U.S. corporation headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., manufacturing a wide range of products.
It was incorporated as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. in 1902; its first product was sandpaper. It grew steadily, adding the original cellophane tape, Scotch tape, as well as masking tape to its product line. Other innovations included the widely used Post-it notes, introduced in 1980. 3M's products include photographic film, videocassettes, computer-synthesized graphics, and health-care products. It is notable among diversified U.S. corporations in that its growth has been primarily by internal means rather than by large-scale acquisitions.