3M Company was founded in 1902 in Two Harbors, Minnesota, a small town on the shores of Lake Superior. Five businessmen came here to mine the mineral deposits in search of grinding wheel abrasives. However, the mineral deposits here proved to be of little value, so the newly established Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company soon moved to nearby Duluth to specialize in the manufacture of sandpaper products.
Five hard-working and persistent businessmen from northern Minnesota, although they have different backgrounds, jointly founded 3M Company. They invest in mining minerals that are used in grinding wheel abrasives. Like many companies in the early 20th century, 3M established a company first and conducted research later. Undaunted in the face of failure, they eventually turned this investment into a lucrative venture capital investment.
After years of struggle, 3M finally produced high-quality products and established a supply chain. New investors were attracted, such as Lucius Ordway, who in 1910 pushed for the company to be relocated to S?o Paulo. Early technological and marketing innovations began to pay off, and in 1916 the company paid its first dividend, 6 cents per share.
The world's first waterproof sandpaper was successfully developed in the early 1920s, which can reduce dust pollution in the air during the automobile manufacturing process.
In 1925, the company ushered in its second major milestone. The young laboratory assistant Richard G. Drew invented the masking tape. The company took an innovative step towards diversification. This was also the Scotch® The first product in the tape series.
In the following years, as technology advanced, the company introduced Scotch? cellophane tape for carton sealing, and soon people discovered hundreds of uses for it.
In the early 1940s, 3M began to produce defense materials for World War II, and therefore developed more new products, such as Scotchlite? reflective film for highway markings, audio tapes, fiber tapes, etc. 3M also began to develop offset printing plates at this time, thus entering the field of graphic design.
In the 1950s, 3M successively launched Thermo-Fax? copy technology, Scotchgard? fabric protection materials, video tapes, Scotch-Brite? cleaning pads and several new electromechanical products.
Dry silver film was introduced in the 1960s. During this period, photographic products, carbonless paper, projection systems, etc. were also introduced. At the same time, the health care product business grew rapidly, and a large number of medical and dental products were launched.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the markets in industries such as pharmaceuticals, radiology, and energy control expanded further.
In the 1980s, 3M launched Post-it®, which opened up a new market category and changed the way people communicate and work.
In the 1990s, the company's sales exceeded the $15 billion mark. 3M continues to develop a range of innovative products, including immune response modifiers, brightness-enhancing films for electronic displays, and flexible circuits for inkjet printers, mobile phones and other electronic devices.
In 2004, sales exceeded US$20 billion for the first time, and innovative products made a significant contribution to growth. Recent innovations include Post-it® extra-stick sticky notes, Scotch® clear duct tape, optical films for LCD televisions and new Scotch-Brite® cleaning products that provide the right scrubbing power for a variety of cleaning jobs .
In 2007, the Scotch-Brite? brand launched the first disposable bathroom cleaning brush with built-in bleach. Other innovative products are being introduced as models for improving the home environment, such as Scotch-Blue? Painter's Masking Tape for corners and hinges and the Scotch? Fur Fighter? hand-held hair cleaner designed to remove pet hair from furniture. 2008) etc.
In 2008, 3M scientists developed a breakthrough ultra-compact LED lighting projection engine that could be integrated with personal electronic devices, including the 3M? Micro Professional Mpro 110 projector, which has since evolved into Renewed products and brought about technological improvements. That same year, as potential public health emergencies such as influenza gained global attention, a variety of 3M masks became the first products approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for public use.
In 2009, 3M's Healthcare business launched the 3M? Littmann? 3200 Electronic Stethoscope, a next-generation stethoscope device that uses Bluetooth technology to wirelessly transmit data from the heart, lungs and other body organs to software. sound for further analysis. This year, 3M's innovation footprint not only involved the field of telemedicine in the healthcare industry, but also launched 3M? Cubitron? II fiber grinding wheels and metal processing belts in the grinding industry. This product uses patented ceramic abrasive particle technology, and its structure extends the service life of the abrasive by up to three times.
In 2010, with the introduction of more energy-saving operation measures, 3M won the ENERGY STAR® award for the sixth consecutive year. At the same time, a large number of innovative products have great advantages in environmental protection, reflecting the company's Maintain a commitment to sustainability.
In 2011, 3M Company joined forces with IBM and announced on the 7th local time that they would jointly develop a new adhesive material. The material can help chip towers be stacked densely to achieve 3D packaging of semiconductors.
In 2012, 3M Company and Nippon Paint held a signing ceremony at Nippon Paint's China headquarters today, announcing that the two parties have formally established a strategic partnership to complement each other's advantages through channel promotion and technology research and development, and provide In the future, long-term development in the Chinese market will achieve win-win cooperation.
In 2012, 3M's Renewable Energy Department and Gossamer Space Frames jointly launched the world's largest trough solar array, using 3M? Solar Mirror Film 1100 solar mirrors. membrane to concentrate solar energy.
In 2013, 3M Company signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the leading domestic office supplies company Qixin Office in Shenzhen. The two parties will formally carry out all-round cooperation in products, channels and other aspects to achieve complementary advantages, thereby through More convenient channels provide domestic and foreign stationery supplies consumers with high-quality cultural and educational products of international standards.