warehouse worker

production supervisor

production operator

operator

manager

Ardent Mills

At Ardent Mills in Hastings MN, you will work all the time. You will be forced to work everyday your first 3 months. Not all 12 hour shifts, but probably. The good thing is that Sunday is automatic double time. Anything over 8 hours in a day is time and a half. Saturday is automatic 1.5 pay. It's union, but don't expect the union to really make much of a difference if you get singled out by the company supervisors. They are straight out of collage. They know nothing. They will use you as a crash test dummy. If you are smart, you will stay away from them. The supervisors don't last as long as the union workers. They usually get fired or quit within a year. IF you need to make 95k a year, you should work here. Just know that the company is always trying to fire you. There is a definite split between the union and company. Don't snitch, work hard, don't be late, don't get on the company supervisor's bad side. You will out last all the company guys. The benefits are kinda bad. You don't get any vacation till you last one year vacation. After one year, you get two weeks. Last 5 years, you get three weeks. Last 12 years, you get four weeks vacation. 20 years, you get five weeks. 401k is garbage. HSA is okay. They match up to 1200 bucks a year. And that HSA money does carry over every year. Can even be used as a retirement plan. Pension is non existent for new hires. But the old employees still get it, for now. Company isn't allowed to touch any machines or forklifts. They are not allowed to even clean. Therefor they force people everyday to do those things. You think you're getting off at 3pm? They can force you to stay no less than another 4 hours (per union rules) at 2:59pm. They use an 8 point system. Meaning, if you accrue 8 points in one year, you are fired. Being one min late, its a half point. Over that its a full point. Leave early 2 hours. Its half point. Leave early 2.5 hours, it's a full point. They accept doctor's notes. That will not get you any points. unless you do it a LOT. Then they will come up with some new rule specifically for you. Meaning they are targeting you. If you last one year, and can qualify for FMLA, they will target you. The supervisors get told off all the time by the union workers. So, they are very emotional. Especially since it's usually their first supervisory job. The workers are NOT subscribers of the PC culture. If you have thin skin, they will have you fired. Especially if you snitch. If you wanna make 95k a year, grow thick skin. Don't snitch. Get used to racist and homophobic remarks. (They don't actually hate, most of them anyway) Don't complain, because most of them have dealt with harsher realities there. That place has been there since 1850s, nothing with change that place. And most of the guys who work 70+ hours a week are on stimulants.

I've worked for Ardent Mills for the past year in the leadership development program. I was hired on while I was still completely my degree, and I did not know what to expect. In the program, you will be exposed to many aspects of the business, but most of your work and training will be focused on your area (operations, milling, quality). While in the program, the company can move you around on a whim, and get you to do some pretty undesirable things under the guise of it being "for your development." This could be working in production jobs, or coving positions across the country. This takes flexibility and it's definitely not for those with a family.
 After 6 months to a year in the program, your manager will encourage you to be moving into a more permanent position. This will most likely require relocation. Management is a revolving door, but I believe all three of my managers have been encouraging and supportive. Overall, if you have a strong desire to move up in the company from the leadership development program, they will do everything they can to support you. As long as you are decent at your job and willing to relocate, you're chances of advancing in management are good. If you don't plan to make a career in the flour milling industry, then you will end up feeling burnt out and jaded. 
The company also encourages lots of relocation (the more you move, the more you will be compensated. Hence, the revolving door). If you are wanting to stay in one part of the country, just keep in mind this will be VERY difficult for you, as jobs only come open sporadically. Don't plan to "settle down" until years into your career. 

Work-life balance
Work-life balance at Ardent Mills is not easy to juggle the rotation that they give you and it is mandatory

Pay & benefits
My pay and benefits at Ardent Mills are you have to do so much to earn your pay from your work or paperwork have to kiss up to the bosses before they see you so at this place hard work don’t pay off

Job security and advancement
In terms of job security at Ardent Mills, I think if your willing to be treated less of a human then be here they do not care to hear for employees thoughts let alone care for their words

Management
In general, managers at Ardent Mills only one manage that I worked with at the place knew how to be a leader other ones always talk down on uou

Overall
My experience working at Ardent Mills I really wouldn’t want anyone to go here you have to do others jobs they treat you like you ain’t nothing no such thing as team work and even if you have your selective people that you get along with management will remind you who you choose to talk to shows you who are even tho they don’t think word gets back to you been there for a certain a mount of years seen some racial slurs fly and when you report it management acts like they don’t know what they are had manger call me stupid in front of coworker and had the same manager pull me by my arm to grab my attention I didn’t know aggressive action is how you get people attention and when I tried to report him upper management was trying to make excuses for him to why he acts like that I’m sorry but I was raised to treat people with respect we all have dignity in us

Work isn’t too bad will need to be able to lift at most 50lb bags of flour and work is relatively simple when things are running smoothly but can quickly become frustrating depending on how things are running among other factors.

Biggest issue in my 3 years of being there was the terrible management, lots of picking favorites and donkeykissing like any other place and you can tell within your first few week most of management doesn’t have your back and would throw you under the boss regardless of your work ethic and integrity and especially if they don’t have you in their pocket. This all causes a really slimy work culture despite teamwork being so crucial for making the job go from strenuous to relatively easy and smooth sailing, lots of management with a tyrant mentality and attitude towards people and their input.

All an all pays well expect a lot of unexpected OT if you work in the warehouse or on the blending/wheat-running side but the environment was enough for me to look for other options, oh also very low chance of promotions unless through job bids and no wage increases as of 09/24.

My day can start at either 11 pm or 7 pm, and it can run 8 to 12 hours. Conditions inside the mill can be very dusty and noisy, and very hot in the summer. I frequently use a "manlift" and stairs to access 5 floors and 2 basements. 
Management can be very responsive to production matters, but they can be extremely slow in getting some equipment fixed. This seems to come from corporate being slow in providing financial appropriations for said repairs.
Workplace culture is okay. A lot depends on the individuals you are working with. Some people can be rather apathetic toward their jobs.
The hardest part of my job is keeping equipment running. In recent weeks there have been an increasing number of equipment failures or malfunctions. Working 7 days per week, 8 to 12 hours per day can be exhausting.
The most enjoyable part of my job is getting to work in a flour mill! I like my job, but there is a bit too much of it! 

Day of work is usually doing the same work each day. Just do enough to not get fired and enough to keep you busy. Monkey see monkey do. You learn on your own or thru coworkers, manger don't care to teach you. Raise depends on performance, not. Bonus is controlled by management, so dont expect it, if it's better for there pocket is all that matters. Culture is diverse, that makes it a good place to work, pay is good, work life balance no good, get a divorce. Working with good workers makes the place enjoyable, unless you cant trust your manager. Trust is one of there values, learn it. Management hates getting calls on weekends but you have to work 6/7 days a week. Don't make plans. What I've learned was by coworkers not this manager. It's a HOT place to work so be ready to sweat, unless the AC is on in the break room. Some people sleep or hide to avoid the work there assigned.  But management is ok with that. Good luck, there's always better. Focus, run if you can to that place. IYKYK. 

Welcome to Ardent Mills were you will now be forced to work 12 hour shifts with only 8 hours off between shifts for the foreseeable future. Your family life will be non existent from here on out. Don't take my word for it just ask the aging uneducated workforce of senior employees who think they are something special because they have spent a lifetime in a mill, while their family's have all left and the world has passed them by. I had 17 different bosses in under 3 years which only shows what a catastrophe the front office is in this mess of a workplace. If you want to save your fingers, and back from serious injury you should avoid this place like the plague.  At least you can go home feeling safe that you and your family are eating off grade flour that was milled 5 years ago and was just mixed with new flour at roughly a 50 / 50 ratio. Which is then packaged and sold to customers on a daily basis.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part is paydays. Otherwise  the assistant plant manager is absolutely horrid. Forces workers to work in dangerous situations. He really only knows how to make the workforce miserable. Corporate hr and him need to be fired. The blending supervisor was the birds and the bees with a worker. I got let go for filling out a questionnaire about the place and being honest. I thought someone who could help seen it but nope.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Management and just being there 6 days a week 12 hrs a day 52 weeks a yr. It is pretty disgusting since management leaves at 4

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The culture is on egg shells and the workforce environment is horrible and dangerous. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Up and down stairs since the lift is always broke. Management trying to figure out who they can point their finger at for there ideas not working the way they want.

Company is a merger. Middle management is busy undermining each other and defeating new talent to prove their value.  Office structure is built on an open floor plan, in hopes of build cohesiveness and trust.  However, the culture is currently infected with negativity, gossip, and mobbing behaviors. Thus, resulting in emotional stress which is amplified by the open floor plan.  Little to no training, poor communication, no email etiquette, no guidance for systems issues (IT is contracted/new hires but has no authority to access parent companies to resolve issues), no position guidelines/duties or clear expectations, no process documents nor standard practices and little to no feedback. Basically left shooting from the hip-in the dark, with individuals who smile to your face but give backhanded comments or whisper behind your back.  Little backbone and a great disappointment.

If you love money and just working or need a lot of money in a relative short amount of time then the job is for you.  You will have no social life due to only getting one day off every 2-3 weeks. Forced 12 hr shifts as well. Don’t expect to have a sleep schedule either since they’ll have you rotate between 1st, 2nd and 3rd shift. Management isn’t very understanding, they rather have you work as much as possible before dealing with life stuff. The work environment is strict and has lots rules to follow. I would only recommend this job for people who want a job that can get them up another tax bracket or two in exchange for social life. If you have any other goals that don’t involve this job then don’t apply since you might have an 2/3 hours of free after a full night/ days worth of sleep. The job is  a grind but it pays well is the most common saying  I heard there. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Warehouse worker 3 salaries reported	$28.37 per hour
Production supervisor 2 salaries reported	$87,022 per year
Production operator 1 salary reported	$24.64 per hour
Operator 2 salaries reported	$22.56 per hour
Manager 3 salaries reported	$103,333 per year

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