3M

The 3M brand is recognized and trusted around the globe. Household names like Nexcare™, Post-it®, Scotch®, Scotch-Brite®, and Scotchgard™ are also market leaders.

3M was founded in 1902 in the Lake Superior town of Two Harbors, Minn. Five businessmen set out to mine a mineral deposit for grinding-wheel abrasives. But the deposits proved to be of little value, and the new Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. quickly moved to nearby Duluth in 1905 to focus on sandpaper products.

Years of struggle ensued until the company could master quality production and supply chain. Early technical and marketing innovations began to produce successes and, in 1916, the company paid its first dividend of 6 cents a share.

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 brand pressure-sensitive tapes.

In the following years technical progress resulted in Scotch® Cellophane Tape for box sealing and soon hundreds of practical uses were discovered.

In the 1950s, 3M introduced the Thermo-Fax™ copying process, Scotchgard™ Fabric Protector, videotape, Scotch-Brite® Cleaning Pads and several new electro-mechanical products.

In 1980, 3M introduced Post-it® Notes, which created a whole new category in the marketplace and changed people’s communication and organization behavior forever.

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.