Since its inception in 1902, 3M (NYSE:MMM) (originally Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company) has become one of the world's most successful companies. From its humble beginnings in Two Harbors, Minnesota, 3M has become an American multinational conglomerate that operates in the worker safety, U.S. health care and consumer goods industries.
Today, 3M, headquartered in Maplewood, Minnesota, produces over 60,000 products under several brands, including adhesives, abrasives, laminates, passive fire protection, personal protective equipment, window films, paint protection films, dental and orthodontic products, electrical and electronic connecting and insulating materials, medical products, car-care products, electronic circuits, healthcare software and optical films.
In 2021, 3M reported total sales of $35.4 billion and ranked 102 on the Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue. The company had approximately 95,000 employees and operations in over 70 countries in 2021.
3M has been a leader in innovation since its inception. In 1924, 3M obtained its first patent and launched its Pollution Prevention Pays program. Through this program, 3M reduced releases of toxic pollutants by 99% and greenhouse gas emissions by 72%. 3M has also earned the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Award.
In 1947, 3M began producing perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) by electrochemical fluorination. In 1951, DuPont purchased PFOA from 3M for use in the manufacturing of Teflon. In 1952, Patsy Sherman and Samuel Smith discovered the original formula for Scotchgard, a water-repellent applied to fabrics. In the late 1950s, 3M produced the first asthma inhaler. 3M entered the pharmaceutical industry in the mid-1960s by acquiring Riker Laboratories. In the mid-1990s, 3M Pharmaceuticals made the first CFC-free asthma inhaler.
In 2000, 3M began phasing out perfluoro sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid and PFOS-related products. In 2010, the state of Minnesota sued 3M for $5 billion in punitive damages. In 2018, the company settled the case with $850 million. The settlement included a commitment to spend $35 million on research, monitoring, and education to help protect and restore natural resources.
In 2016, 3M completed a 400,000-square-foot research-and-development building that cost $150 million on its Maplewood campus. In 2017, 3M reported net sales of $31.657 billion. In 2020, 3M divested its drug delivery business to an affiliate of Altaris Capital Partners LLC, for approximately $650 million. In 2021, 3M merged its food-safety business with food testing and animal healthcare maker Neogen.
Recently, 3M has been in the news for producing PFAS, or "forever chemicals." These chemicals make coatings and products that resist grease, heat, water and oil. Recent studies have suggested that these chemicals are far more hazardous to human health than previously thought. In response, 3M has announced that it will be phasing out PFAS in its products by the end of 2025, which should hit the company between $1.3 and $2.3 billion in the coming years.
3M has also been in the news due to its perfluoroethane (CF4) emissions from its chemical plant in Cordova, Illinois. The CF4 is 7,380 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas and remains in the atmosphere for 50,000 years. 3M has agreed to meet the EPA's hazardous waste incineration standards and reduce its CF4 emissions by 99.95%.
