3M cutting 500 jobs in St. Paul

MAPLEWOOD (AP) -- 3M said Thursday that it will cut 500 jobs as it phases out most production operations at its tape and abrasives plant on St. Paul's East Side and develops a technology resource center at the site.

The plant now has about 1,500 employees -- two-thirds engineers and designers and one-third maintenance and production workers. Over the next year, about 500 manufacturing and manufacturing-related jobs will be eliminated, the company said.

The changes are part of restructuring announced last April, but the company had not previously disclosed its plans for the East Side plant, said spokesman John Cornwell.