The science-based technology company 3M, which has a manufacturing site at Aycliffe, has been named as one of the best places in the world to work. The recognition follows research carried out by the organisation Great Place to Work and the business magazine Fortune, with 3M being ranked as one of the world’s 25 best multinational workplaces. This research considered confidential assessments made by 3M employees of a number of factors including their jobs, managers, colleagues, opportunities for training and the help they’re given to achieve a good work/life balance. Among the products manufactured at the company’s Heighington Lane plant at Aycliffe are respirators for worker safety and a range of products for the vehicle aftercare market. The company’s UK and Ireland managing director Christiane Gruen commented: “We’re delighted that the company has received such great recognition – especially as it’s based on how 3M employees view the organisation they work for.” Kim Peters, executive vice president of Great Place to Work congratulated the companies singled out for recognition. “These organisations are well known because their brands appear around the globe. But behind these successful brands are high-trust workplaces where the vast majority of employees feel valued, well treated and that their work makes a difference,” she said.