ST. PAUL, MN -- 3M's Electro and Communications business unit reported sales declined 2.7% percent as customers modified production levels in line with weaker demand.

December quarter sales for the segment were $768 million, on falling demand for consumer electronics (down in the high single digits). Operating income fell 7.2% to $153 million. The operating margin was 19.8%.

The unit is a major supplier of flexible printed circuits and materials for embedded capacitance.

Overall, the company reported record fourth-quarter sales of $7.1 billion, up 5.7% year-on-year. On a geographic basis, sales growth was strongest in Latin America/Canada at 9.7% and the US at 7.4%.

For the year, 3M posted sales of $29.6 billion, up 11.1%.

In a statement, 3M chairman, president and chief executive George W. Buckley said, “We were resilient enough to achieve these results in the face of deteriorating demand in both Western Europe and consumer electronics.”

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