3M expands Nebraska protective equipment plant | Manufacturing Dive

The $67 million project will boost the manufacturer’s capacity to make reusable respirators and Peltor brand earmuffs.

Courtesy of 3M.

The Valley plant is under 3M’s personal safety division, and the majority of the volume produced at the site includes the company’s respirators, welding helmets, filters, carbon cartridges, hearing protection and eyewear.

The facility, established in 1979, also makes products for 3M’s other divisions, including infection prevention, construction and home improvement markets and commercial solutions.

Industrial personal protective equipment protects approximately 125 million workers in the U.S., according to the trade group International Safety Equipment Association. In 2022, the industrial PPE market reached $66.27 billion, according to an October 2023 report by venture capital firm Insight Partners.

As more manufacturing projects are announced in the U.S., demand for industrial PPE is on the rise, with the market expected to reach approximately $109 billion by 2030.

As a result, 3M along with other prominent industrial PPE makers like DuPont de Nemours, Honeywell and Ansell, are focusing on expanding their production capabilities to meet the rising demand.

Last month, Ansell announced it was acquiring Kimberly-Clark’s PPE business for $640 million. The acquisition will help Ansell expand its PPE portfolio for its pharmaceuticals, medical devices and semiconductor manufacturing customers.

3M is also expanding other facilities in the U.S. In 2022, the chemical maker announced it was investing $470 million to increase its operation capacity at its plant in Clinton, Tennessee. The facility, which produces 3M’s Filtrete air filters and Command adhesive strips brands, is expected to create 600 jobs by 2025.

In July 2023, the company said it was spending up to $468 million to expand its healthcare facility in Brookings, South Dakota. The first phase of the project will add 200,000 square feet of manufacturing space, as well as lab and office space. The funds will also add 16 shipping docks and an 8,000-slot warehouse.