forklift operator

machine operator

maintenance technician

truck driver

customer experience specialist

Barenbrug-USA

Barenbrug promotes a toxic work culture. They make you read a book upon hire called The Ideal Team Player, which pressures employees to conform to a rigid set of traits—humble, hungry, and smart—without considering individual strengths or differences. A typical day at work involved adhering to strict expectations, often working long hours and sacrificing planned time off, which was not only expected but even laughed about. This relentless push for conformity stifled creativity and encouraged overwork to prove "hunger," ultimately leading to burnout. What I learned from this experience was the importance of setting boundaries and the value of diverse perspectives, which were often overlooked in the insular workplace culture.

Management operated like an exclusive group, discouraging collaboration with employees in other departments. My department manager actively discouraged me from talking to others, often making disparaging remarks about them, which further isolated us and created unnecessary divisions across teams. Additionally, HR failed to keep anything confidential and seemed more focused on supporting upper management than addressing the needs and concerns of employees, leaving many feeling unsupported and vulnerable in a toxic environment.

The hardest part of the job was navigating the constant pressure to conform while trying to maintain my individuality and work-life balance. Conversely, the most enjoyable part was the camaraderie I found with a few colleagues who shared similar values and offered support amid the toxic atmosphere. Overall, the limited opportunities for professional growth, lack of transparency in decision-making, and a culture that prioritized conformity over innovation all contributed to an unsustainable and unproductive work environment.

The main problem I experienced, was the failure to disclose the extreme physical nature of the position I was assigned. Like many companies they mentioned the need to be able to lift 50 pounds. However, they did not mention I would be manually lifting and stacking by hand, approximately 5000 to 10,000 pounds cumulatively per day, along with the moving of full pallets with the fork lift.  It would have been helpful to know this information prior to accepting the position. I was hired as a Fork lift operator, but at times I felt like a human forklift. There were Unrealistic expectations of work requirements and time frames.
Most coworkers were friendly and helpful.

They advertise as a few dollars more than they pay. For example when I was interviewed, it was paid on experience advertised as $16.50-$17/hr DOE. After securing the job and having years of experience in the industry they told me my start pay would be $15.50 and that I can move up. Working there for six months busting my butt I never once got a raise, until the mandatory state minimum wage increased. Even then it was the bare minimum. For the very laborious work you do, and the millions of dollars the company makes annually, you should definitely be able to be provided with a livable wage. 

Overall has shown to be an above average place to work. Diversified coworkers. Most very helpful and friendly. Can be very physically demanding at times, but not unrealistic for the industry. 
Biggest draw back I saw was the lack of accountability from one of the upper managers. Liked to point fingers and play the blame game instead of dealing with their own poor management skills. Sadly this created a hostile and uncomfortable work environment for many floor workers.
Would receive a higher rating if not for that manager.

Barenbrug is owned by a large European company, but it once had the feel of a smaller, cozy one. It was even voted in the top 100 Oregon companies in 2015 (votes from employees). When they acquired another large company in 2020, the "family" vibe disappeared completely. Management does not always have a united front; HR is known to be compromised and not as "open door" as it should be. Office & warehouse atmospheres can be frustrating because of continually changing processes and expectations. 

Very poor management from higher ups. Poor communication based lack of team work. The production manager is nothing more than a man-child that ignores all unless it benefits him or paints himself in a glowing light. Some wonderful people work there. This company could be so much more. I was blocked from transferring to another department, told "there were no openings" when there clearly was. Couldn't get another job elsewhere fast enough. 

Unless you are coming in as production, RUN! Run far away from this company, underpaid, under appreciated and WAY over worked. They expect one person to do the job of 3-4 people.
If you didn't heed my warning and want to take the chance get everything in writing and watch your back, there are great people that work here but the company as a whole truly do not care for their employees.
Also if you do work for them do not expect to be trained, they will tell you to get training and when you make a mistake they will yell at you for not getting things right.

In my opinion, this company's biggest issue is a lack of communication and coordination between departments, especially between the office/sales people and the warehouse. Compensation was not that great and I found other similar companies and similar jobs offering much higher wages for the same work. Also barely had any chances to use PTO. What's the point of offering time off if people can't use it?

Barenbrug has a variety of job opportunities that provide room for growth and advancement, whether it be working in the warehouse, in the office, with the growers in the fields, driving truck, or working remotely from home, they provide a positive working culture and strive for a happy work-life balance.

The new HR person is running the company into the ground. Very two faced. Will tell you everything is great and rave about how good everything is going, and then hand you walking papers. They will also promise you training and then tell you to “figure it out”, then get angry for things you don’t even know about. Run!!! Run away as fast as you can from this company!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Forklift operator 4 salaries reported	$21.50 per hour
Machine operator 2 salaries reported	$21.50 per hour
Maintenance technician 2 salaries reported	$28.00 per hour
Truck driver 1 salary reported	$33.00 per hour
Customer experience specialist 1 salary reported	$21.50 per hour

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