Putzbrunn, Germany (February 25, 2010)—W. L. Gore & Associates GmbH, the German subsidiary of the American technology-driven company of the same name, has once again been named one of the best places to work in Germany. In this year’s edition of the survey, which benchmarks companies against the best, Gore ranked fifth in the medium-sized companies category (up to 2,000 employees).

Gore was also awarded the special ‘Diversity’ prize in this year’s Best Workplaces in Germany competition. At yesterday’s awards ceremony in Berlin, the jury explained its choice by emphasising that Gore consistently promotes diversity within the organisation by means of institutionalised concepts, respects and believes in the individual and so actively harnesses the potential that exists in a diverse workforce.”

W. L. Gore & Associates GmbH, which is located in Putzbrunn near Munich, was also recognised as a ‘Trust Champion’ at yesterday’s prize-giving in Berlin. The Great Place to Work® Institute Deutschland honoured W. L. Gore & Associates GmbH with this title in recognition of the fact that it has been listed in the survey every year since it was first conducted.  This award is a demonstration of the fact that Gore is one of the few companies of the competition whose employer attractiveness stands the test of time and remains consistent through periods of crisis. Only ten other companies have been awarded the title ‘Trust Champion’.

For Eduard Klein, a member of the management team of W. L. Gore & Associates GmbH, this impressive achievement means “that, on an everyday basis, we at Gore uphold the basic values of our corporate culture which are respect, fairness, team spirit and a long term view.  This is one of the main reasons that so many of our associates consistently say that they are highly satisfied with their workplaces.”

This year 235 companies entered the competition which has been run by the Great Place to Work® Institute in Germany every year since 2002 and is supported by the Federal Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs. Last year this number was 257. The participating companies represent all sectors of industry and all sizes of company, employing more than 75,000 people between them (last year 56,000). The survey evaluates aspects within the workplace such as leadership, level of trust, compensation and personal development.

W. L. Gore & Associates GmbH employs some 1,200 employees from over 40 different countries at its three Bavarian locations in Putzbrunn, Feldkirchen, and Pleinfeld. Gore’s product portfolio features a diverse array of innovations, including everything from guitar strings to life-saving cardiovascular devices.  Gore, which is headquartered in Newark, Delaware, has an annual turnover of $2.5 billion and employs 9,000 associates in 30 countries around the world. Gore has repeatedly been ranked high on the lists of the Best Workplaces in the USA, the UK, France, Sweden, Italy, and Germany.

Contact

Michael Haag
W. L. GORE & Associates GmbH, Plant III,
Public Relations,
D-85636 Putzbrunn
Tel. + 49/89/4612-2773, Fax -2329;
e-mail mhaag@wlgore.com
mobile + 49/172/8151483
www.gore.com, www.gore-tex.com

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