or many athletes,especially those living in cold or wet climates, Gore-Tex is a familiar name. The breathable and water-resistant fabric has been developed into a range of outerwear products that provide comfort and protection from cold, wet and windy weather. The maker of these products, W.L. Gore & Associated, 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 that during their path-breaking flight to the moon, Neil Armstrong and Buss 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 40 manufacturing plants and sales locations around the globe. What contributes to this firm's initial and continuing success? According to Gore employees, at the core of the firm's success is a belief in product and organizational innovations and a commitment to technical excellence. From its inception as an entrepreneurial venture, Gore has always been about product innovation. Indeed, the firm was founded in 1958 by Bill and Vieve Gore to explore opportunities for fluorocarbon polymers, especially polytetra-fluorethylene (PTFE). Bill had the idea of seeking applications with PTFE while working as a scientist for DuPont Corporation. Because of a lack of interest at DuPont, Bill purchased the patent on which PTFE was based and launched his own business venture. Since its founding, W.L. Gore has produced a constant stream of product innovations. "They've defined new standards for comfort and protection for workwear and activewear (Gore-Tex); advanced the science of regenerating tissues destroyed by disease or traumatic injuries; developed next-generation materials for printed circuit boards and fiber optics; and pioneered new methods to detect and control environmental pollution. "Filing hundreds of patents annually as the basis of its products, Gore has been recognized many times for the innovativeness of what it manufactures. In 1997, the European Patent Office included a number of the firm's products in an exhibit of product innovations shown at The Hague. As noted above, organizational innovations are also part of the lifeline to Gore's success. In the words of a business analyst "Gore's uniqueness comes from being as innovative in its operation principles as it is in its diverse product lines. " The firm's organizational structure is flat, allowing frequent and direct communications among all associates. Essentially, the firm operates by developing a "bunch of small task forces" Teams, which are organized around what are perceived to be opportunities to create innovative products, are small, as are manufacturing plants (no plant has more than 200 associates) When new hires join Gore, they choose a mentor who help them develop and find a team to which they believe they can contribute. Instead of bosses, associates have leaders, a prestigious position in that team members elect their own leader. And any associate can become a leader by launching a product idea that attracts other associates who are willing to form a team to purchase it. Members of teams evaluate each other, creating a situation in which the teams is really the party to whom each associate feels responsible. Associates are encouraged to spend about 10 percent of their time on speculative ideas. Four pinciples are central to Gore's culture (1) "fairness to each other and everyone with whom we come in contact, (2)freedom to encourage, help, and allow other associates to grow in knowledge, skill, and scope of responsibility, (3) the ability to make ones own commitments and keep them, and (4)consultation with other associates before undertaking actions that could impact the reputation of the company." Gore's organizational innovations have helped the company to garner many awards recognizing its attractiveness as a place to work. Gore has been included multiple times on the "100 Best Companies to Work for in America" list, ranked number one among the "100 Best Places to Work in the UK" (2004 and 2005), and was selected by Fast Company in 2004 as "The Most Innovative Company in America
or many athletes,especially those living in cold or wet climates, Gore-Tex is a familiar name. The breathable and water-resistant fabric has been developed into a range of outerwear products that provide comfort and protection from cold, wet and windy weather. The maker of these products, W.L. Gore & Associated, 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 that during their path-breaking flight to the moon, Neil Armstrong and Buss 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 40 manufacturing plants and sales locations around the globe. What contributes to this firm's initial and continuing success? According to Gore employees, at the core of the firm's success is a belief in product and organizational innovations and a commitment to technical excellence. From its inception as an entrepreneurial venture, Gore has always been about product innovation. Indeed, the firm was founded in 1958 by Bill and Vieve Gore to explore opportunities for fluorocarbon polymers, especially polytetra-fluorethylene (PTFE). Bill had the idea of seeking applications with PTFE while working as a scientist for DuPont Corporation. Because of a lack of interest at DuPont, Bill purchased the patent on which PTFE was based and launched his own business venture. Since its founding, W.L. Gore has produced a constant stream of product innovations. "They've defined new standards for comfort and protection for workwear and activewear (Gore-Tex); advanced the science of regenerating tissues destroyed by disease or traumatic injuries; developed next-generation materials for printed circuit boards and fiber optics; and pioneered new methods to detect and control environmental pollution. "Filing hundreds of patents annually as the basis of its products, Gore has been recognized many times for the innovativeness of what it manufactures. In 1997, the European Patent Office included a number of the firm's products in an exhibit of product innovations shown at The Hague. As noted above, organizational innovations are also part of the lifeline to Gore's success. In the words of a business analyst "Gore's uniqueness comes from being as innovative in its operation principles as it is in its diverse product lines. " The firm's organizational structure is flat, allowing frequent and direct communications among all associates. Essentially, the firm operates by developing a "bunch of small task forces" Teams, which are organized around what are perceived to be opportunities to create innovative products, are small, as are manufacturing plants (no plant has more than 200 associates) When new hires join Gore, they choose a mentor who help them develop and find a team to which they believe they can contribute. Instead of bosses, associates have leaders, a prestigious position in that team members elect their own leader. And any associate can become a leader by launching a product idea that attracts other associates who are willing to form a team to purchase it. Members of teams evaluate each other, creating a situation in which the teams is really the party to whom each associate feels responsible. Associates are encouraged to spend about 10 percent of their time on speculative ideas. Four pinciples are central to Gore's culture (1) "fairness to each other and everyone with whom we come in contact, (2)freedom to encourage, help, and allow other associates to grow in knowledge, skill, and scope of responsibility, (3) the ability to make ones own commitments and keep them, and (4)consultation with other associates before undertaking actions that could impact the reputation of the company." Gore's organizational innovations have helped the company to garner many awards recognizing its attractiveness as a place to work. Gore has been included multiple times on the "100 Best Companies to Work for in America" list, ranked number one among the "100 Best Places to Work in the UK" (2004 and 2005), and was selected by Fast Company in 2004 as "The Most Innovative Company in America
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