3M

Corporate brand

3M is a diversified American science and technology company whose materials, adhesives, films, abrasives, safety products, and consumer brands serve industrial, healthcare, transportation, electronics, and household markets.

Last updated October 26, 2026

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Overview

3M is an American multinational technology and manufacturing company headquartered in Maplewood, Minnesota. Founded in 1902 as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, it began as a small mining venture seeking commercially useful corundum in northern Minnesota. The mineral deposit proved unsuitable for the intended business, and the company gradually redirected its effort toward abrasives, surface-treatment materials, adhesives, tapes, coatings, and other manufactured products. That transition established the pattern that has defined 3M for much of its history: applying research in materials science across multiple industries rather than relying on a single product category. The company is best known for combining a broad corporate identity with specialist brands and technologies. Scotch includes adhesive tapes, films, and related products; Post-it covers repositionable notes and organization products; Scotchgard is associated with surface and fabric protection; and Nexcare is used for consumer healthcare products such as adhesive bandages. Other important activities include abrasive systems, filtration, electrical and electronic materials, optical films, automotive and paint-protection films, passive fire protection, personal protective equipment, medical supplies, and industrial bonding products. Respirators, including N95 products in relevant markets, became especially visible during periods of heightened public-health demand, although the company’s safety portfolio also serves construction, manufacturing, transportation, and other workplaces. Historically, 3M expanded through internal research, technology transfer between divisions, international operations, and acquisitions. Its products have served both business customers and consumers, ranging from factory-floor abrasives and medical adhesives to office supplies and household tapes. The company has also entered and exited businesses as technologies matured or strategic priorities changed. Pharmaceutical activities were divested in the 2000s, data-storage and imaging operations were separated into Imation in the 1990s, and the healthcare portfolio was subsequently prepared for separation into Solventum. Acquisitions such as Meguiar’s, Cogent Systems, Scott Safety, M*Modal, and Acelity strengthened selected automotive-care, security, worker-safety, healthcare, and clinical-technology positions. 3M’s reputation for innovation has been accompanied by substantial environmental and legal challenges. Its historic manufacture and use of PFAS-related chemicals led to contamination disputes in the United States, Belgium, and elsewhere, as well as litigation involving public water systems. The company phased out certain PFOS- and PFOA-related production in 2000 and later announced plans to exit PFAS manufacturing and use, subject to applicable regulatory and customer requirements. Product-liability and public-health issues, including litigation concerning combat earplugs, have also affected the company’s risk profile and portfolio decisions. Today, 3M remains a diversified industrial technology brand organized around major markets such as safety and industrial, transportation and electronics, healthcare, and consumer products. Its competitive identity rests on adhesive and coating expertise, filtration, abrasives, polymer and film technologies, electronics materials, and the ability to adapt technical platforms to different applications. It is listed under the ticker MMM and continues to operate internationally, while managing portfolio separations, litigation, environmental remediation, and the continuing need to convert research capabilities into commercially durable products. 3M Company is a diversified technology company headquartered in Minnesota, United States. Its origins were in mineral extraction, but the business gradually shifted toward materials science, adhesives, coatings, filtration, nonwoven materials, and optical technologies. By applying these technology platforms across industries, 3M has built a portfolio spanning industrial manufacturing, transportation and electronics, healthcare, and consumer products. Well-known offerings associated with the company include Post-it notes, Scotch tapes and adhesives, respiratory protection products such as N95 respirators, and materials and solutions used in automotive, electronics, construction, healthcare, and office environments. Its business model has historically depended on research, patents, and cross-industry technology transfer, while the company has also faced product-liability, environmental, and regulatory controversies. In recent years, 3M has reshaped its portfolio and separated certain businesses into independent companies. 3M is a multinational technology and manufacturing company based in St. Paul, Minnesota. It is best known for turning materials science and applied research into products used in factories, hospitals, vehicles, offices, schools, homes, and public infrastructure. Its portfolio has included adhesives and tapes, abrasives, filtration and separation media, protective equipment, medical products, electronic materials, reflective films, automotive components, and consumer brands such as Post-it, Scotch, Command, Nexcare, and Filtrete. The company began in 1902 as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, a small mining venture established to extract corundum in northern Minnesota. The mining project did not produce the expected commercial results, and the business moved toward abrasives and coated materials. That change set the pattern for 3M's later development: rather than remaining tied to one raw material or product category, it repeatedly used technical capabilities developed in one field to enter adjacent markets. Among its early innovations were coated abrasive products, including the Three-M-ite abrasive line. In the twentieth century, 3M expanded from abrasives into pressure-sensitive adhesives, masking tapes, transparent films, medical products, and office supplies. Scotch Tape became one of its most recognizable products, while Post-it Notes transformed a low-tack adhesive technology into a mass-market stationery category. The company also developed extensive business-to-business offerings for automotive manufacturers, electronics producers, construction companies, healthcare providers, laboratories, and government customers. 3M's operating model has historically emphasized decentralized research, technical collaboration, and the commercialization of products that can cross industry boundaries. The company has organized its activities into broad business areas covering safety and industrial applications, transportation and electronics, consumer products, and healthcare. It reaches customers through direct sales, distributors, retailers, original-equipment manufacturers, professional channels, and online commerce. Its brands often stand independently in the marketplace, but they are supported by 3M's reputation for engineering, testing, and applied science. In the 2000s and 2010s, acquisitions expanded the company in areas such as filtration, security, medical technology, fall protection, wound care, and industrial materials. Notable transactions included CUNO, Cogent, Capital Safety, the Separations Media business of Polypore, Scott Safety, and Acelity. At the same time, 3M divested or separated activities that no longer fit its long-term portfolio. Its food-safety business was separated and combined with Neogen in 2022, and its healthcare business was spun off as Solventum in 2024. 3M remains an active global brand, although its reputation has also been affected by litigation and regulatory scrutiny concerning PFAS chemicals and Combat Arms earplugs. These matters have influenced its financial planning, product portfolio, environmental commitments, and public communications. The modern 3M brand therefore combines a strong legacy of invention and recognizable consumer products with a continuing focus on industrial technology, healthcare-related materials, workplace safety, and risk management.

History

3M was established in 1902 in Two Harbors, Minnesota, as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. Its founders intended to mine corundum, a hard mineral useful for abrasives, but the deposit was largely anorthosite and did not support the original commercial plan. The company therefore shifted toward manufacturing abrasive products. It moved to Duluth and later to Saint Paul, where William L. McKnight joined in 1907 and became an influential figure in the development of the company’s management and innovation culture. By 1916, 3M had become financially stable enough to pay dividends. During the early twentieth century, the company broadened its materials expertise into sandpaper, coatings, adhesives, and tapes. Its masking tape and transparent cellophane tape helped establish a durable consumer and industrial business outside mining. The company relocated its headquarters to the 3M Center in Maplewood in 1962 after outgrowing its Saint Paul facilities. Research was increasingly organized around technologies that could be adapted to multiple markets, including pressure-sensitive adhesives, abrasives, films, laminates, and filtration. 3M expanded into healthcare and pharmaceuticals during the postwar period. It produced an early asthma inhaler in the late 1950s and entered pharmaceuticals more formally through the acquisition of Riker Laboratories in the 1960s. It later developed a CFC-free inhaler and other drug-delivery technologies, but divested its pharmaceutical operations through transactions completed in 2006. The company also developed Scotchgard after chemists Patsy Sherman and Samuel Smith discovered a water-repellent formulation by accident in 1952. Separately, 3M participated in digital audio recording, imaging, data storage, library systems, automotive care, security, and other specialized activities. Post-it Notes became one of the company’s most successful examples of experimentation and market learning. An earlier product called Press ’n Peel performed poorly in initial testing in 1977. Free sampling in Boise, Idaho, demonstrated strong consumer interest, and the product was relaunched as Post-it Notes in 1979 before broader United States distribution in 1980. The brand subsequently became a globally recognized office and household product. From the 1980s onward, 3M used acquisitions and portfolio restructuring to reinforce selected technologies while leaving mature or less strategic sectors. Comtal strengthened digital imaging, while the data-storage and imaging businesses were separated into Imation in 1996. In the twenty-first century, acquisitions included Meguiar’s, Cogent Systems, Scott Safety, M*Modal, and Acelity. The company also merged its food-safety business with Neogen and prepared its healthcare operations for separation into Solventum. Environmental and legal issues form an important part of the modern history of 3M. Its former production and use of PFOS, PFOA, and other PFAS-related substances led to groundwater, river, and community contamination disputes. The company announced a phase-out of certain PFAS-related production in 2000 and later announced a broader exit from PFAS manufacturing and use. Litigation and remediation have involved Minnesota, public water systems across the United States, and facilities in other countries. Other significant legal matters have included claims relating to military earplugs and product liability. 3M’s history therefore combines a long record of applied innovation and diversification with continuing scrutiny of the environmental and social consequences of its technologies. 3M was founded in 1902 in Minnesota as a mining venture, but problems with the quality of its corundum deposits led the company to move into abrasives. Through continued research and technological development, it gradually evolved from a materials supplier into a diversified technology company serving multiple industries. During the twentieth century, 3M introduced notable tapes, adhesives, and office products, while extending its materials technologies into automotive, electronics, healthcare, and industrial manufacturing applications. Post-it notes and Scotch-branded products became especially recognizable in consumer and office markets. In the twenty-first century, the company expanded through research, acquisitions, and portfolio restructuring, while also confronting product-liability claims, environmental concerns involving chemicals, and regulatory litigation. In 2024, 3M separated its healthcare business into Solventum, leaving 3M focused on safety and industrial, transportation and electronics, and consumer-related activities. 3M was founded in 1902 as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company by five investors who intended to mine corundum, an abrasive mineral, near Two Harbors, Minnesota. The mining venture struggled, and the company shifted its attention to importing and developing abrasive materials. Its relocation to Duluth and later expansion into St. Paul helped it build the manufacturing, sales, and research capabilities that would define the business. During the early twentieth century, 3M developed coated abrasives and improved methods for applying abrasive grains to flexible backing materials. These products gave the company a foothold in industrial manufacturing and repair. The business later broadened its materials expertise into adhesives, coatings, films, and laminates. The name 3M became increasingly associated with technical problem-solving rather than with a single mineral or product category. The company entered the pressure-sensitive tape market in the 1920s. Masking tape, created to support two-tone automotive painting, became an important early example of 3M adapting a technical solution to a clear customer problem. Scotch Tape followed and became a major consumer and office product. In later decades, the company expanded into transparent films, medical tapes, electronic materials, traffic-safety products, and industrial bonding systems. A defining feature of 3M's growth was the transfer of technologies between divisions. Low-tack adhesive research eventually supported the development of Post-it Notes, introduced commercially in the early 1980s after experiments showed that a removable adhesive could be useful for temporary notes and markers. Other innovations in films, fibers, coatings, ceramics, and nonwoven materials similarly created applications in transportation, electronics, healthcare, construction, and consumer goods. 3M became a large international manufacturer during the second half of the twentieth century, establishing operations and sales networks outside the United States and building a broad portfolio of professional and household brands. It was added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1976. Its portfolio later included personal protective equipment, medical and dental products, food-safety testing, filtration, optical films, data-storage and electronics materials, automotive components, and industrial safety equipment. The company used acquisitions to add specialized technologies and market access. Transactions during the 2000s and 2010s included CUNO, Cogent, Capital Safety, the Separations Media business of Polypore, Scott Safety, and Acelity. The Acelity transaction strengthened wound-care and surgical products and was described at the time as 3M's largest acquisition. 3M also pursued portfolio simplification. Its food-safety business was separated and combined with Neogen in 2022, while its healthcare operations were separated into Solventum in 2024. 3M's recent history has been shaped both by innovation and by legal and environmental challenges. PFAS-related controversies have involved allegations about chemical contamination, disclosure, and product liabilities. The Combat Arms earplug litigation raised questions about the design, performance, and marketing of hearing-protection products supplied to military personnel. These matters have required settlements, provisions, operational changes, and a stated exit from PFAS manufacturing and use. Despite those pressures, 3M continues to operate as a diversified materials and technology company with global industrial, consumer, safety, electronics, and transportation businesses.

2024
William Brown becomes CEO
[7]3M announcement on William Brownnews.3m.com
William Brown takes over as chief executive officer, with Michael Roman becoming executive chairman.
2024
Spin-off of healthcare business
[11]3M投资者关系新闻稿investors.3m.com
3M completed the spin-off of its healthcare business, which now operates independently as Solventum.
2024
Solventum is spun off
[13]3M Board of Directors Approves Spin-off of Solventuminvestors.3m.com
3M completed the planned separation of its healthcare business into Solventum.
2023
Public-water-system PFAS agreement
[5]3M announcement on PFAS litigation agreementinvestors.3m.com
3M announces a proposed settlement framework intended to resolve numerous United States public-water-system PFAS lawsuits.
2022
Healthcare separation announced
[28]Healthcare separation announcednews.3m.com
3M announces plans to separate its healthcare assets into an independent publicly traded company, later named Solventum.
2022
PFAS exit announced
[6]3M announcement on PFAS exitnews.3m.com
3M announces plans to discontinue PFAS manufacturing and use across its portfolio.
2022
Food-safety business combines with Neogen
[14]3M Finalizes Separation of its Food Safety Businessinvestors.3m.com
3M completed the separation of its food-safety business and its merger with Neogen.
2019
Acelity acquired
[27]Acelity acquirednews.3m.com
3M completes its acquisition of Acelity and KCI, adding wound-care and related healthcare technologies.
2019
Acelity acquisition announced
[30]Acelity acquisition announcedindustryweek.com
3M announced its agreement to acquire Acelity and its KCI wound-care business.
2018
Minnesota PFAS settlement
[8]Minnesota Attorney General: 3M settlementag.state.mn.us
3M reaches an $850 million settlement with Minnesota over PFAS-related natural-resource and water-contamination claims.
2018
Michael Roman becomes CEO
[1]3Men.wikipedia.org
The board appointed Michael F. Roman as chief executive officer.
2017
Scott Safety acquired
[26]Scott Safety acquirednews.3m.com
3M acquires Johnson Controls’ Scott Safety business, expanding its worker-safety portfolio.
2015
Capital Safety acquisition
[29]Capital Safety acquisitionmarketrealist.com
3M completed the acquisition of Capital Safety, expanding its fall-protection and workplace-safety portfolio.
2006
Pharmaceutical business divested
[1]3Men.wikipedia.org
3M exits most of its pharmaceutical operations through several transactions.
2002
Legal name changes to 3M Company
[1]3Men.wikipedia.org
On the company’s centennial, the legal name changes from Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company to 3M Company.
1996
Imation separation
[25]Imation separationen.wikipedia.org
3M spins off its data-storage and imaging businesses into Imation Corporation.
1980
Post-it Notes launch nationally in the United States
[24]Press ’n Peel test launchen.wikipedia.org
Post-it Notes begin broad United States distribution and subsequently expand into Canada and Europe.
1980
Post-it Notes are introduced
[24]Press ’n Peel test launchen.wikipedia.org
3M launched removable adhesive notes, which became one of its most recognizable consumer products.
1979
Post-it Notes introduced
[24]Press ’n Peel test launchen.wikipedia.org
After successful consumer sampling, 3M introduces the repositionable note product under the Post-it name.
1977
Press ’n Peel test launch
[24]Press ’n Peel test launchen.wikipedia.org
3M tests a repositionable adhesive bookmark product in several United States cities; the initial retail response is weak.
1976
3M joins the Dow Jones Industrial Average
[1]3Men.wikipedia.org
3M was added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average on August 9, 1976.
1975
Pollution Prevention Pays program begins
[3]3M sustainability: Pollution Prevention Pays3m.com
3M launches its pollution-prevention program to reduce waste and emissions at manufacturing sites.
1968
Early development of Post-it notes
[12]Post-it产品历史post-it.com
3M developed a low-tack, repositionable adhesive that later became the technical basis for Post-it notes.
1962
Move to 3M Center in Maplewood
[1]3Men.wikipedia.org
3M moves its headquarters from Saint Paul to its expanding Maplewood campus.
1952
Scotchgard formulation discovered
[23]Scotchgard formulation discovereden.wikipedia.org
Chemists Patsy Sherman and Samuel Smith discover the formulation that becomes Scotchgard fabric and surface protection.
1930
Scotch Tape is introduced
[1]3Men.wikipedia.org
The company commercialized transparent adhesive tape under the Scotch brand.
1925
Masking tape enters the market
[1]3Men.wikipedia.org
3M introduced masking tape for automotive painting, creating an important pressure-sensitive tape business.
1921
First coated abrasive patent
[1]3Men.wikipedia.org
3M developed an early coated abrasive product, helping establish its manufacturing and materials-science foundation.
1920
Expansion into tapes and adhesives
[1]3Men.wikipedia.org
3M develops adhesive and tape products, accelerating its transformation into a diversified materials manufacturer.
1916
3M reaches financial stability
[1]3Men.wikipedia.org
After changing from mining toward manufactured abrasives, the company became financially stable and began paying dividends.
1910
Headquarters move to Saint Paul
[1]3Men.wikipedia.org
The company relocates to Saint Paul as it develops beyond its initial mining venture.
1907
William L. McKnight joins 3M
[1]3Men.wikipedia.org
McKnight joined the company and later became a major influence on its management philosophy and research culture.
1902
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing is founded
[1]3Men.wikipedia.org
Five founders establish the company in Two Harbors, Minnesota, initially intending to mine corundum. The company was founded in Minnesota as a mining enterprise focused on corundum, an abrasive mineral.
1902
Company founded
[9]3M公司历史3m.com
The company was founded in Minnesota, USA, initially engaged in corundum mining, then shifted to abrasives business.

Products and positioning

A research-led materials-science and industrial technology company that transfers adhesive, abrasive, filtration, film, polymer, and surface-engineering capabilities across professional and consumer markets. A science-led, diversified technology brand positioned around practical innovation, dependable performance, and materials expertise across professional and consumer settings.

Adhesive tapes and bonding products · 1930
Scotch
3M’s Scotch portfolio includes transparent, masking, packaging, mounting, electrical, and specialty tapes, along with related adhesive products. It serves household, office, construction, manufacturing, automotive, and other professional applications. The brand illustrates 3M’s long-standing expertise in pressure-sensitive adhesives, films, coatings, and engineered substrates. Scotch covers 3M's widely distributed consumer and professional tape products, including transparent office tape, masking tape, packaging solutions, mounting products, and specialized adhesive systems. The brand grew from 3M's early pressure-sensitive tape expertise and remains associated with everyday repair, labeling, packaging, crafting, painting, and office tasks.
Office and organization products · 1980
Post-it Notes
Post-it Notes are repositionable paper notes using a low-tack adhesive that allows users to attach, remove, and often reposition them without conventional permanent bonding. The range has expanded from classic notes into flags, tabs, dispensers, large-format sheets, and digital or organizational products. It remains one of 3M’s most recognizable consumer-facing innovations. An office and study product line centered on repositionable notes for writing, marking, organizing, and collaboration; it is one of 3M’s most recognizable consumer and office offerings. Post-it products use removable, repositionable adhesive technology for notes, reminders, brainstorming, indexing, teaching, planning, and visual collaboration. The line includes paper notes, flags, pads, dispensers, and related productivity formats. It has expanded from a simple office product into a recognizable creative and organizational platform. Removable adhesive notes used for reminders, annotations, organization, and temporary labeling. The product line built a major consumer category around an adhesive that could attach to surfaces without forming a permanent bond.
Surface and fabric protection · 1956
Scotchgard
Scotchgard products are designed to protect selected fabrics, carpets, upholstery, and surfaces from staining, moisture, or soil, depending on the formulation and market. The brand originated from an accidental discovery by 3M chemists in 1952. Product formulations and permitted uses have changed over time in response to environmental, regulatory, and performance considerations.
Consumer healthcare
Nexcare
Nexcare is 3M’s consumer healthcare brand for products such as adhesive bandages, wound-care items, tapes, supports, and related first-aid supplies. Its offerings are intended for home, travel, sports, and everyday personal care, with product ranges and regulatory classifications varying by market. Nexcare is a consumer healthcare brand covering adhesive bandages, wound-care products, athletic-support items, first-aid supplies, and related personal-care products. It extends 3M's medical-materials expertise into retail and household use.
Personal protective equipment
N95 particulate respirators
3M manufactures particulate respirators designed to reduce inhalation of airborne particles in occupational, healthcare, emergency-response, and public-health settings. N95 designations apply to products meeting relevant United States performance and certification requirements; equivalent products and approvals differ internationally. The portfolio includes disposable and specialized respiratory-protection formats.
Industrial materials
Industrial abrasives
3M’s abrasive systems include coated abrasives, discs, belts, wheels, nonwoven products, and precision-finishing materials. They are used for cutting, grinding, deburring, polishing, surface preparation, and finishing in metalworking, automotive, aerospace, woodworking, and general manufacturing. Abrasives connect the company’s original mining-related activity with its modern engineered-materials portfolio.
Healthcare technology and supplies
Healthcare and medical products
Historically, 3M’s healthcare portfolio has included medical tapes, dressings, wound-care products, sterilization assurance, infection-prevention materials, dental products, surgical products, and clinical information technologies. Some healthcare operations were transferred to Solventum as part of the separation completed in 2024, so the ownership and availability of individual products depend on the product line and market.
Tapes and adhesives
Scotch Tape and Adhesives
A portfolio of transparent, packaging, double-sided, industrial tapes, and adhesives serving household, office, packaging, manufacturing, and repair applications.
Personal protective equipment
3M Respiratory Protection
Respiratory protection products for industrial, healthcare, and public-safety settings, including particulate respirators, filtering devices, and related equipment.
Medical products
3M Medical Products
A former major 3M business covering medical tapes, dressings, skin care, sterilization, and clinical supplies; the business was separated into Solventum in 2024.
Industrial materials
3M Industrial Tapes and Materials
Tapes, adhesives, abrasives, and composite materials for manufacturing, construction, automotive, aerospace, and electronics applications.
Removable home-organization products · 1996
Command
Command products are removable hooks, strips, clips, and related mounting systems designed to attach objects without conventional nails or screws. The brand applies 3M adhesive and materials technologies to household organization, decoration, seasonal displays, and light-duty mounting. Removable hanging and organizing products designed to attach items to walls and other surfaces while minimizing the need for nails, screws, or permanent fixtures.
Air-filtration products
Filtrete
Filtrete provides residential air-filtration products, especially furnace and HVAC filters. The brand is built around engineered filter media intended to capture airborne particles and support household air-quality management.
Industrial and workplace safety
3M personal protective equipment
3M's safety portfolio includes disposable and reusable respirators, hearing protection, protective eyewear, head and face protection, fall protection, welding products, and related workplace-safety systems. These products are sold to industrial, construction, healthcare, emergency-response, and government customers.
Adhesive tapes
Scotch tapes
A broad family of household, office, packaging, masking, mounting, and specialty adhesive tapes. Scotch products reflect 3M’s historical expertise in pressure-sensitive adhesives, films, coatings, and backing materials.
Cleaning and abrasives
Scotch-Brite
Cleaning pads, abrasive materials, and related products for household, commercial, and industrial use. The range extends 3M’s original abrasive-material capabilities into cleaning and surface-preparation applications.
Professional and institutional products
3M safety and healthcare products
A wide portfolio including respirators and other personal protective equipment, medical and dental materials, wound-care products, surgical products, and workplace safety systems. These offerings serve healthcare providers, employers, industrial users, and public institutions.

Controversies

2026
Vermont sues Saint-Gobain, DuPont and 3M over PFAS contamination in Bennington County
The state of Vermont filed a lawsuit against multiple manufacturers, alleging that PFAS from former factories contaminated properties and well water in Bennington and Shaftsbury. The state seeks payment from Saint-Gobain, DuPont and 3M to remove PFOA chemicals from the water, prevent future exposure, connect affected homes to the municipal water system, and admit negligence.
Source
2026
3M recalls Scotch Thermal Laminators over fire hazard
In 2026, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that 3M Company is recalling about 53,634 Scotch Thermal Laminators due to a fire hazard posing a risk of serious injury or death. The firm has received 63 reports of the laminators smoking, melting and overheating, including five reports of the laminators catching fire and one report of minor property damage; no injuries have been reported.
Source
2023
PFAS claims by United States public water systems
3M announced a proposed settlement framework valued at up to approximately $10.3 billion over time to resolve claims from numerous United States public water systems alleging PFAS contamination. The agreement did not resolve every PFAS-related claim or regulatory matter.
Source
2023
PFAS contamination and related lawsuits
3M faced lawsuits and regulatory pressure over environmental impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and claims from public water systems, and announced related settlement arrangements.
Source
2023
PFAS contamination and liability controversy
3M faced regulatory action and lawsuits concerning PFAS chemicals historically manufactured or used by the company and alleged contamination of water and the environment. The company announced an exit from PFAS manufacturing and use.
Source
2021
PFOS contamination concerns near Zwijndrecht facility
Investigations in Belgium linked PFOS contamination in the area around 3M’s Zwijndrecht facility to historical industrial activity. Authorities issued measures concerning exposure and food consumption while remediation and accountability questions remained active.
Source
2021
Bemidji and 3M reach settlement over water-treatment costs
Bemidji and 3M reached a settlement related to chemicals in local water systems. The agreement provides that 3M will contribute $12.5 million toward construction of the treatment facility and treatment operations.
Source
2021
3M announces environmental investment and targets
3M announced that it will invest about $1 billion over 20 years toward environmental goals, including water-quality improvements and reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. The company said the water-purification initiative would also help address PFAS; the article states that PFAS chemicals have polluted groundwater in Washington County and elsewhere.
Source
2021
3M takes legal action against mask distributor
3M said it had taken legal action against Nationwide Source to prevent it from selling counterfeit 3M-branded masks. The article does not specify when the legal action was filed.
Source
2020
Court grants 3M preliminary injunction against Performance Supply
A federal judge granted 3M a preliminary injunction against Performance Supply in a lawsuit alleging trademark violations and price-gouging involving N95 respirators. The court concluded that Performance Supply was not an authorized distributor, agent, or representative of 3M-brand respirators.
Source

Marketing campaigns

2024Green Works sustainability communication
Japan
3M Japan created sustainability-focused communication around the development, design, and marketing of the 3M DI-NOC Film Eco Series RC, linking product communication with a broader sustainable-future theme.
Outcome. The product received a 2024 Good Design Award according to 3M Japan’s company material.
Source
20163M Japan–Rakuten Market e-commerce tie-up
Japan
3M Japan partnered with Rakuten Market to strengthen e-commerce activity and coordinate with participating stores. Purchase incentives, including enhanced points, were used to encourage customers to buy 3M products through the marketplace.
Outcome. The case was presented as an e-commerce sales-promotion initiative; the cited material does not provide independently verified sales results.
Source
2013Go Ahead, Make Something of It
United States
A Post-it campaign portrayed the notes as a medium for creativity and self-expression rather than only as reminder paper. Advertising showed unusual uses such as collaborative window displays and office-based Post-it art, supported by television, online, social, and brand-site activity.
Outcome. The campaign broadened the product story from office utility toward creativity and community participation.
Source
1978Post-it consumer sampling
United States
After weak initial retail results for Press ’n Peel, 3M distributed free samples of the repositionable notes in Boise, Idaho. Sampling allowed consumers to experience the adhesive and helped demonstrate demand for the product.
Outcome. The test supported a relaunch under the Post-it name and preceded national United States distribution.
Source
1975Pollution Prevention Pays
Global
3M launched Pollution Prevention Pays, commonly known as 3P, to prevent pollution at source by changing processes, materials, and product designs. The program later expanded beyond plant-level pollution reduction to include waste prevention, recycling, and resource efficiency across the company.
Outcome. The program became a long-running environmental-management initiative and was credited by 3M with reducing waste and emissions while lowering treatment and disposal costs.
Source

Brand decisions

2024
Completed spin-off of healthcare businessStrategy
Background
The company restructured its business portfolio to allow 3M and the healthcare business to focus on their respective markets and technology directions.
Action taken
Spun off the former healthcare business into an independent company, Solventum.
Aftermath
3M continues to operate as an independent company, while Solventum operates the healthcare business separately.
Source
2024
Spin off healthcare operations as SolventumStrategy
Background
3M determined that its healthcare activities and its remaining industrial and consumer businesses could pursue more focused strategies as separate companies.
Action taken
3M completed the separation of its healthcare business into Solventum on April 1, 2024.
Aftermath
3M became more concentrated on industrial, safety, transportation, electronics, and consumer activities, while Solventum operated as an independent healthcare company.
Source
2024
Leadership transition to William BrownStrategy
Background
3M announced a change in its senior leadership as it continued to manage portfolio, operational, and legal challenges.
Action taken
William M. Brown became chief executive officer on May 1, 2024, and Michael F. Roman moved into the executive-chairman role.
Aftermath
The transition placed an external executive with industrial and aerospace-sector leadership experience at the head of 3M; the cited sources do not establish longer-term results.
Source
2022
Decision to exit PFAS manufacturing and useStrategy
Background
3M faced increasing regulatory, environmental, remediation, and litigation pressure concerning PFAS and related persistent chemicals.
Action taken
The company announced plans to discontinue PFAS manufacturing and use across its portfolio, with the transition expected to continue through the end of 2025.
Aftermath
The announcement represented a major change to 3M’s chemical and materials portfolio, while PFAS liabilities and regulatory obligations continued separately.
Source
2022
Plan to separate healthcare assetsM&A
Background
3M concluded that its healthcare activities could operate with a more focused structure separate from the remaining industrial and consumer businesses.
Action taken
The company announced a tax-efficient spin-off of its healthcare assets into a new public company, later named Solventum, while retaining a minority stake initially.
Aftermath
The separation was completed in 2024 and changed the scope of the 3M brand’s direct healthcare operations.
Source
2022
Separate food-safety business and combine it with NeogenM&A
Background
3M pursued portfolio simplification by separating a food-safety operation from its remaining businesses.
Action taken
The food-safety business was placed into a subsidiary and combined with Neogen; participating 3M shareholders received Neogen shares through an exchange offer.
Aftermath
The transaction removed the food-safety operation from 3M and created a standalone public-company combination with Neogen.
Source
2020
Divestiture of drug-delivery businessM&A
Background
3M decided to separate substantially all of its drug-delivery operations as part of a longer-term effort to focus its healthcare portfolio.
Action taken
The business was transferred to an Altaris Capital Partners affiliate and became Kindeva Drug Delivery; 3M retained a minority interest in the new company.
Aftermath
The transaction narrowed 3M’s direct pharmaceutical exposure while preserving an investment relationship with the separated business.
Transaction consideration. Approximately $650 million, including a 17% interest in the new operating company (2020)
Source
2019
Acquire AcelityM&A
Background
3M sought to expand its healthcare portfolio, particularly in advanced wound care and surgical products.
Action taken
3M agreed to acquire Acelity, including the KCI business, in a transaction valued at approximately $6.7 billion including debt.
Aftermath
The transaction strengthened 3M's wound-care and healthcare offering, although the healthcare portfolio was later separated into Solventum.
Transaction value including assumed debt. Approximately $6.7 billion (2019)
Source
2012
Cancelation of Avery Dennison office-products acquisitionOther
Background
3M announced a proposed acquisition of Avery Dennison’s Office and Consumer Products Division for $550 million, but antitrust concerns arose during the review process.
Action taken
3M terminated the transaction in September 2012.
Aftermath
The decision preserved 3M’s existing portfolio while illustrating the regulatory limits on consolidation in office and consumer products.
Proposed transaction value. $550 million (2012)
Source
Customer-data and marketing-automation program in JapanStrategy
Background
3M Japan sought to improve professional e-commerce and customer development by combining online behavior data with internal business information.
Action taken
The company developed a private data-management platform supporting industry and behavior-based segmentation, product recommendations, and analysis of customer actions.
Aftermath
The initiative was intended to support repeat visits, cross-selling, up-selling, and customer-lifetime-value analysis; no verified financial outcome is supplied in the source.
Source

Recent events

2026-10-21
3M raises FY 2026 earnings guidance[49]3M上调2026财年盈利指引tickerreport.com
Reported: 2026-10-21
3M raised its fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $9.10–$9.15, above the $8.95 consensus estimate, while maintaining revenue guidance of approximately $25.4 billion.
Unconfirmed
Genius Electronic Optical and 3M enter strategic partnership for EBO development[50]Genius Electronic Optical与3M建立EBO开发战略合作digitimes.com
Reported: 2026-10-20
Genius Electronic Optical (GSEO) entered into a strategic partnership with 3M to develop and manufacture 3M's Expanded Beam Optical (EBO) and expand production capacity.
2026-10-20
3M raises its annual profit forecast[51]3M上调全年利润预期cnbc.com
Reported: 2026-10-20
3M raised its full-year adjusted profit-per-share forecast to $9.10–$9.15 from its previous forecast of $8.80–$8.95.
2026-10-19
3M and Amazon expand commercial relationship[52]3M与亚马逊扩大商业合作关系thestar.com.my
Reported: 2026-10-20
3M said it was expanding its commercial relationship with Amazon and had issued a warrant to an Amazon subsidiary, giving it the right to purchase 3M common stock worth over $521 million. The warrant is tied in part to Amazon purchases of 3M data-center products.
2026-10-15
3M recalls Scotch Thermal Laminators over fire hazard[38]3M recalls Scotch Thermal Laminators over fire hazardprnewswire.com
Reported: 2026-10-15
On October 15, 2026, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that 3M Company is recalling about 53,634 Scotch Thermal Laminators due to a fire hazard posing a risk of serious injury or death. The firm has received 63 reports of the laminators smoking, melting and overheating, including five reports of the laminators catching fire and one report of minor property damage; no injuries have been reported.
2026-10-14
3M to invest about NT$4.81 billion in Genius Electronic Optical via private placement[53]3M斥资约48.1亿元入股玉晶光私募普通股finance.ettoday.net
Reported: 2026-10-15
Taiwan optical lens maker Genius Electronic Optical (3406) said its board approved on Oct 14 a private placement subscription agreement with 3M United Kingdom Limited, under which 3M will subscribe 5,534,440 common shares at NT$869.6 per share, totaling NT$4,812,749,024 — an about 18.3% discount to the Oct 14 close of NT$1,065. The two sides plan to build a strategic partnership combining technology, manufacturing and market resources to jointly enter high-speed optical communications, AI data center and high-performance computing markets, and the proceeds are earmarked for working capital, repaying bank loans and future development needs.
Unconfirmed
3M signals layoffs affecting customer service representative teams[54]3M释放裁员信号，波及客服代表团队news.google.com
Reported: 2026-10-08
3M signaled impending layoffs affecting its customer service representative teams, according to Star Tribune reporting that described anxiety among the affected employees.
Unconfirmed
Vermont sues Saint-Gobain, DuPont and 3M over PFAS contamination in Bennington County[34]Vermont sues Saint-Gobain, DuPont and 3M over PFAS contamination in Bennington Countywcax.com
Reported: 2026-08-28
The state of Vermont is suing multiple manufacturers, alleging they contaminated properties and well water in Bennington and Shaftsbury with PFAS from former factories. The state seeks payment from Saint-Gobain, DuPont and 3M to remove PFOA chemicals from the water, prevent future exposure, connect affected homes to the municipal water system, and admit negligence.
Unconfirmed
3M introduces Xtract Cubitron II 710W Net Abrasive Disc[55]3M推出Xtract Cubitron II 710W网状磨料盘prnewswire.com
Reported: 2021-11-05
3M introduced the Xtract Cubitron II 710W Net Abrasive Disc, a mesh abrasive disc described as offering twice the life and cut rate and removing up to 97% of dust particles. The article says it had recently reached the U.S. and Canadian markets and was available in the United States and Europe.
2021-08-03
3M and Waystar enter strategic partnership[56]3M与Waystar达成战略合作prnewswire.com
Reported: 2021-08-03
3M and Waystar announced a strategic partnership to provide revenue-capture solutions to clients of 3M Health Information Systems. Waystar's AI-powered technology will be combined with 3M's services team.

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