The well-known breathable, waterproof GORE-TEX® fabric is constructed of expanded PTFE (or ePTFE). Lightweight and strong, the material is the invention of Bob Gore, son of company founder, Bill Gore.

Gore’s business is based on its deep understanding of ePTFE and related fluoropolymers. Since its founding in 1958, the company has grown into a worldwide enterprise. Today, Gore has more than 9,500 associates in 30 countries, with manufacturing facilities in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan and China, and sales offices around the world.

The number of business fields has continued to expand, but this also has made it difficult for others to clearly see all of Gore. To respond to this, the company created the Capability Center in 2007.

Here people could learn about everything from the origins of the company to its current activities, in a place created for discussions, employee training, and even events such as the major Gore Innovation Day. The interaction that comes from sharing clearly represents a major value for Gore.

The location is in a rebuilt Gore factory in Newark, Delaware. The company was searching for a facility that would be the most appropriate place to showcase Gore’s strengths; in fact, this was the first place they considered.

At the heart of it is the Capability Center. Six booths arranged in a circle showcase the properties of PTFE and products which use it, in fields including medicine and chemistry. New business partners shown through the Center are introduced to Gore’s key values, which is intended to further encourage their interest in collaboration.

Apart from these facilities, there is a shop where Gore products can be purchased, a multi-purpose room that can be used for staff training, a cafeteria and office area. It is a place where people from both within and outside the company very naturally come together—it was designed to be a place for the exchange of ideas.

Gore has a non-hierarchical management style, without traditional bosses and managers. “The organization is one in which anyone who has a question can go outside their business field and just make a phone call,” says Gene Castellano, Leader of the Gore Capabilities Center.

Because of PTFE’s unique properties, no other polymer performs like it. It is Gore’s core material for high performance products “We work in small teams where we try to apply an informal management style, and where we share information as much as possible in a face-to-face way, not through databases,” Mr. Castellano says “How people work with each other, and what results they want to achieve, are things that they play a key role in deciding,” he says. There is no concept of ‘boss’ at Gore, but associates have “sponsors” who help maximize their contributions to the company.

Gore also has associates in leadership roles. Leaders emerge based on their ability to gain the respect of their peers and attract followers. There is no assumed authority embedded in these roles. Leaders must seek commitments from others, sell their ideas and explain the rationale behind their decisions.

Performance evaluations are by the associates themselves evaluating each other. All associates have the freedom to take on their own commitments, looking for opportunities that match their talents and interests and meet business objectives.

When an individual feels a closeness to the project, they can step up and volunteer. The Capability Center, he says, “Was an idea that began by one employee in 2004,” Mr. Castellano says. “In 2005 Mr. and Mrs. Gore’s daughter, Betty Snyder, got involved in the Capabilities Center project. I also joined at the end of that year.”

But even with the daughter of the founder in the project, the team had to come to a consensus on the design of the center. Mr. Castellano says that the four basic philosophies of Freedom, Fairness,Commitment and Waterline are very important, as PTFE itself, in guiding the team to create the good relationships needed.