Founded in 1902, 3M was initially involved in the mining and processing of minerals for the production of abrasive paper for the automotive industry. The company gradually expanded its product range in response to customer demand. For example, the company's own researchers developed the first masking tape for the two-tone paintwork of the cars that were becoming fashionable at the time.

On this basis, the company soon began to diversify and expand internationally. Today, it has branches in over 70 countries.