INDUSTRY AND COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATION

3M stands for "Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing, Co."

Minnesota has always been on the cutting edge of Manufacturing and Industry.  Whether its in the manufacturing of plastics, primary metal industries, fabricated metals, heavy industrial machinery, or the manufacturing of your favorite cereal and bread products, Minnesota has a significant contribution to the national industrial and manufacturing establishment.  In fact, employment growth in the manufacturing of industrial equipment in Minnesota rose 26.9% in 2000, far outpacing the national average of 5.8% (see figure at right). Minnesota has a wide variety of manufacturing corporations:  Food, textiles, wood products, electrical equipment, transportation equipment, chemical manufacturing, and more! The 7,486 manufacturing firms in Minnesota employ a total of 377,690 workers - with total payrolls at $14,986,586. Unfortunately, these numbers have beed decreasing since 1998 along with other regional manufacturing patterns.

Iron mining began in Minnesota more than 100 years ago when red iron ore was shipped from the Vermillion Range in 1884.  Since then, Minnesota iron mining accounts for two-thirds of the ore used to make steel in the US.

According to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, the state estimates that 49,000 Minnesotans earned $5.15 an hour or less at their job in 2003.  This represents 2% of all wage-and-salary workers in the state.  However, this figure is down from 4.5% in 1998!

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