Austin, Texas, is the global headquarters city for five 3M business units. Plans for a 3M research and development site were announced in February 1984 after the company's 1983 acquisition of a 164-acre site northwest of the city near the intersection of RR 2222 and RR 620.

At that time, the Minnesota-based company already had the Test and Measurement Systems Department (now part of Telecom Systems Division), with 280 employees in Austin. Since then, 3M's total Austin employment has grown to approximately 1,800 employees from local hiring, the transfer of research and administration personnel of five divisions from Minnesota and personnel transfers from other 3M sites. 3M also has an Austin manufacturing facility on U.S. Hwy. 183 which manufactures fiber optic products and test equipment for the telecommunications industry; the site also provides new product and process development work for 3M units.