W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. – history, company profile (overview) and history video
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. (Gore) is a global materials science company headquartered in Newark, Delaware, United States.
HISTORY
Gore’s history began in 1958 when Wilbert Lee (“Bill”) Gore and his wife Genevieve (“Vieve”) Walton Gore launched W. L. Gore & Associates in the basement of their home in Newark, Delaware, to pursue their belief in the untapped potential of the polymer polytetrafluoroethylene, (PTFE). The company’s first product was MULTI-TET™ Insulated Wire and Cable, a ribbon cable that will be heavily used in aerospace applications and the burgeoning computer industry.
In 1962, Gore cables were first applied in outer space on the Telstar satellite launched by Bell Laboratories.
In 1964, Gore supplied cable for the IBM System/360 mainframe computer, the first mass-produced digital computer. Gore was the sole supplier of the transmission lines interconnecting the system.
In 1966, the company supplied cable for NASA’s Surveyor missions, the first U.S. effort to make a soft landing on the moon.
In 1969, Bob Gore made the groundbreaking discovery of expanded PTFE, or ePTFE — a material even more versatile than its predecessor. This discovery paved the way for waterproof, breathable GORE-TEX Fabric and other expanded PTFE products.
In 1970, the company introduced high-speed coaxial cables, the first commercialized applications of expanded PTFE in electronics.
In 1973, Gore began its industrial filter bag business. Gore was the first to use expanded PTFE for filtration and pioneered membrane surface filtration to capture contaminants and other particles.
In 1975, The first GORE-TEX® Vascular Graft was commercialized, launching Gore’s medical business.
In 1976, GORE-TEX Fabric was launched.
In 1980, GORE-TEX® Barriers for firefighting turnout gear was introduced to protect first responders from excessive heat stress.
In 1981, Gore fiber was used in space suits designed for astronauts on the Columbia, NASA’s inaugural space shuttle mission.
In 1981, Gore also launched its first medical ePTFE patch product, the GORE-TEX® Cardiovascular Patch.
In 1986, GORE-TEX® Suture was launched in the U.S.
In 1988, Gore received orders for GORE-TEX Fabric for military personnel.
In 1993, the COSTAR optics apparatus, which used 11 sets of polyester insulated ribbon cable from Gore, was developed for the Hubble Space Telescope.
In 1995, the company introduced a membrane electrode assembly used in fuel cell technology.
In 1997, ELIXIR® Strings was introduced, dramatically improving string tone life for coated guitar strings.
In 1997, Gore also introduced a minimally-invasive endovascular prosthesis, marrying ePTFE grafts with Nitinol stents.
In 2004, Gore Microwave Cable Assemblies (GMCA) helped NASA communicate with and receive pictures from the Spirit and Opportunity spacecrafts on Mars. Gore also supplied cable assemblies for the rovers’ radiofrequency subsystems.
In 2008, GORE® Spaceflight Microwave Cable Assemblies helped to transmit data required for NASA’s Mars Phoenix Lander to position itself for landing on Mars.
In 2012, GORE™ Cable-Based Antennas were introduced to provide internet access to passengers aboard commercial airplanes.
In 2018, GORE® Improject Plunger was unveiled, providing the only option for silicone-free delivery of sensitive biologics.
PRODUCTS CATEGORIES
- Cables & Cable Assemblies
- Consumer Products
- Electronic Components & Electrochemical Materials
- Fabrics
- Fibers
- Filtration
- Medical
- Ozonation Modules
- Pharmaceutical & Biopharmaceutical
- Sealants
- Venting
BRANDS
- ELIXIR® StringsbrandLink.title
- GORE-TEX Brand Consumer FabricsbrandLink.title
- GORE-TEX Brand Professional FabricsbrandLink.title
- GOREWEARbrandLink.title
- SITKA® GearbrandLink.title
- Gore Medical
With more than 12,000 employees, W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. is considered one of the Largest Public Companies in the World, according to Forbes.
*Information from Forbes.com, Wikipedia.org, and www.gore.com.
**Video published on YouTube by “W. L. Gore & Associates“