About Us
At the Scotch™ Brand, we believe in resourcefulness and ingenuity. We exist to help people discover the magic of being hands on. But in order to do a job well, you need the right tools. Since the invention of the first transparent tape in 1930, Scotch™ Brand and 3M have offered more than 400 varieties of adhesive tape and countless other products from spray adhesives and super glue to tape dispensers and laminators. For every project there’s an ideal tool. We’d like to help you find it.
We Believe in Resourcefulness
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Resourcefulness is about adapting, making do and doing more with what you’ve got. It’s not about using less, but using smarter. And it means finding the right tools and taking a shot at using them.
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Resourcefulness is a core value at Scotch® Brand. We understand that problem-solving is the ultimate creative act. That’s the principle that has guided our long history of invention and that spurs us on to future innovations.
Historical Milestones
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Today: Scotch® Brand Expressions Tape comes in more than 100 colours and patterns. Included are chalkboard tape and dry erase tape that allow you to write, erase, and rewrite in chalk or dry erase marker on any surface without the mess of sprays and special primers.
2013: Scotch® Brand designers also reimagined the iconic “snail” dispenser for the first time in 60 years. The new dispenser features a modernized, sophisticated shape that conforms to the hand, improving comfort and ease of use.1997: The Scotch® Pop-Up Tape Dispenser was introduced. Precut, 2-inch pieces of tape "pop up" from the dispenser, which can be worn on the wrist or hand. The invention adds speed and convenience to gift wrapping, crafting and school projects.
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1961: 3M invents Scotch® Magic™ Tape. The innovative matte-finish tape is virtually invisible on light-colored paper and envelopes. Unlike glossy tapes, it can be written on with pen, pencil or marker. At about the same time, Scotch® Cellophane Tape is renamed Transparent Tape.
1941 - 1945: During World War II, almost all tape production is diverted to the war effort. 3M develops and manufactures more that 100 different types of tape to help solve war production problems such as sealing, identifying parts, holding materials, protecting and insulating. Scotch® Double-Sided Tape, coated with adhesive on both sides, joins the transparent tape family during this time.
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1939: Scotch® Brand welcomes the "snail,"—its iconic, handheld tape dispenser. The first version is made from stamped sheet metal, and a molded plastic model is added one year later.
1932: Scotch® Brand introduces the first heavy-duty, countertop tape dispenser. It’s made from cast iron and weighs almost 7 pounds.
1930: Richard Drew, a young 3M engineer, invents Scotch® Cellulose Tape. Later to be renamed Cellophane Tape, it is an attractive, moisture-proof way for grocers and bakers to seal packages. The tape helps people “make do” during the Great Depression—they made simple repairs to household items.
Unique Ways Scotch® Brand Tape Has Been Used
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In 1925 Richard Drew invented Masking Tape to help auto-body painters detail cars without damaging existing paint jobs. It didn’t take long for people to put the new tape to other imaginative uses. That ingenuity hasn’t flagged for a moment since, and it seems the possible uses for Scotch® Brand Tapes are virtually endless. Here are just a few of our favorite creative applications.
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Scotch® Transparent Tape has: served as an anti-corrosive shield on the Goodyear blimp; covered cracks in the soft shells of fertilized pigeon and turkey eggs – which then hatched; and repaired airplane rudders. A 1946 Taylorcraft airplane was disabled after cows ate the resin-coated fabric on the plane’s rudder section. The plane’s owner taped the remaining fabric over the hole-ridden section and flew away.
