Overview

W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., was founded January 1, 1958, in Newark, Delaware, by Wilbert L. (Bill) and Genevieve (Vieve) Gore.
Today, with $3.8 billion in annual revenues, the enterprise is privately owned. Our more than 11,000 employees (called Associates) worldwide are also part owners of the enterprise through the Associate stock ownership plan. Gore prefers this private ownership and believes this reinforces a key element of its culture to “take a long-term view” when assessing business situations.
Gore has been recognized by Forbes as one of the 200 largest privately-held U.S. companies.
By using proprietary technologies with the versatile polymer polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Gore has created numerous products for medical implants; fabric laminates; and cable, filtration, sealant, membrane, venting and fiber technologies for diverse industries.
Gore has more than 3,400 unique inventions worldwide in a wide range of fields, including electronics, medical devices and polymer processing.
More than 50 million innovative Gore medical devices have been implanted, saving and improving the quality of lives worldwide.
Gore has offices in more than 25 countries, with manufacturing operations in the U.S., Germany, United Kingdom, China and Japan.

Our History

Founders Bill and Vieve Gore started W. L. Gore & Associates in the basement of their home in 1958. The company initially served the electronic products market. Gore has achieved long-term success at translating dreams into tangible, valuable realities for customers and communities around the world.

The 1969 discovery by Bill and Vieve`s son, Bob Gore, of a remarkably versatile new polymer led the enterprise into myriad new applications in medical, fabric, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, oil and gas, aerospace, automotive, mobile electronics, music and semiconductor industries. As the company that invented this new polymer, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (or ePTFE), and introduced it in the marketplace, Gore is committed to remaining a leader in fluoropolymers.

The depth of Gore’s technical know-how has contributed to a wide range of processes and creative, reliable technologies that continue to solve problems and change outcomes for people around the world.

October 28, 2019 marked the 50th Anniversary of Bob Gore`s discovery of expanded PTFE. Watch the video where Bob Gore shared reflections with his son Scott, about the discovery, the milestones and what`s ahead.

Responsible Enterprise

At Gore, we believe that the integrity of environmental, health and safety performance aligns with our Gore brand promise of Together, improving life for all Gore Associates, customers and the communities we serve. We carefully consider the effects of our products and operations on the environment, as well as on the health and well-being of people. We are committed to using our materials science expertise to create products that improve the quality of life and address sustainability challenges for generations to come. Our expectation is that the value of our innovations is greater than the environmental and social impact of our products and operations.

If you become aware of anything that violates, or appears to violate, the Associates’ Standards of Ethical Conduct or any applicable law, regulation or company policy, we ask that you report your concerns using the Integrity Helpline.

Awards & Distinctions

Gore is Great Place to Work-Certified™ in the U.S., France, Germany and U.K.
Included on the Fortune Best Workplaces in Manufacturing & Production™ and in PEOPLE Companies that Care® lists in 2020.
Included on the Great Place to Work® Best Workplaces for Diversity™ list in 2019.
Included on the "Fast 50" list of the "Most Innovative Companies in the World" by Fast Company magazine in 2009.
Recipient of the United Kingdom`s 1989 Pollution Abatement Technology Award and the 1985 Prince Philip Award for Polymers in the Service of Mankind.
DuPont`s prestigious Plunkett Awards recognized GORE-TEX Soft Tissue Patch (1988), GORE-TEX Radome Laminate (1989), ONE-UP® Pump Diaphragms (1995), GLIDE® Floss (1995), STA-PURE® Pump Tubing (2000), GORE-TEX Antistatic Workwear (2002), ELIXIR® Strings (2004), GORE™ Universal Pipe Gasket (2004), GORE™ OMNIBEND™ fiber (2006), FLEXIBOND® product (2006), GORE® Turbine Filters (2013) and GORE™ High Temperature Capacitors (2018).
Bob Gore, former president and CEO, was inducted as a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 1995. In 2003, for his contributions to the chemical industry, he received the Chemists` Club Winthrop-Sears Medal from the Chemical Heritage Foundation. In 2005 the Society of Chemical Industry presented him with the Perkin Medal, the highest honor given in the U.S. for outstanding work in applied chemistry. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006.
Founder Bill Gore was posthumously inducted into The Plastics Academy`s Plastics Hall of Fame in 1990.
Bill and Vieve Gore were inducted into Junior Achievement`s Delaware Business Leaders Hall of Fame in 1991 and into the National Business Hall of Fame in 2003.

Gore Acuseal - Vascular Graft - Brochure