The GORE-TEX Brand: The Iconic Ingredient Brand’s Journey to Responsible Performance (Part 1)
In the first part of the HeroInside podcast Gore Fabrics Global Business Leader Achim Loeffler and host Tomas Vucurevic talk about the GORE-TEX brand, its beginnings and how it evolved to get the iconic brand that it is today. Achim touches on the foundation of W. L. Gore & Associates by Bill and Vieve Gore in 1958 and explains how their son Bob Gore discovered ePTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene) in 1969 by rapidly stretching it under certain conditions. With that he not only enabled completely new opportunities for a myriad of product applications, but also laid the groundwork to develop waterproof, windproof and breathable laminates for fabrics in the apparel and footwear industry. In 1976, Gore receives its first commercial order for GORE‑TEX fabric — the first breathable, waterproof, and windproof fabric on the market.
In 1989, the famous GORE‑TEX GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY® promise is introduced. Giving a guarantee on a finished product by an ingredient brand was unprecedented. It underlined Gore’s absolute commitment to customer and consumer satisfaction and was a big milestone to build trust among brand partners, retailers and end users. The next decades were characterized by developing the value chain, further building the brand and broadening the technology and product portfolio to new product forms and end uses. One important focus is the partnership with retailers, another one driving innovation in existing and new products and technologies, like footwear, gloves and accessories. Launching a direct-to-consumer brand with Gore BikeWear at that time, today it’s GOREWEAR, was another milestone. The brand quick became known for commitment, excellence and innovation in the professional cycling community. The other direct-to-consumer brand is SITKA, a premium brand in the hunting space. Part 1 of the episode closes with Achim’s conclusion that the GORE-TEX Brand stands for a combination of protection, comfort and sustainability.
Want to learn more? Listen to the HeroInside podcast with Achim Loeffler hosted by Tomas Vucurevic
