Writing this, I had a few 3M products nearby, forgot the post it notes & Velcro. 

The 3M company was started in 1902 in Minnesota, at the Lake Superior town of Two Harbors. Five men started out to mine mineral deposits for grinding-wheel abrasives. However, developing the grinding wheel abrasives with these deposits proved to be an unprofitable venture. The newly formed company, Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. (3M) picked up operations and relocated to Duluth, Minnesota to concentrate their efforts on sandpaper production.

Times were tough for 3M and the newly formed company had difficulty until it could perfect quality production and a distribution chain. A new investor, Lucius Ordway, was instrumental in moving the company to St. Paul, Minnesota in 1910. Due to 3M’s striving to improve their technical and marketing efforts, 3M began to profit in 1916. 3M Products paid its first dividend to it’s investors at a whopping 6 cents a share.

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