For over a century, 3M Company (formerly Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing) has been the quintessential American innovator. From the ubiquity of Post-it® Notes to the life-saving reliability of N95 respirators and the industrial might of Cubitron™ abrasives, 3M has built a reputation on a simple yet profound promise: “Science. Applied to Life.” With a portfolio that historically spanned healthcare, consumer goods, and heavy industry, 3M operated as a diversified conglomerate that seemed too broad to have a single “true” rival.

However, the 3M of 2026 is a fundamentally different entity than it was just two years ago. The massive spin-off of its healthcare business into Solventum in April 2024 stripped away nearly 25% of its revenue, leaving a leaner, more focused industrial and consumer giant. This strategic divorce was designed to unlock value, but it also exposed the remaining “New 3M” to fiercer, more direct competition. The company is no longer shielded by the high-margin moat of healthcare; it is now fighting a trench war in material science, industrial automation, and consumer goods.

Simultaneously, 3M is navigating a historic pivot in its manufacturing philosophy. By pledging to exit all PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) manufacturing by the end of 2025, 3M is effectively rewriting its own chemical DNA. This transition has created a rare window of opportunity for competitors who are either less burdened by legacy liabilities or faster to market with “forever chemical” alternatives.

The following article analyzes the top competitors currently besieging 3M’s fortress. From the industrial automation of Honeywell to the adhesive dominance of Henkel and the specialized precision of Avery Dennison, these are the companies fighting for every inch of market share in the post-Solventum era.

Top Competitors of 3M

1. Honeywell International Inc.

Website – https://www.honeywell.com/us/en

If 3M is the master of materials, Honeywell is the master of controls. While 3M solves problems through chemistry (films, adhesives, abrasives), Honeywell solves them through physics and software (sensors, automation, aerospace). However, the overlap between these two industrial titans is massive, particularly in personal safety and building technologies.

The “Safety & Productivity” War

The fiercest battlefield is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Both companies are the global standards for industrial safety.

• How It Competes: Honeywell competes by integrating “smart” technology into safety gear. While 3M dominates the consumable side (disposable masks, earplugs), Honeywell excels in the hardware side—gas detection systems, smart wearables for workers, and connected safety platforms. Honeywell’s acquisition of companies like Norcross Safety Products has allowed it to match 3M’s breadth in protective footwear and electrical safety.

Strategic Divergence

In 2025/2026, Honeywell is outperforming 3M in terms of revenue growth, largely due to its heavy exposure to Aerospace and Building Automation—sectors that are currently booming. While 3M is “materials first,” Honeywell is “data first,” often selling the software that manages the facility where 3M’s products are used.

2. DuPont de Nemours, Inc.

Website – https://www.dupont.com/

DuPont is perhaps the only company that can match 3M’s heritage in chemical innovation. After its own series of splits (DowDuPont breakup), the current DuPont is a focused multi-industrial company specializing in electronics, water, and protection.

The Battle of the Super-Materials

This is a rivalry of brands. 3M has Scotchlite™ and Thinsulate™; DuPont has Kevlar®, Nomex®, and Tyvek®.

• How It Competes: DuPont dominates the “high-threat” protection market. In industrial settings where workers face thermal hazards (fire, arc flash) or ballistics, DuPont’s Nomex and Kevlar are the gold standards, often edging out 3M’s protective fabrics.

• Electronics & Interconnects: As vehicles become computers on wheels, both companies fight to supply the underlying materials. DuPont competes with 3M in supplying the polyimides and flexible substrates used in EV batteries and 5G smartphones.

The PFAS Context

Like 3M, DuPont has faced significant litigation regarding PFAS. However, both companies are racing to develop the next generation of eco-friendly surfactants and barrier films. DuPont’s ability to pivot its “Interconnect Solutions” business has made it a preferred supplier for Apple and other tech giants, directly challenging 3M’s Electronics Materials Solutions division.

3. Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Website – https://www.henkel.com/

Based in Germany, Henkel is the silent giant that holds the world together. It is the global market leader in adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings. While 3M is famous for tapes (pressure-sensitive adhesives), Henkel is the king of liquids and glues.

Loctite vs. Scotch-Weld

• How It Competes: Henkel’s Loctite brand is the Kleenex of industrial superglues and threadlockers. In the automotive and aerospace manufacturing sectors, Henkel’s structural adhesives are often preferred over mechanical fasteners.

• Consumer Dominance: In the consumer aisle, Henkel (owner of Pritt, Loctite, and Dial) fights 3M’s Scotch and Command brands. Henkel competes by offering aggressive pricing and specialized formulations for construction (e.g., floor bonding), a sector where it holds a volume advantage over 3M.

Market Share Reality

Henkel controls approximately 13-14% of the global adhesives market, a fragmented industry where no other player (including 3M) typically exceeds 5-7%. This scale gives Henkel massive procurement power for raw chemicals, allowing them to undercut 3M on price in bulk industrial contracts.

4. Saint-Gobain

Website – https://www.saint-gobain.com/en

One of the oldest companies in the world (founded in 1665), French giant Saint-Gobain is a dominant force in construction materials and high-performance solutions.

The “Norton” vs. “Cubitron” War

3M’s Cubitron™ II (precision-shaped grain technology) revolutionized the abrasives industry (sandpaper, grinding wheels). Saint-Gobain’s answer is its Norton brand.

• How It Competes: Saint-Gobain is 3M’s primary rival in the metalworking and finishing industries. They compete fiercely on “material removal rates” (how fast a grinding wheel cuts metal).

• Recent Legal Wins: In early 2025, Saint-Gobain successfully challenged a key 3M patent in the UK courts regarding abrasive particle shapes. This legal victory allows Saint-Gobain to introduce competing technologies that were previously blocked by 3M’s IP wall, heating up the competition in the industrial grinding sector.

5. Avery Dennison Corporation

Website – https://www.averydennison.com/

While 3M is a generalist, Avery Dennison is a specialist. They focus almost exclusively on labeling, packaging materials, and RFID technology.

The “Vehicle Wrap” Wars

If you see a matte black Tesla or a branded delivery van, it is likely wrapped in vinyl from either 3M or Avery Dennison.

• How It Competes: Installers often prefer Avery Dennison’s Supreme Wrapping Film over 3M’s 2080 Series because Avery’s vinyl is perceived as “easier to apply” (slideable, less initial tack).

• Commercial Fleets: Avery competes aggressively on price and warranty speed for massive commercial fleets (e.g., wrapping 5,000 Amazon vans). While 3M positions itself as the “premium” choice with superior long-term durability, Avery wins on “ease of use” and installer loyalty.

RFID Leadership

Avery is the global leader in RFID tags (Radio Frequency Identification). As retail moves toward automated inventory tracking (smart labels), Avery is significantly ahead of 3M in this specific high-growth niche.

6. MSA Safety Incorporated

Website – https://www.msasafety.com/

MSA (Mine Safety Appliances) focuses on one thing: keeping workers alive in hazardous environments. Unlike 3M, which sells Post-its alongside gas masks, MSA sells only safety.

Hardware vs. Consumables

• How It Competes: MSA dominates the “high-end” safety hardware market—specifically Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) used by firefighters and portable gas detection units.

• The Fire Service Loyalty: In the US fire service, MSA is often the preferred brand over 3M’s Scott Safety division (which 3M acquired). Fire departments value the ruggedness and specialized engineering of MSA’s G1 breathing apparatus. MSA competes by offering superior connectivity and telemetry (tracking firefighters’ air levels in real-time) compared to 3M’s legacy offerings.

7. Nitto Denko Corporation

Website – https://www.nitto.com/

Nitto Denko is essentially the “3M of Japan.” It is a massive materials manufacturer that produces industrial tapes, optical films, and membranes.

The Screen & Auto Battle

• How It Competes: Nitto is a dominant supplier of polarizing films used in LCD and OLED screens (smartphones, TVs). 3M competes here with its brightness enhancement films, but Nitto has deep, entrenched relationships with Asian panel manufacturers (Samsung, LG, BOE).

• Automotive Tapes: Nitto competes head-to-head with 3M in the “wire harness tape” market. As cars get more electric wiring, the need for specialized electrical tape grows. Nitto’s product quality in this niche is widely considered equal to or better than 3M’s.

8. Kimberly-Clark Professional

Website – https://www.kimberly-clark.com/

You know them for Kleenex and Huggies, but Kimberly-Clark’s “Professional” (KCP) division is a massive B2B player that attacks 3M’s safety and cleaning businesses.

The “Wipe and Suit” War

• How It Competes: KCP competes directly with 3M in disposable protective apparel (coveralls) and industrial wipes.

• Cleanrooms & Labs: In scientific labs and semiconductor manufacturing, Kimberly-Clark’s Kimtech brand is often the standard for gloves and wipes, challenging 3M’s presence in cleanroom environments. KCP competes on supply chain reliability and the “bundling” power of selling washroom supplies (towels/soap) alongside industrial safety gear—a bundle 3M cannot offer.

9. TE Connectivity

Website – https://www.te.com/

Formerly Tyco Electronics, TE Connectivity is the world leader in connectors and sensors.

The Electrification Race

• How It Competes: As 3M tries to grow its “Automotive Electrification” business (battery bonding, thermal management), it runs into TE Connectivity. TE owns the market for the actual connectors and high-voltage terminals inside EVs.

• Application Overlap: 3M sells the tapes and glues that hold the battery together; TE sells the hardware that makes the electricity flow. However, as components become integrated, they increasingly compete for the same “Bill of Materials” share in automotive design.

10. Illinois Tool Works (ITW)

Website – https://www.itw.com/

ITW is a conglomerate composed of hundreds of small, decentralized business units. They are famous for their “80/20” management philosophy (focusing on the 20% of customers who generate 80% of profit).

Niche Dominance

• How It Competes: ITW competes with 3M in specific niches like automotive fasteners, construction fluids, and industrial adhesives (brand: Plexus).

• Agility: Because ITW operates as hundreds of small companies rather than one giant bureaucracy, they can often react faster to local customer needs than 3M’s centralized structure. Their Plexus adhesives are a direct rival to 3M’s Scotch-Weld in bonding composite materials for boats and wind blades.

11. Sika AG

Website – https://www.sika.com/

Swiss-based Sika is a specialty chemicals company with a leading position in the development and production of systems and products for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing, and protecting in the building sector and motor vehicle industry.

The Bonding Battle

• How It Competes: Sika is the 3M killer in construction and automotive bonding. When a windshield is glued into a car, it is often done with Sika’s polyurethane systems.

• Infrastructure: Sika has a stronger portfolio in concrete admixtures and waterproofing for massive infrastructure projects (bridges, tunnels). While 3M sells safety gear to the construction worker, Sika sells the actual chemicals to the building site.

Comparative Analysis: 3M vs. The Field (2026 Context)

The following table highlights the primary “Battleground Sectors” where 3M faces its stiffest competition post-Solventum spin-off.

Competitor	HQ Location	Primary Battleground with 3M	Key Advantage over 3M
Honeywell	USA	Personal Safety (PPE) & Automation	Stronger growth in automation/software; less chemical liability.
DuPont	USA	Advanced Materials & Protection	Iconic brands (Kevlar/Nomex) dominate high-end protection.
Henkel	Germany	Industrial Adhesives (Liquids)	Global volume leader (13% share); pricing power in bulk glues.
Saint-Gobain	France	Abrasives (Grinding/Sanding)	Recent patent wins; deep integration in construction markets.
Avery Dennison	USA	Graphics, Labels, Vehicle Wraps	Installer loyalty; superior RFID technology.
Nitto Denko	Japan	Electronics & Optical Films	Dominance in Asian supply chains (LCD/OLED polarizers).
MSA Safety	USA	Fire & Gas Safety Hardware	Focus: “Pure-play” safety reputation; superior gas detection tech.

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Conclusion: The War for the Industrial Future

As 3M moves through 2026, it is fighting a war on two fronts. Internally, it is reinventing its manufacturing processes to exit PFAS and managing the post-Solventum transition. Externally, it is facing competitors who are more specialized and often more agile.

Honeywell is challenging 3M to digitize its safety offerings. Henkel is squeezing 3M on adhesive pricing. Saint-Gobain is attacking 3M’s technical dominance in abrasives with new patent victories.

3M’s “Brand Story” has always been about innovation—the idea that it spends more on R&D (approx. 6% of sales) than its rivals. To win against this legion of competitors, 3M’s new leadership must prove that its “Material Science” platform can still produce breakout products that these focused rivals cannot replicate. The days of 3M winning simply because it is the “default choice” are over; today, it must win on superior performance, sustainability, and specific application value.

Also Read: The Unmatched Legacy of 3M: Innovating for a Better Future

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