volume was strongest in Asia Pacific at 18.1 percent and Latin America at 12.2 percent. Net income attributable to 3M in the fourth quarter of 2010 was $928 million, or $1.28 per diluted shares, compared to $935 million, or $1.30 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2009. Fourth-quarter income was penalized by year-on-year H1N1-related comparisons, increases in raw material costs, and investments to accelerate future growth. 3M invested in research and development, sales and marketing (including advertising and merchandising investments), and also incurred acquisition-related costs in the fourth quarter. 3M made several large fourth-quarter 2010 acquisitions, including Arizant Inc., Attenti Holdings S.A. and Cogent Inc.

 

For total year 2010, the Company posted 2010 sales of $26.7 billion, up 15.3 percent. During the year, 3M invested significantly to improve long-term growth. For example, research, development and related expenses of $1.4 billion helped to drive innovation and new product sales. 3M also accelerated sales and marketing investments in high-growth markets to help secure future growth. All businesses posted positive organic volume growth, led by Display and Graphics at 26.5 percent, Electro and Communications at 26.0 percent, and Industrial and Transportation at 16.6 percent. Including special items (discussed below), net income attributable to 3M in 2010 was $4.085 billion, or $5.63 per diluted share, compared to $3.193 billion or $4.52 per diluted share, in 2009.

 

In 2010, 3M recorded a one-time, non-cash income tax charge of $84 million, or 12 cents per diluted share, resulting from the March 2010 enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, including modifications made in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Refer to the special items discussion at the end of this overview section for more detail.

 

3M has been aggressively restructuring the company since early 2008 and continued this effort through the third quarter of 2009, with these restructuring actions and exit activities resulting in an aggregate reduction of approximately 6,400 positions. The related net restructuring charges and other special items reduced net income attributable to 3M for year 2009 by $119 million, or $0.17 per diluted share. Refer to the special items discussion at the end of this overview section for more detail. These restructuring actions and exit activities resulted in savings of almost $400 million in 2009 and additional incremental savings of more than $150 million in 2010, with the majority of 2010’s benefit in the first half of the year. In addition, 3M amended its policy regarding banked vacation in 2009, which added more than $100 million to operating income in 2009, with a benefit of approximately $80 million in 2010.

 

The following table contains sales and operating income results by business segment for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010. In addition to the discussion below, refer to the section entitled “Performance by Business Segment” and “Performance by Geographic Area” later in MD&A for a more detailed discussion of the sales and income results of the Company and its