3M

Clearly 3M is taking major heat over the mask ordeal, but does anyone have any actual insight to what is going on??

Can’t talk about it. BK will get ya.

They sold medical supplies to people that ordered medical supplies.

Don’t worryaboutit wrote:

They sold medical supplies to people that ordered medical supplies.

GASP!

https://www.kare11.com/mobile/article/news/health/coronavirus/pres-trump-invokes-defense-production-act-to-obtain-n95-masks-from-3m/89-d3c72df1-a9d2-445f-93af-b49291b14a0f

More than just medical, plenty of tradesmen who use n95s. Haven’t used a new 8511 in weeks

I wonder how many more masks would be in the system if construction was shut down? (<—–This is what shooting yourself in the foot looks like)

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Once it hit the fan vendors stopped selling masks to construction companies, so o don’t know that there really would be a whole lot more. Construction companies should donate all there n95 masks

MPR said we only have two 3m plants that make n95 (SD and Nebraska if I recall, but ive been drinking). And the several other countries they produce in have issued export limitations so they cant get them to the US.

We do not have the proper masks at work for some of us.

Bob Erfish wrote:

Once it hit the fan vendors stopped selling masks to construction companies, so o don’t know that there really would be a whole lot more. Construction companies should donate all there n95 masks

One of my distributors got their shipment in couple weeks ago, donated 40 cases,not boxes, cases to local hospital. Guy who delivered it said he got a standing ovation practically when he told him what he had.

They did keep some behind the counter and will give ya one if ya need it, but noone is buying more than probably 1 a week, certainly no boxes

My lungs hurt like hell for a week after some nice paint and adhesive sanding. Charcoal masks? Nope, free buzzes at work, the headache comes complimentary. Not bitching a single bit, but it is what it is.

3M is Trump’s latest scape goat. There are a few things going on here I think:

1. 3M is exporting a small number of masks into Canada and Latin America. Those orders were placed back in January/February and 3M is the sole source-of-supply for many regions, but people are still freaking out that everything isn’t 100% going to the US.

2. A few rogue distributers were price gouging on masks. Terrible optics of course, but 3M cant have 100% control over the resale market for their masks.

3. People are pissed (rightly) there isn’t enough masks to go around. 3M was producing about 16M masks a month on the US previously, and has already doubled that output. Its pretty tough to blame a private company for not having 10X surge capacity, and what they are able to import from other regions gets more complicated when you get local governments involved.

mnfisherman18 wrote:

3M is Trump’s latest scape goat. There are a few things going on here I think:

1. 3M is exporting a small number of masks into Canada and Latin America. Those orders were placed back in January/February and 3M is the sole source-of-supply for many regions, but people are still freaking out that everything isn’t 100% going to the US.

2. A few rogue distributers were price gouging on masks. Terrible optics of course, but 3M cant have 100% control over the resale market for their masks.

3. People are pissed (rightly) there isn’t enough masks to go around. 3M was producing about 16M masks a month on the US previously, and has already doubled that output. Its pretty tough to blame a private company for not having 10X surge capacity, and what they are able to import from other regions gets more complicated when you get local governments involved.

It reads the same way now.

@Dutchboy – No, it doesn’t. Im not here to bash anyones political ideology, but the main reason 3M is catching so much heat right now stems from an irrational Trump tweet.

mnfisherman18 wrote:

@dutchboy – No, it doesn’t. Im not here to bash anyones political ideology, but the main reason 3M is catching so much heat right now stems from an irrational Trump tweet.

Agreed.

Actually I first heard about it from somebody on the TV in Florida, not the President.

With all the criticism on the administration, I think it’s fair to ask if others are playing by the rules and cooperating.

Not to mention 3M is an iconic MN company and so I’m hoping that they haven’t done anything wrong.

lindyrig79 wrote:

Not to mention 3M is an iconic MN company and so I’m hoping that they haven’t done anything wrong.

Like they did when they paid farmers to allow them to dump waste chemicals in there ditches in western Wisconsin that tainted hundreds of residential wells?

saugeye-steve wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>lindyrig79 wrote:</div>
Not to mention 3M is an iconic MN company and so I’m hoping that they haven’t done anything wrong.

Like they did when they paid farmers to allow them to dump waste chemicals in there ditches in western Wisconsin that tainted hundreds of residential wells?

I’ve heard they had some lawsuits pending, didn’t know the details, which was another reason for the question

Lindy that was Jared Moskowitz Florida’s state director of emergency who was told directly by the distributors and 3M themselves that other countries were coming with large amounts of cash and purchasing the mask.

Mark Cuban has been talking about if for over a week now as well.

There are roughly 20 distributors of the mask in the United States. 3M absolutely can control and monitor what the distributors are doing with the masks. I oversee about 30 distributors in my industry and it is my sole job to make sure the distributors are doing the right things for our products. I would have a hard time believing 3M does not do the same.

Fair points Ripjiggen, but I think Moskoqitz is embellishing here. I highly doubt 3M is taking “large amounts of cash” and canceling US orders in favor of more lucrative orders abroad. They are likely honoring orders previously received in different countries (especially ones where they are essentially the sole source of supply). I can see arguments on both sides related to the ethics of operating this way.

3M is selling masks to far more than 20 distributers. To your point, I am sure they do try to make sure distributors are doing the right things – this looks to me like a couple isolated bad-actors. Not saying 3M is perfect, they should probably be doing more to prevent price-gouging.

Not sure if its true (it was a news article on the Internet) but there is only one source for the pulp fibres for these masks and it is in British Columbia, and the mill is working OT to supply 3M. I love 3M for their integrity

I hear,I think, I believe

Yellow Fever wrote:

Not sure if its true (it was a news article on the Internet) but there is only one source for the pulp fibres for these masks and it is in British Columbia, and the mill is working OT to supply 3M. I love 3M for their integrity

This is the physical problem. I can’t find a clear answer, but it seems that either all, or most of the specific wood pulp needed for n95 masks (and other PPE) comes from Canada, and we have always sent them masks back because they don’t have the manufacturing to produce them.

The moral problem is why are we suddenly OK with hoarding from our long-time friend and ally, let alone with a specific thing that we cannot produce without them? If you are mad that all your neighbors are buying up the TP, you should be mad at this.

Most seem to think that if the US and Canada are dragged into a pissing match over trade the overall production of masks will drop.

Luckily, it seems that Canada is remaining calm for now.

Trudeau says Canada won’t retaliate after Trump bans 3M mask exports

It’s complicated.

Yellow Fever

Not sure if its true (it was a news article on the Internet) but there is only one source for the pulp fibres for these masks and it is in British Columbia, and the mill is working OT to supply 3M. I love 3M for their integrity

Not true. Wood pulp fibers are used as an absorbent material in diapers. N95 Respirators do not contain wood pulp. The filtering layer in N95 respirators is made from tiny, polypropylene plastic fibers.

3M CEO said they ramped up production in January, when they also laid 1,500 employees off in a restructuring. Who knows what that impact is, but sure can’t help especially if we are 3 months past when 3m supposedly increased production and all we here of are shortages. Also, Canada and Latin America infection #s are minuscule compared to here, it’s like when steel producers kept filling Canadian and Latin American orders during WW1/WW2 (sarcasm)…personally I’m very disappointed in 3M and their CEO.

It came out today or yesterday that federal agencies didn’t start ordering mass quantities of masks till March. 3M is just filling orders from week/months ago

Don’t worryaboutit wrote:

It came out today or yesterday that federal agencies didn’t start ordering mass quantities of masks till March. 3M is just filling orders from week/months ago

Someone (we will avoid specific names to keep people from getting butt hurt) cannot bash a company for their last second orders not being filled instanteously while they are working to fill orders that were placed far earlier from other countries.

Another topic the media manipulated to jump on. And the sheep fallowed.

1hl&sinker wrote:

Another topic the media manipulated to jump on. And the sheep fallowed.