3M Health Care Honored in 2006 Frost & Sullivan Wound Care Practitioner Choice Awards

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- In recognition of 3M Health Care's performance in the U.S. wound care market, Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, recently awarded 3M with the 2006 Wound Care Practitioner Choice Customer Service Leadership Award. This Award is given to the company that demonstrates excellence across several key product and service metrics, including customer satisfaction, brand preference and frequency of product use.

"3M Health Care has shown tremendous responsiveness to customer needs and has continually focused on leading the industry in key areas, including most frequently used and most preferred brand metrics," said Sheila Ewing, a research analyst with Frost & Sullivan. "Through its demonstration of creating products with an exceptional level of performance and reliability, we believe 3M Health Care is well-positioned to continue leading the U.S. wound care market, and we are pleased to honor 3M with our Customer Service Leadership Award."

To select the recipient of this award, Frost & Sullivan surveyed 150 wound care practitioners in the United States who actively use wound care products. Survey participants indicated which company they considered the best for each category listed, and awards were selected based upon the company receiving the highest ranking. Survey results indicated wound care practitioners view 3M Health Care as a preferred brand of wound care products and services. The survey showed that customers value 3M Health Care's products due to their ease of use and high level of comfort for the patient. Survey respondents also selected 3M as the best provider of training for new products.

"We are proud to be recognized for our customer service leadership in the wound care market," said Bruce Bald, marketing operations manager for 3M Health Care. "3M Health Care is dedicated to serving the needs of wound care practitioners through providing effective, easy-to-use wound care solutions backed by professional and technical support."

In addition to receiving one of the highest overall satisfaction rates for its products, 3M was selected by wound care practitioners as the leader in the following categories:

-- Most frequently used brand for staples and adhesive skin closures

-- Most preferred brand for staples, adhesive skin closures, active dressings and tissue engineering

3M Skin Health offers leading brands in the skin and wound care, IV therapy, dressing and device securement and skin closure categories, and serves the hospital, wound care, long-term care, and home care markets, among others. 3M Skin Health brands, such as Tegaderm, Coban and Steri-Strip, deliver easy-to-use products that provide skin-friendly performance and are trusted by wound care practitioners.

Source: Frost & Sullivan