3M said yesterday that it was forecasting double digit sales and earnings growth over the next few years and that operating improvements would maintain profit targets even if sales growth was held to mid to single digits due to the slow economy.
Chairman and chief executive James McNerney also said that the company is looking to acquire. It has looked at 54 possible deals and is currently negotiating four of them, with a view to completing three or four acquisitions over the next couple of months.
23-May-2002
