In millions of homes, Christmas morning brings presents under the tree and excited kids who can't wait to unwrap them.

This classic scene is made possible, in part, by something you barely notice, invented by a man you probably haven't heard of.

In 1930, St. Paul engineer Richard Drew invented the world's first clear cellophane tape, which was soon christened "Scotch tape."

Eight decades later, Scotch tape is sold in virtually every country and remains 3M's most famous product -- especially at this time of year.

"In the United States, wrapping gifts is still the No. 1 use of tape," said Pete Ley, Scotch brand manager for Maplewood-based 3M.

These days, Scotch tape is so universal that it's hard to imagine what gift-givers did before Drew invented it.


From Scotch tape to shopping malls, made-in-Minnesota creations have become a part of how America celebrates Christmas.

We've remembered some of these Minnesota inventions, entrepreneurs and companies this year. Read them all here

There was ribbon and string, "but in a lot of cases they simply didn't have a way to wrap things," Ley said. So in a sense, Drew would popularize wrapping paper, too,

Drew's useful invention was quickly embraced by the public, and the company that was then called Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing initially produced Scotch tape at its plant on St. Paul's East Side. In 1947, the company moved production to Hutchinson, Minn., where it remains.

Today, the Scotch brand encompasses "400 varieties of tape that have evolved from that one roll of tape," Ley said, including the most popular, Scotch Magic Tape.

"It's part of the emotional heritage of the holidays," Ley said.


"Any gift, whether it's something small or something large, a lot of emotion is added to it when you take the time to wrap it up and make it look nice. That's the role that Scotch tape plays."

3M now produces so much Scotch tape that its U.S. production alone would circle the Earth 165 times.

Surveys show 90 percent of American households have a roll of tape (although finding it is another matter).

"There are other competitors," Ley said of the tape business, "but I think we are still the clear leader and innovator."

Tom Webb can be reached at 651-228-5428.

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