The maker of these products, W.L. Gore & Associates, is actually quite diversified and remains a privately held company. Using its world-class expertise with fluorocarbon polymers, the firm’s products “provide innovative solutions throughout the industry, in next-generation electronics, for medical products, and with high-performance fabrics.” As an example of the breadth of the firm’s product lines, consider the fact during their path-breaking flight to the moon, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin installed seismographic equipment with lightweight, high-temperature cable made by Gore (as part of this flight, Armstrong was the first astronaut to walk on the moon’s surface). Operating with four divisions (fabrics, medical, industrial, and electronics),Gore has annual sales in excess of $1.35 billion. The firm employs over 6,000 people in more than 45 manufacturing plants and sales locations around the globe.