3M Automotive Frequently Asked Questions
3M Automotive is a closely knit consortium of several 3M business units that manufacture and market automotive products to original equipment manufacturers and their suppliers.
Q. How long has 3M Automotive been in business?
A. 3M as a company was formed in 1902. The company's first sale to the automotive industry came in 1915 when it introduced its revolutionary 3M™ Wetordry™ Abrasive. Abrasives were followed by masking tapes invented by 3M in 1926 to help paint shops achieve razor-sharp two-tone paint jobs. In the decades that followed, 3M introduced dozens of other innovative automotive products.
Q. What products/technologies does 3M Automotive offer the industry?
A. 3M Automotive manufactures and markets over 1,000 different products that go in or on vehicles or that are used in the manufacturing process. These products are used in the body, paint shop, chassis, powertrain, exterior and interior of vehicles manufactured today.
Q. What are 3M Automotive's global capabilities?
A. 3M Automotive, like its $23 billion parent company, is transnational in organization and operates in over 60 countries around the globe. 3M Automotive's products, services, technologies and solutions are available around the world through a network of regional automotive sales and technical service centers located wherever vehicles are manufactured. 3M Automotive's products are manufactured in more than 30 plants around the world, and its research and development activities are performed in three dedicated research facilities-in the US, Germany and Japan.
Q. If there were one word to describe 3M Automotive, what would that word be?
A. "Innovation." 3M as a corporation is consistently ranked by Fortune Magazine and others as among the most innovative companies in the world. In its 105 year history, 3M has mastered dozens of complex core technologies. These technologies are available to all 3M business units, enabling them to offer unique solutions to customer challenges across the broad spectrum of industries the company serves.
Q. How can I best get in touch with 3M Automotive?
A. 3M has a 60,000 square-foot Automotive Innovation Center (AIC) in Livonia, Michigan, to serve our US-based customers. Call 734-953-9300.
For locations outside the United States, check the 3M Global Centers section of the website, or Contact Us by email.
