Organizing Life with 3M Products

The history of 3M is an amazing story, as stated on 3M’s website … https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/about-3m/history/

More than a century ago, 3M started as a small-scale mining venture in Northern Minnesota, then named Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. Now a global powerhouse, their products improve the daily lives of people around the world.

But 3M’s success and longevity were not apparent from the start. They tried. They failed. They tried something new; repeat cycle. Innovation and perseverance drove 3M founders, and it continues to drive 3Mers today.

When 3M began in 1902, their five founders had a simple goal: to mine for corundum, a mineral ideal for making sandpaper and grinding wheels. Turns out, what they thought was corundum was really another low-grade mineral called anorthosite.

Discovering the poor-quality mineral could have caused an early end to their fledgling company, but 3M founders persisted. Why? Because something more important was born that first year: the spirit of innovation and collaboration that forms the foundation of 3M today. So instead of calling it quits, 3M turned to different materials, applied them to other products, gained the trust of important investors, and built-up sales little by little.

Scientific, technical, and marketing innovations produced success upon success over the years, eventually making 3M a constant name on the Fortune 500 list. Today, more than 60,000 3M products are used in homes, businesses, schools, hospitals, and other industries. One-third of 3M sales come from products invented within the past five years, thanks to innovations from the thousands of researchers and scientists we employ around the world.

With corporate operations in 70 countries and sales in 200, 3M is committed to creating the technology and products that advance every company, enhance every home, and improve every life.

Have you ever looked around your home to see how many 3M products you have? I think you would be amazed at the number. 3M has over 60,000 products in its portfolio, and many are standard household items you use every day.

Items like:

• Furnace filters
• Abrasives (like sandpaper)
• Adhesives/glues
• Kitchen items
• Cleaning supplies / janitorial, Scissors
• Electrical tape
• USB connectors
• Medical items like band-aids
• Safety items like masks, hearing protection, coveralls, and glasses
• Orbital sanders
• Command hooks, hangers, and clips
• CLAW fastener
• Reflective tapes
• Glue sticks and guns
• Welding helmets
• Quick disconnects Ring and Spade
• Hard hats
• Bondo
• Packaging box sealing tapes
• Gloves
• Post-it-notes
• Gift wrapping tape
• Duct tape
• Building construction hole repair
• Carrier Pockets and Cover Tape for Semiconductor Products
• Scotch-Weld Threadlocker
• Foam for noise damping

The list is extensive. People use so many of these products daily and probably don’t even realize they are made by 3M.

Below is a photo of 30 items I found in my house just grabbing everyday items I use. I was surprised but not surprised. I’m a huge fan of 3M’s Command hooks and have them everywhere in my house. Behind every door, in closets, in the garage, in the utility room, and anywhere a hook is needed in our house. 3M’s gloves are amazing with gripping material on the palms, Nexcare band-aids are a must, Scotch-Brite sponges, and the Scotch tape I use all the time.

At DigiKey.com we have almost 10,000 stocking parts and are adding new parts every day. If you can’t find what you are looking for, please contact our TechForum and they will point you in the right direction. If you have any suggestions on a product we should stock, let us know … we’d love to hear from you.

3M’s Marketing Center shows all the product categories and everything new in our system.

So, my question to you; How many 3M items do you have in your home? I bet more than you thought.