News and Events

Gore Wins 'Equal Opportunities between Men and Women' Award in the 2009 'Best Workplaces in Germany' Competition


Putzbrunn, Germany (February 13, 2009)—W. L. Gore & Associates GmbH, the German subsidiary of the American manufacturing company that produces the world-famous GORE-TEX® membrane, was presented with the special 'Equal Opportunities between Men and Women' award at the 2009 'Best Workplaces in Germany' competition in Berlin. The jury explained its choice by emphasizing that with its Diversity Group, "Gore has created an entity within the organization which focuses on all aspects of equal opportunities and promotes women through a range of activities."

Theo Baumann, member of the Putzbrunn/Munich-based management board, sees the prize as recognition for the respect with which Gore associates typically treat one another - whether they are men or women: "A lot of women at Gore work in technical fields. In our technology-driven company they are fully accepted in these positions."

Gore has been participating in this annual benchmark survey since it was first conducted in Germany in 2003. Since then it has almost become a tradition that Gore is named one of the best places to work in Germany. This year it ranked 8th in the medium-sized companies category.

The number of companies entering the competition this year totalled 257. Together these companies employ more than 56,000 people. The competition is run by the Great Place to Work® Institute in Germany and supported by the Federal Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs. The survey evaluates aspects within the workplace such as leadership, level of trust, compensation, and personal development. W.L. Gore & Associates made its name creating innovative, technology-driven solutions ranging from medical devices that treat aneurysms to high-performance functional fabrics for weatherproof clothing.

The common thread that ties Gore's products together is the science of fluoropolymers, a remarkably versatile group of materials. Gore discovered expanded polytetraflouroethylene (ePTFE) and introduced it to the marketplace at the beginning of the 1970s. Gore scientists have since developed the polymer into thousands of different products:

  • Electronic products such as cables and cable assemblies for computers, telecommunications equipment, industrial technologies, aerospace, and medical technologies.
  • Industrial products such as filters for exhaust-gas purification, sealants for computer disk drives and mobile phones, membranes for fuel cell technology, and special fibers and woven fabrics for architectural use.
  • Medical products ranging from conventional vascular grafts to endovascular stent grafts for minimally invasive treatment options, products for vascular surgery, general surgery, cardiology, radiology, dentistry, and neurosurgery.
  • Functional fabrics for clothing, footwear, gloves, and headgear for use in sport, recreational, and work environments, the most widely known brands being GORE-TEX® and WINDSTOPPER® functional fabrics.

Gore is a privately held, American enterprise in which the employees hold shares – hence the term "associates." The company employs more than 8,500 associates in 45 plants and has an annual global turnover of approximately US$2.5 billion - of which more than US$500 million are generated by W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH. In Germany Gore is located in the Bavarian towns of Putzbrunn, Feldkirchen-Westerham, and Pleinfeld, where some 1,300 associates are employed.

Contact

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


GORE, GORE-TEX®, and WINDSTOPPER® and designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates.