mechanical assembler

mig and tig welder

project engineer

shipping and receiving clerk

material handler

Aqua-Chem, Inc.

There seems to always be a problem with scheduling, shipping, receiving, a drawing, a management decision, missing parts, etc. When issues are brought up, blame is shifted so much that anyone that could actually fix things never hears about it.

Talking to up management your self is just listing to people say what they think you want to hear, but rarely ever see changes, and if you do its often done in a rush job way.

Most of the guys are good workers, knowledgeable and willing to learn. Some would rather talk to milk their jobs, but that is typical.

The issues that come up almost every day can start to drive you insane if you hold your self to the same standard that management tires to hold you to. The best way to work there is to learn the job, get efficient at it, and then take it one step at a time. Try to look out for common problems, let someone know, and then stop worrying about it. It won't make your day shorter and it most likely wasn't your fault.

Thankfully the culture on the floor is pretty good. It's not a sweat shop, you are allowed to talk to other people without getting in trouble immediately, and you can usually take your time on set up for a machine or weld, as long as you produce the part.

Some times the dead lines make no sense and are the fault of scheduling, sometimes they want things yesterday and you have to stand your ground and be realistic. 

The company seems to trip over a dollar to save a dime when it comes to improving efficiency in the shop. A lot of the equipment is old or retro fitted, and it can feel like working at a mom and pop shop, not a mid-8 figure/year company

Work starts at 6:00 am for day shift and 4:00 pm for night shift. If you are one minute late you will be counted as tardy. This system causes rifts between the employees due to the fact that some employees are paid hourly and some are paid a salary. Management is admittedly in a transition period, but for the moment the management does not support the employees that work for them, and usually don't have knowledge of the product that they are supposed to managing. Co-workers were helpful and supportive. The hardest part of the job is not having any support from upper management, and not being able to offer suggestions in a good faith effort to improve the company. The most enjoyable part of the job was the opportunity to weld on a number of metals

The business is growing and expanding, so there's plenty of opportunity for advancement and growth if you are willing to work. Compensation is above the norm, and the work environment is open and positive. Production safety is a priority, and there are a lot of team players and hard workers there. There's a lot of pride in the work we do. The equipment is used in critical applications (lives depend upon the equipment working reliably and producing clean water), so there's a real meaning behind the distinct focus on quality and doing the job right. The company has treated me fairly, and it's one of my favorite places I've worked. 

Management undermines each other, politics run rampant, no trust, no advancement, no  inclusion. This is a company full of old school managers with a heavy handed approach to managing people. People are not viewed as an asset or a resource.  The culture is toxic although they talk a good talk. There is great division between departments and leaders, most looking to climb up on the backs of anyone in their way. Good people leave because they aren't appreciated or someone is always doing their job for them - until it goes wrong. Then the blame game begins. 

Decent benefits and decent pay but sometimes that isn't enough.  

Management looks down on everyone in the shop floor like we are uneducated morons and they constantly push initiatives to try to further "simplify" the process which in turn makes them think our jobs require even less intelligence which will ultimately lead to high turn over rates and lower pay but will help out the numbers game upstairs. To anyone looking to work here get all the money you can when you hire in because they will not give out raises or promotions in a timely manner,we get a yearly "merit" increase. It's a cost of living raise they try to dress up as some reward for breaking our backs and they throw a few cents our way.

The guys out in the shop are great. Management is a joke. There is no trust with management. They will tell you one thing, and do the opposite. Anyone in management that appreciates the workers and try to help them, they get rid of. They hold the floor workers to strict rules that management does not follow themselves. Turn over is horrible, managers are bullies. There is no employee recognition unless they need something. Do not do anymore than necessary, you're only a number there.The only thing good about the place is the guys in the shop. Pay is okay, however it's still not enough to deal with.

The men on the floor are the best bunch of guys you can ask for.high level of skilled craftsman

The same can not be said about management, they have lost touch with their employees.they do not respect the craft anymore.to them welders are a dime a dozen.you will not advance, you will be lied to.an you will be treated poorly. Sad state of affairs from what was once one of the best companies to work for in Knoxville.

Great Highly skilled people performing the actual work.
Very VERY Poor upper Management, No Technical advisement in the Upper management structure. They routinely bid on jobs and take jobs they are not capable of or certified to.

Great workers on the floor, 
Poor middle to upper management.
They expected professional employees to perform too many critical roles that should have been performed by middle management with no appreciation of how much effort it took to juggle so many critical job-tasks while treating you as if you were expendable.
in short Too much Workload with no recognition

Aqua-Chem is a good company but doesn’t offer advancement opportunities for Supply Chain professionals. No annual reviews for merit increases and no bonuses or incentives. The work is fairly easy and repetitive, but some positive changes would greatly benefit. Also, a bit more diversity could be added as well. About 95% of the company look alike. The manager was really great for the most part!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Mechanical assembler 2 salaries reported	$21.75 per hour
Mig and tig welder 1 salary reported	$26.00 per hour
Project engineer 7 salaries reported	$111,000 per year
Shipping and receiving clerk 1 salary reported	$22.00 per hour
Material handler 2 salaries reported	$19.50 per hour

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