machine operator

production operator

packager

shipping and receiving clerk

production associate

Atkins & Pearce

I worked as a machine operator for maybe 2 months. The initial orientation made this place sound great. The head of HR told us that hardly anyone leaves. That was false! It is a revolving door just like any other factory. If you are a guy they will start you in the hardest possible department putting 60 pound spools around and on many layers of machines on cherry pickers. You will be required to unload and load at least 4 machines per shift as well as jump on fork lifts getting your own supplies and cleaning up. The amount of time it takes for clean up alone eats into your production time. (It is unrealistic to meet the production standards). After 3 months if you can't make 100% production your out. They do not tell you this at orientation.  The machines are to old, never get updated and very hard to work with. They run out of supplies and you have to search the place to find them all the while trying to make production. The factory is like walking into 1985. Nothing gets updated because this company has no competition in the U.S.. They don't have to update. Most of the people who work there are rough country folk who's parents and grandparents worked there. Don't apply!

During your interview they will talk about the family environment and great atmosphere.  They will tell you about job security and how they never have lay-offs.  The truth is that its a dead-end job with a high turnover.  You will come in one 2nd or 3rd shift and stay there FOREVER!  They say that Safety and Quality are important, but all you will hear about is PRODCTION.  If you work REALLY hard you can make it, but it's not the "happy" place that they make it seem like.

Management is a joke.  Top management has no clue and provides no communication.... They change their mind constantly and there is never any consistency.  The company is stuck in the 1970's.  Its loud, dirty, unorganized, and has technology older than anyone in the building.

Very few people there actually know what's going on and how to do the job.  if you decide to work there... keep your head down, your mouth shut, and do all you can do to make production.

It's just a bad place.  A dead end job with no room for growth.  It's family owned, so you better be related or know someone because that's the only way to get ahead.  It's loud, dirty, hard, and management is awful.  If you need a job quick, then I'd take it.  They are always desperate for people because there is a high turnover so as long as you can show up, they'll take you.  It didn't used to be that way.  In the 1990's and 2000's there were a lot people who had been there a long time.   It was hard to get a job because no one ever left.  Not anymore.  People there are always looking for another job.  Whether you are an operator or if you work in the office, it doesn't matter.  There are only a couple people that make all the money and make all the decisions -and they are not very good!  you will learn quickly!  The owner changes his mind all the time.  New "leaders" appear, make a bunch of changes, and then are swept aside for "new leaders".  Then everyone spends a year blaming those who just left

Its a family owned company so the owner gets to do what he wants.  A lack of leadership causes the focus to change constantly - no one ever knows what's going on.  One minute its this and the next minute its something new.  The President (owner) has ran the company for 30 years but wants to blame everyone else for why it is failing.

There are "favorites" and if you get in with the right people you can skate by without doing hardly any work.  But if not... then everything is your fault.  they say they live by "candor" but it is hardly used.  The President created this policy called 5+1, which basically means you can not blame him.  if there is ever any issue - safety, quality, anything.... it's your problem and not his.  The whole place is a joke.  They pay well, simply because no one would work there if they didn't.  They'll tell you how great it is.... but don't be fooled!  

This is a good work place to get yourself up on your feet, gain experience and go to school due to flexible work schedules. overall its a decent experience then again i work in the hardest department in the plant. there are some skills you can learn here that will help you with other jobs but other than that its a very focused job because not many people do this work therefore the main skills you learn here wont help you anywhere else. As for the workers its going to be the same as anywhere else, your going to like some and your going to dislike some. there is absolutely no room for moving forward, the people who are managers now will remain until they retire which will be years and years. the hiring process for in house jobs is completely unfair and most people will be chosen due to some special connection to the employee or that they are friends.

This was a very frustrating experience. I have plenty of factory experience, so I understand what comes with a fast-paced production environment, but this place was not what I expected.

The training was poor. Even though the training period is supposed to be 90 days, I felt like I was basically on my own after only a few days. The machines are old and seem to have frequent problems, which makes it harder to do your job efficiently.

The pay and benefits are decent, which is what attracted me to the job in the first place. Unfortunately, the work environment didn’t live up to expectations. Employee turnover seemed very high, and the production goals often felt unrealistic. Overall, this wasn’t a good fit for me, and I would not recommend it based on my experience.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part of working here is the work schedule flexibility.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The president is involved in the day to day and has a real "I know better than everyone" presence about him. People that work in the office generally feel like he's always looking over their shoulder. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The culture is strange. I was brought into a "Salary review" and told to "Fire away". Unprompted, no guidance, just start talking about your salary and attempting to justify what you make. It was odd and felt like HR should have led the process to determine if they're paying people appropriately.

The company is a good company, if you can get in. Most of the people there are brothers, sisters, cousins, inlaws, brother's friend, etc. etc. and usually will have to know someone to get in there. Once you do get in, they will give you a day or 2 to get used to the work around there and then your on your own. The floor supervisors are quick to let you know that they know everything there and that you probably wont, so only ask them for help if it is absolutely needed, usually a lead operator is more than sufficient. They do give perks to their employees, such as picnics at water parks in the summer, frozen gatorade Popsicles during the summer months, and occasional pizza for lunch.

I start everyday off by going into the production system and printing out a production log. I then walk through the floor and start my day off by running the most needed products first. I learned how to be more assertive and persuasive, be a real team player, and to be the bigger person. My co-workers are average factory workers with many different personality types. The absolute hardest part of the job is making people be responsible for what they do. The most enjoyable is the ability to challenge myself.

The people at Atkins & Pearce are the nicest and hardest working people I have ever met. The managers are great. The worst part of the job is the long exhausting days with no sunlight.  The job is also very repetitive. Every day you are doing the exact same thing over and over with very few breaks.  The most enjoyable part of the job is the people work with! They are great, both the workers in the offices and on the production floor!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Machine operator 4 salaries reported	$22.42 per hour
Production operator 8 salaries reported	$22.24 per hour
Packager 2 salaries reported	$20.86 per hour
Shipping and receiving clerk 1 salary reported	$21.92 per hour
Production associate 1 salary reported	$20.00 per hour

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