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The Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, better known as 3M, made several asbestos-containing products, including adhesive and caulk. The company has faced a number of asbestos lawsuits and continues to settle them privately and fight them in court.
Written by Michelle Whitmer | Edited By Walter Pacheco | Last Update: July 23, 2024
From the mid-1930s through the late 1980s, 3M manufactured a variety of asbestos-containing products. The products ranged from home repair materials to office supplies.
The company used asbestos fibers in its products to provide strength, durability and heat resistance. Unfortunately, 3M employees who manufactured these products were at high risk of exposure to asbestos, which is known to cause several cancers including lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Additionally, do-it-yourself homeowners and a variety of occupations were end users of 3M’s asbestos products.
While most other asbestos manufacturers have gone bankrupt fighting asbestos lawsuits in court, 3M remains financially stable continues to handle asbestos litigation through the court system.
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Get Help NowThe company has faced asbestos-related lawsuits for several decades, but recent suits involve a defective respirator that failed to protect workers from asbestos exposure.
The 3M products that contained asbestos endangered 3M employees in addition to end users of the products. The workers who made these products or worked with them throughout their career are at an increased risk of developing asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma.
Regarding end users of asbestos products, a 2018 study in the International Journal of Epidemiology looked at asbestos-related cancer risks for British workers in different industries. Former plumbers, electricians and painters made up one of the highest risk categories, with a risk of mesothelioma almost 16 times higher than in the general population.
Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company was founded in 1902 as a mining company and grew significantly from its humble beginnings to manufacture thousands of consumer products.
The company’s founders initially sold sandpaper made from imported Spanish garnet.
In 1916, 3M purchased its first laboratory and quickly began inventing new products.
Among the company’s early inventions were waterproof sandpaper, masking tape, cellophane “Scotch” tape and sound-deadening materials for automobiles. Scotch tape remains 3M’s most iconic product.
3M experienced tremendous growth after World War II, opening many plants across the country. Around 1950, the company went global, opening facilities in Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Australia and the United Kingdom. By 1951, international sales had reached $20 million.
Over the next several decades, the company developed many unique products such as the world’s first synthetic grass surface. One of its best known products, Post-It Notes, appeared in 1980. Today, 3M sells more than 60,000 products.
Headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, the company has more than 93,000 employees in 70 countries. In addition, 3M products can be purchased in more than 200 countries worldwide.
The company has been listed on the Fortune 500 list for more than 65 years. Global sales total about $30 billion annually with international sales accounting for more than 60% of all sales.
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Whitmer, M. (2024, July 23). Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company. Asbestos.com. Retrieved October 14, 2024, from https://www.asbestos.com/companies/minnesota-mining-and-manufacturing-company/
Whitmer, Michelle. "Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company." Asbestos.com, 23 Jul 2024, https://www.asbestos.com/companies/minnesota-mining-and-manufacturing-company/.
Whitmer, Michelle. "Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company." Asbestos.com. Last modified July 23, 2024. https://www.asbestos.com/companies/minnesota-mining-and-manufacturing-company/.
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