W. L. Gore & Associates GmbH: Creativity, innovation, integrity

W. L. Gore & Associates is a leading manu­­­­facturer of advanced technology products for the electronic, industrial, fabrics and medical markets. Perhaps best known for its waterproof and breathable GORE-TEX® fabric, the company’s product portfolio features a diverse array of innovations, including everything from guitar strings to life-saving cardiovascular devices.

Gore is also well-known for its unique corporate culture. This is designed around small teams of associates whose relationship is based on mutual respect and understanding. To promote creativity the associates are encouraged to work on different projects in closely-integrated, multidisciplinary teams where interactions take place in a flat, grid-like “lattice” structure. The underlying prin­­ciple with­­­in this structure is that any­one who has an idea and can convince other collea­­­gues that it is a good one can go ahead and start a new pro­ject.

Gore has repeatedly been listed among the best places to work in the United States and in the U.K., France, Sweden, Italy and Germany. The company is head­­quartered in Newark, Delaware, USA, posts annual sales of three billion dollars, and employs 9,500 associates in 30 coun­­tries worldwide. In Putzbrunn near Munich W. L. Gore & Associates GmbH employs approximately 1.300 associates.