3M History

What was born as a small-scale mining venture in 1902 has grown into a global powerhouse
whose products improve the daily lives of people around the world. When the Minnesota
Mining and Manufacturing Co.as the company that would grow into 3M was known at the
timebegan more than a century ago, the five founders had a simple goal: to harvest a
mineral known as corundum from a mine called Crystal Bay.
Ultimately, the mine didnt produce much corundum, but something more important was born
that year: the spirit of innovation and collaboration that forms the foundation of todays 3M.
The fledgling company turned to other materials and other products, building up sales little by
little. Technical and marketing innovations began to produce success upon success. Todays
3M is responsible for 60,000 products used in homes, businesses, schools, hospitals and
more.
Today, one third of 3Ms sales come from products that were invented within the past five
years. The company employs thousands of researchers and scientists around the world. With
operations in 70 countries and sales in 200, the global 3M team is still committed to creating
the technology and products that advance every company, enhance every home and improve
every life.

A Rich History of Ideas

William L. McKnight joined Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. in 1907 as an assistant bookkeeper. He
quickly rose through the company, becoming president in 1929 and chairman of the board in 1949. He is known
for shaping the companys culture of innovation and collaboration.

In 1910, major investor Lucius Ordway established 3Ms headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota, where it
remains today.

We created the world's first waterproof sandpaper, which reduced airborne dust during automobile
manufacturing, in the early 1920s.
A second major milestone occurred in 1925 when Richard G. Drew, a young lab assistant, invented masking
tape an innovative step toward diversification and the first of many Scotch Pressure-Sensitive Tapes.
In the following years, teams focused on technical progress created Scotch Cellophane Tape for box sealing,
and soon hundreds of practical uses were discovered.
In the early 1940s, our organization was diverted into defense materials for World War II, which was followed
by new ventures, such as Scotchlite Reflective Sheeting for highway markings, magnetic sound recording
tape, filament adhesive tape and the start of 3M's involvement in the graphic arts field with offset printing plates.
In 1948, 3Ms 15 percent program was born, allowing employees to dedicate almost a full day a week to
their own projects, following their ideas and seeing what came of them.
In the 1950s, we introduced the Thermo-Fax copying process, Scotchgard Fabric Protector, videotape,
Scotch-Brite Cleaning Pads and several new electro-mechanical products.
Dry-silver microfilm was introduced in the 1960s, along with photographic products, carbonless papers,
overhead projection systems, and a rapidly growing health care business of medical and dental products.
We further expanded our market focus in the 1970s and 1980s into pharmaceuticals, radiology and energy
control.
In 1975, 3M launched Pollution Prevention Pays as a means of empowering employees to guide the
companys sustainability efforts. To date, the 3P program has resulted in the elimination of more than 3.8
billion pounds of pollution and saved us nearly $1.7 billion.
In 1980, 3M introduced Post-it Notes, which created a whole new category in the marketplace and changed
peoples communication and organization behavior forever.
In the 1990s, sales reached the $15 billion mark. We continued to develop an array of innovative products,
including immune response modifier pharmaceuticals; brightness enhancement films for electronic displays; and
flexible circuits used in inkjet printers, cell phones, and other electronic devices.
In 2004, sales topped $20 billion for the first time, with innovative new products contributing significantly to
growth. Recent innovations include Post-it Super Sticky Notes, Scotch Transparent Duct Tape, optical films
for LCD televisions and a new family of Scotch-Brite Cleaning Products that give consumers the right
scrubbing power for a host of cleaning jobs.
In 2007, the Scotch-Brite brand introduced the first disposable toilet scrubber with built-in bleach. Other
products, such as Scotch-Blue Painters Tape for Corners and Hinges and the Scotch Fur Fighter Hair
Remover designed to grip and trap pet hair embedded in upholstery (2008), continued to exemplify innovative
products designed to enhance the home environment.
Our scientists developed a break-through, ultra-compact LED-illuminated projection engine in 2008 for
integration in personal electronic devices, including the 3M Micro Professional Mpro 110 projector, which has
since evolved. This was the same year that, in the wake of global concern around potential public health medical
emergencies such as an influenza pandemic, various 3M respirators were the first to be cleared by the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration for use by the general public.
In 2009, our healthcare business introduced the 3M Littmann Electronic Stethoscope Model 3200, a nextgeneration auscultation device featuring Bluetooth technology that wirelessly transfers heart, lung, and other
body sounds to software for further analysis. These stethoscopes have successfully allowed doctors to study
rural stroke victims and an astronaut on the International Space Station.
The broad footprint of 3M innovation not only made impact in the field of telemedicine in the health care
industry this year, but also in the grinding industry with the introduction of 3M Cubitron II Fibre Discs and
Metal working Belts. Featuring a patented, ceramic abrasive grain shape, the structures of this product increased
the life expectancy of the abrasive by as much as four times.
In 2012, our Renewable Energy Division and Gossamer Space Frames unveiled the worlds largest aperture
trough using 3M Solar Mirror Film 1100 for concentrated solar power.
In 2013, 3M topped $30 billion in sales around the globe.
In 2014, 3M was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the 15th straight year.
Last year, 3M scientists and researchers earned the company its 100,000th patent.