John Henderson

As a senior product development engineer in 3M’s Automotive Aftermarket Division (AAD), he works to enhance the collision repair process through the development of paint-related products like cups and spray guns. He creates products that reduce the time workers spend cleaning equipment with solvent and the amount of materials wasted per repair, as well as those that help body shops to deliver a shiny, like-new vehicle back to the customer as quickly as possible.

Prior to working on paint equipment, John worked in AAD’s Masking and Protection Solutions group, primarily on masking tape. He started at 3M as a process engineer in the Corporate Research Process Lab Nonwovens Cluster, where he explored new processes and developed equipment for creating materials used in products like dust masks, air filters, diapers and thermal/acoustic insulation. In addition to holding two patents, holding two patents, John is the Chair Elect for the 3M Technical Forum, the central organization within 3M for technical interaction at the grass-roots level. The Tech Forum was established in 1951, has 10,000+ members world-wide, and is organized around 40+ chapters and committees which educate and foster collaboration across all of 3M.

Outside of 3M, John has shared his love of STEM by serving as a lab instructor for the University of Minnesota Toy Product Design course, as an organizer of the Twin Cities R User Group and by building a simple robot with his six-year-old daughter to teach her about sensors, code and electronics. He graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a BS in Mechanical Engineering.