"Commercialization of Innovation at 3M"
Tony Clinch
Technical Director, 3M
Tony Clinch has been the Technical Director of 3M’s Abrasive Systems Division since 2014. He has an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Montana State University. He started his 31 year career at 3M working on novel processes to make fluoropolymers, polyolefins and reactive graft blends. This led to four patents and to his recognition as Minnesota’s Young Chemical Engineer of the Year in 1995. Clinch later managed a technical team in 3M’s Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division that developed new masking tapes with a patented, solvent-less process. He is a certified Six Sigma black-belt. He joined Office Supplies Division (now SOSD) in 2006, and helped champion numerous new products and environmental efforts including the launch in 2010 of Post-it® Greener Notes which use an adhesive that is made from plant based materials. In 2011, Tony joined Corporate Research Process Laboratory which focuses on innovations in processes including coating, extrusion, nonwovens, and vapor deposition.
