire protectionPassive fire protection is an integral component of the three components of structural fire protection and fire safety in a building. PFP attempts to contain fires or slow the spread, through use of fire-resistant walls, floors, and doors...
- Sodium silicateSodium silicateSodium silicate is the common name for a compound sodium metasilicate, Na2SiO3, also known as water glass or liquid glass. It is available in aqueous solution and in solid form and is used in cements, passive fire protection, refractories, textile and lumber processing, and automobiles...
- Sterilization (microbiology)Sterilization (microbiology)Sterilization is a term referring to any process that eliminates or kills all forms of microbial life, including transmissible agents present on a surface, contained in a fluid, in medication, or in a compound such as biological culture media...
External links
- 3M Worldwide
- Yahoo! - 3M Company Profile
- Google Local's satellite image of 3M head office campus
- 3M Global Company Profile from Transnationale.org
- 3M's U.S. Online Store
- 3M's U.K. Online Store
Additional resources
- The historical records of the 3M Company are available for research use at the Minnesota Historical Society.