3M Expertise - Roofing Granules

  • Expertise in mining and geology at 3M is where it all begins

    3M is one of the world’s leading suppliers of colored and specialty granules for the asphalt shingle and stone coated metal roofing industry. For more than 80 years‚ 3M has supported leading manufacturers in the growth of this industry. Our goal is to deliver on:
     

    1. Quality products
    2. Collaborative supplier relationships
    3. Industry leadership

    3M addresses the needs of our manufacturers through our operational excellence, customer focus and 3M science. 3M customers depend on our highly engineered granules with the long-lasting ceramic coatings and high quality and performance characteristics. Better granules make better roofing solutions. That’s why quality shingle manufacturers choose roofing granules from 3M.

The 3M Legacy

Roofing Innovation Center Tour

  • Roofing Innovation Center
    • In this video Randy Morgan, National Accounts Manager for Industrial Minerals Product Division, takes us on a tour through the 3M Roofing Innovation Center showing the experience shingle manufacturers have when they come in to design and create their various shingle blends. The Center has been open since 1951 and is decorated in the vast array of shingle styles and blends that have been developed over the 60 plus years.
    • After a brief introduction, Randy dives in to a deeper understanding of the customer experience at the Roofing Innovation Center. When a customer comes to the center they start the process by choosing what color blend they want. The center has every single granule color 3M offers, allowing them to hand mix their granule blend until they find the perfect color. From there they are able to lay out sample blends that the customers are able to view. Once a color blend is chosen, the center is able to adhere the granules to an actual shingle and cut them into the shingles and lay them out on the floor so that the manufacturers can see exactly what that color blend will look like on a roof. This process takes a mere 20-30 minutes for the center to complete.
    • Providing quick, simple and realistic color examples so the manufacturers can make the most informed decision possible. This is key for manufacturers because it allows them to view the shingles beforehand without tying up their own productions lines for testing. This process can be done in one day at the 3M Roofing Innovation Center, whereas it would take weeks at the manufacturers’ plant.
    • The Roofing Innovation Center takes their client experience one step further, and tests their shingles on homes in Florida as well as shingle test fields in Texas. The test data provides them with the information to understand current performance and to help drive new innovation.