3M Plant Locations
3M Pittsboro
Welcome to 3M Pittsboro

3M Pittsboro Plant

Greetings from 3M Pittsboro

  • 3M is a global innovation company that never stops inventing. Over the years, we have worked to improve daily life for hundreds of millions of people all over the world. We have made driving at night easier, made buildings safer, and made consumer electronics lighter, less energy-intensive, and less harmful to the environment. 

    Every day at 3M, one idea always leads to the next, igniting momentum to make progress possible around the world.

    3M Pittsboro, North Carolina

    We are part of 3M’s Industrial Minerals Products Division (IMPD) within the Safety and Industrial business. 3M IMPD is one of the oldest divisions in the company with roots dating back more than 95 years.

    3M has been bringing vibrant and reliable color to roofs and other architectural surfaces for decades. Color you can count on – color that stands the test of time.

    We're proud to have a strong safety culture and we follow a philosophy of continuous improvement with our manufacturing and business processes to ensure world-class quality and service to our customers.

    *Plant Size:     Bldgs – 10: 95,000 sq ft

    *Site Size:       2100 Acres

    History of 3M Pittsboro

    In the early 1980’s, 3M began studying options to open a granule manufacturing facility in the southeastern part of the country. Testing showed that the rock formations and conditions were right for a granule manufacturing facility just southwest of Raleigh, North Carolina. 3M started to acquire properties in the mid 1980’s and over the next 15-20 years developed enough property holdings to support a granule manufacturing operation.
    Today, the Pittsboro plant has state-of-the-art process control systems. All systems have automated human machine interface controls backed by programmable logic controllers. We have the ability to track and alarm process variables against limits. These technologies give us a strong quality and lean advantage to our operation. In addition, we operate crushing and screening processes which collaborate to optimize our raw material yield and provide a consistent granule dimension.

    We also have technologies for heat treating, curing, and cooling. These systems are connected through a series of material conveyors. We have finished product storage and a shipping system that has been streamlined with special tankers to allow fast turns to local customers and to the rail yard for rail car transloading and shipping.

    Pittsboro Plant Milestones

    1985                    Property purchased in NC, Chatham County

    1995                    3M press release, mining application

    1999                    3M funded plant construction

    2002                    Plant start up

    2003                    Trans-loader start up

    2023                    Plant expansion


In the Plant

  • Products & Services

    Our primary business is the manufacture of roofing granules – rock which is crushed and colored to make asphalt shingles. We sell to shingle manufacturers in the United States.

    All the products we sell are crushed to a range of sizes. The granules are then treated with an opaque ceramic coating and other chemicals that provide functionality and beauty.

  • Technologies

    As a Fortune 500 company, 3M is recognized for our worldwide research and development expertise. Our innovations spring from more than 40 technology platforms that have made us the global leader in major markets. At the Pittsboro plant, we specialize in these core technologies:
     

    • Sustainable Design (Sd)
    • Ceramic Coating (Ce)
    • Process Design and Control (Pr)

In the Community

  • Community Involvement


    3M Pittsboro employees are actively involved in many charitable organizations in the surrounding communities. We contribute volunteer hours and financial gifts to organizations such as:
     

    • United Way
    • Keystone Issues Institute
    • Breast Cancer Research
    • Walk for Life
    • Pittsboro Police Department
    • Pittsboro Volunteer Fire Department
    • Chatham County Sherriff’s Department
    • Carolina Central Community College
    • Riding Clinic for Autistic Children
  • Community Life


    Pittsboro is located near the triangle area that unites the cities of Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh, North Carolina.
    Raleigh is the capital city and three major universities are nearby including the University of North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Duke University.
    We are just 3 hours to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, and 2 hours to the Atlantic coast. Large manufacturing and technology companies such as SAS, Glaxco Smith Kline, GE, Caterpillar, Red Hat, IBM, and Cisco, just to mention a few, help keep the area economically vibrant.

    Weather and Climate

    Many people find North Carolina’s climate, especially the central part of the county, a nice compromise between the long, snowy winters of the northern states and the long, steamy seasons of the more tropical locations. While we can have icy cold periods with snow and a few sweltering summer days, these rarely don’t last for long periods of time. We get the benefit of experiencing a change of seasons without having to deal with long periods of extreme weather. The information below is provided by the State Climate Office, based at North Carolina State University.
    Generally, the weather allows residents to use local recreational lakes for swimming and water skiing from early May to late September. Golfers also find they can often get in one or two games of golf even in the harshest winter months when we will have a day or two of balmy weather.

    AVERAGE HIGHS: The average highs range from 49 degrees in January to 71 degrees in April to 88 degrees in August and 53 degrees in December.

    AVERAGE LOWS: The average lows range from 29 degrees in January to 46 degrees in April to 67 degrees in July to 32 degrees in December.

    MONTHLY PRECIPITATION: Monthly precipitation varies widely. The four wettest months, based on the records, are: July, May, January, and March.  However, October through December tend to be the driest period.

    SNOW AND ICE: Most states south of Virginia are prone to have more ice incidents than snowfall, but serious ice storms causing major power outages are rare. We typically have at least some minor snowfalls each year, but some years may include one or two major accumulations of six inches or more.

    Chatham County School Information

    K-12 Public Schools
    The Chatham County Public Schools, directed by the County Board of Education, is the only K-12 public school system in the county. The county government provides substantial funding for the schools for both construction and renovation of facilities and general operating support. The Administrative Office is located in Pittsboro at 369 West Street. Phone: 919-542-3626.
    For more information on the School System, click here.

    Non-Public, Charter and Alternative Schools

    The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction maintains a list of non-public, charter and alternative schools and some are listed by county. Click here to view this information.

    Community College

    Chatham County is served by Central Carolina Community College, which also includes Harnett and Lee counties. The locations of the community college in the county are:
     

    • Pittsboro Campus: 764 West Street (also known as US 64 Business) on the west side of Pittsboro, 919-542-6495
    • Siler City Campus: 502 West Third Street, 919-742-2715
    • Ceramic Arts & Pottery Studio: 138 North Chatham Avenue, Siler City. 919-742-4156
    • Metal Sculpture Studio: 439 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, 919-663-1266

    Several classes are offered online as well as at campus locations. CCCC offered both curriculum major programs and continuing education classes. For more information on the community college and its classes, click here.

    Fishing, Hunting and Boating

    Chatham County has several excellent hunting and fishing areas, both public and private. The major public facility in Chatham County is Jordan Lake, located in the eastern part of the county. The lake is used by fisherman year-round, while hunting is allowed in certain areas around the lake during specific times of the year.

    FISHING: Any fishing of public waters requires a license, and the state also has regulations that must be followed for inland lakes and rivers. For example, certain fish can only be caught certain times of the year. Licenses can be ordered online or purchased at specific locations in the county. The fee varies for residents or non-residents of the state.

    BOATING: Jordan Lake offers a wide array of boating opportunities.

    HUNTING: Some, not all, of the land around Jordan Lake provides periodic opportunities for hunting deer, wild turkeys, foxes, rabbit, raccoons, squirrel, quail, and waterfowl.


Contact 3M Pittsboro Plant

Phone

1-919-642-0006

Address

3M Pittsboro
4191 Hwy 87 South
Moncure, NC 27559