manufacturing technician

operator

maintenance technician

material handler

assembler

Briggs & Stratton LLC

I drove 75 miles to work a 12 hr shift with virtually no breaks as the Operator on duty and Help Desk Agent things could get complicated rather quickly or things could go smoothly. First thing in the morning was usually catching up with failed jobs the night operator missed while taking Help Desk phone calls, which you were supposed to be available as much as possible. Then the Promotes and Power Portal E-mails started coming in along with request to manually run Autosys jobs, which could be E-mail to the Operator group or call to the computer room line. You also need to watch for job failures and work on any open help desk tickets from prior days. Now that you have been at work for 1.5 hrs the first set of breaks start happening for the help desk team so you need to make sure your available for calls, this went from 09:00 to about 10:30. Then lunch was the same and went from 11:30 to 1:30 or more depending on if anyone took an hour lunch, during this time the backup tapes started ejecting and you need to get them ready for Iron Mountain and check-in the scratch tapes. Afternoon breaks started almost immediately as the first help desk person left at 2:30 and the last at 4:30, at which time you were responsible for all phone calls, operator duties and depending on how busy the day was Help Desk E-mails from as early as 3:00 (Iron Mountain usually showed up about this time for tape exchange). Depending on network issues and phone calls most of the time I had everything caught up by the end of my shift at 7:30 and was out by 7:45 to 8:00 after shift turn-over and wrap-up, then drive 75 miles back home. I worked from Wed - Sat and Sat was usually my catch-up day to close out any open tickets (that did not need end-user co-operation), work on my projects and write up instructional documents for the team. By moving to the dayshift two years ago I found out a lot about the corporate environment and learned a few new things on help desk coverage that never came up at night. The interesting thing that management never seemed to realize was the reason I decided to move to days (after being the night operator / help desk for 5 years): they had gone through 6 day operators out of which 4 were released because they could not keep up with the demands and I had covered the dayshift many times without a problem.
It was when I came to days that they decided to move the operator from the overflow queue to the same 1st level support for phones and E-mail as the rest of the help desk. At first it was a nightmare that did not seem to have an end, as time went by I adapted and overcame. I watched my numbers climb to the point I was opening the most tickets per month with the highest first call resolution and fastest closure time. It was an extreme amount of pressure, at times I found myself exhilarated like an adrenaline rush. Then I found myself moving even further writing instructional documents and updating older documents in the knowledge base.

There are a few good things about working at Briggs & Stratton. The schedule is flexible, bosses work with you to accommodate what you have going on in your life. There isn't any unreasonable overtime. There are talented professionals that work there.

But the culture is terrible. 

Innovation dies in upper management. They ask for ideas from employees, then don't implement any of them. Next time they ask, when no one suggests anything (because no one wants to waste their time) they chastise everyone for not making suggestions.

Documentation is terrible. System is disorganized and hard to follow and no one ever has time to fix it and is told to focus on higher priorities if they try.

Total lack of communication from the top. Employees have no idea what's really going on in the company and the plans for the future. 

it is clear they do not value their people. Morale was terrible, everyone knew "something" was going on, but due to total lack of communication, no one knew what. The constant atmosphere of fear and lack of direction and clear communication makes for a dismal work environment with no one motivated.

When they fire or layoff someone, or anyone leaves, they just disappear. They don't even mention they've left the company, let you know who's taking over their roles. Just one day your emails to the person bounce and that's how you know they're not there anymore. It happened to more and more people until it eventually happened to me.

On the day I got let go, I was asked to have a quick talk with my boss. He brought me to a room where an HR person was waiting, I knew that wasn't good. They told me my position had been eliminated, effective immediately. I did not even get a chance to go back to my desk and  gather my things, they escorted me straight out of the building. They had someone box my things up for me to pick up a week later. I didn't keep a list of what I had in my desk and I didn't memorize it all, so i cannot be sure I got everything personal out of it.

The most unprofessional I was ever treated on leaving a job, hands down. Worst HR I ever had to deal with. I had many unfinished things that I didn't even get to hand off to someone else before I left. Even while there, 

When I took this job, I had a competing offer and a potential third offer coming. It is the only time where I KNOW I CHOSE WRONG and I should have taken one of the other jobs instead. Only time I've ever regretted a job choice. I would never work there again.

Typical day starts by morning meetings to go over the prior days performance to set goals. Then its is checking on absent employees so replacements or other arrangements can be mad to keep product flowing. Going into Krono's time keeping to approve or correct times as needed. Checking schedules to stay on track and ensure we are making the correct product for the assembly lines. Ordering any parts needed for equipment that is broken down. Ensure PM's are being performed on machines. Doing a daily walk through to move forward in our Lean Level goals.
What I have learned is how to over come most obstacles. I advanced through the company starting out as a machine operator all the way up to the position of area manager. I know how the machines and people work because of this knowledge.
Our management team is a good group of folks to work with. Very helpful in understanding most of our needs on the shop floor.
My co-workers are helpful as needed. They will lend resources as needed if they are able to turn them loose at the needed time.
The hardest part of the job is mostly time constraints to get a job implemented. Trying to hit daily goals and still implement the changes to a production lines are a challenge. As most of our changes are implementing automation and requires machines to be down. Therefore I have to schedule ahead so we can take machines out of production long enough to implement the new change.
The most enjoyable part of working here is we have an open door policy. You can talk to anyone at any time. Fellow co=works mix fun and work to make the day pass by much quicker.

This is one of the worst places I have ever worked for. I worked 2nd shift assembly, granted they were short on managers but you think something would have been done. There were 2 managers/supervisor/leads on my line with around 30 people working on it, it didn't make any sense at all. It was very difficult to go to the bathroom since there was only one person to that was able to relieve you, most days I wasn't able to go to the bathroom until break. There was one 10 minute paid break and one 30min unpaid lunch. The turnover was ridiculous, every week there were 4 new people because every week four people either quit or got fired. On top of that these co-workers were extremely disrespectful, I was cursed at multiple times and also had product thrown at me. There was zero work ethic, in fact if you were good at your job you were either ridiculed or stuck there forever, that is unsafe because you will develop soreness or injury. Several people were fired or had to quit because of injury, management didn't care once you were hurt they would not hesitate to walk you out the door. Also coworkers routinely shouted obscenities at each other, there was a fight in which the police were called. It was a very cliquey atmosphere almost like high school with a lot of drama. People were fired for having relations in the bathroom, I was even offered drugs and I saw it being openly exchanged in the parking lots. I learned that silence is golden, and working alone is always better than a team. The hardest part was interacting with coworkers, the most enjoyable part was punching out.

I really enjoyed working at Briggs & Stratton Co. for many years throughout my collegian career.  Going for a bachelors degree in Marketing/Sales I never would have thought I would have learned as much as I know now about manufacturing small lawn mower engines.  For being a college student and going to class all day as well as working 2nd shift at a plant was very tough but on the same token Briggs & Stratton took care of their Murray State University students as well with descent pay and flexibility around your hours between studying, class, and working.  A typical day at work for me consists of ensuring proper engine maintenance and record keeping for improper engines as well as the responsibility correcting shortages and customer change-over's were taken care of professionally.  As goes for management, they were great and were always there for me if I needed anything as well as my co-workers.  I would consider them family how close we have became in the last few years and i'm proud to say that! The hardest part of my job was by far working on my feet on the concrete all night long with an aching back will eventually catch up with you over the long run as well as flipping engines over while I have a college degree in marketing and sales and would absolutely be grateful to be given an opportunity to succeed in what I'm great at.

A typical day would be; you would go into work around 4 or 5 and you would slid your card to clock in. Then you would head down stairs and grab a pair of ear plugs. You would head out into the main area, but make sure to stay in the pedestrian walk areas and if you have to move out of those areas you make sure there are no forklifts heading your way. you would make it to your line and great your coworkers before the buzzer would sound and you would start putting together what ever section of the engine you are assigned to do. It is very monotonous work so every half an hour you will switch positions with the person next to you so you don't get too bored. About a quarter of the way into your shift you get a paid 15 minute break; then it is back to work till you make it to the half way point. Then you get to go take your paid lunch break that is half an hour before you head back to work again. You get one more break before the end of the night that is 3/4 of the way through your shift, and that is another 15 minute break. Then the buzzer sounds again and every thing stops moving on the belts and you get up and head upstairs to clock out as you chat with your fellow coworkers on your way out to your cars. The hardest part of this job was the monotony of the work that can get to you after a while, but the best part is once you have settled into your job and you get to know the people around you; you relax and have fun with them. They are a welcoming group of people once you get to know them and it can be a great place to work. I know I miss working there a lot.

I’ve worked in worse cultures, and I wouldn’t go so far as to say Briggs is toxic (and with the new owners things appear to be getting slowly but surely better), but the company definitely has some unhealthy cultural traits that are easily the most challenging part of working there. 

People’s time and expertise are rarely shown due respect by management. Poor planning/decision making/communication from management is often compensated for at the bottom by throwing warm bodies at the problem. A lot of the talk about core values and Brigg’s commitment to win feels like that -just talk.

Turnover is currently high and no one at the top seems to really be willing to look inward to figure out why. Apathy and mediocrity are real problems, especially in the other plants. There is a prevailing attitude of “well that’s just manufacturing” despite the number of manufacturing jobs drying up in America, or worse: “that’s the way we’ve always done it” despite having gone bankrupt not too long ago.

Things are getting better but there’s a lot that needs to happen and those growing pains can be significant at times.


I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience here but the operation is closing. 

A typical work day will start with a group meeting with my team where I communicated all needed information for the day. What I learned here is while the product we assemble becomes familiar, each day has it's own unique challenges. 

My salaried counterparts were all long-tenured employees and this created friction as they were accustomed to "we've always done it this way," and I feel that this attitude is a recipe for failure. So the hardest part of my job was to implement change. After awhile my group became an easy sell and this gave me more power to initiate, maintain, and benefit from needed changes plant wide. 

When management developed confidence in my abilities my team and I was able to change processes to support all phases of the plant operations. These changes reduced downtime due to part shortages, created better inventory control and accuracy, and used a JIT approach to supporting assembly. 

The most enjoyable part of my job was using my transportation experience to overhaul the local shuttle operation by renegotiating the contract, bringing in a new vendor/agent, and directing better use of the equipment which resulted in 1.2 million in transportation and operational savings.

Each day I knew when I clocked in there was a certain amount of products (lawn mowers/ leaf blowers & parts) that had to be put together to reach our daily goal. 

I had to put bolts and screws into certain parts of the lawn mowers once it got to my area. After I put all screws, bolts and etc into each product the line would move, and move products would come down.. My shift lasted from 8-12 hours depending on what days of the week I worked. 

Learned how to put together a push mower and assembly all parts to make it run. 

With out Co-Workers you could only do so much! Extra hands at times are also helpful. If your line is running smoothly you will have a good night, but if there are co-workers being lazy or just not into working that night and your line is slow that means trouble.. 

Hardest part would be getting used to new co-workers, when old ones leave. You have to run a little slower to show the new workers how to run things and to give them time to get a hold of things. After a few days everything is back to normal and the product line will be back up to where it was before the new co worker came on the line. 

Most enjoyable part was having people around you at all times, and not feeling like you were alone at work. Some do not get the opportunity to talk to buddies and make friends while on the job.

Overall,
My since I have been employed with Briggs and Stratton since 2007, I felt confident for room for advancement. I begn getting my Bachelors degree in 2010 hoping to move up in the company. Since there has been many changes, management, HR, and other changes. Communication is supposed to be one of the most important part of our company but it seems the higher paid employees have extremely fallin back on that requirement. In my position, communication is vitial. Within the company it does not seem we are all working as a team and for the same company anymore. I just don;t feel confident in any advancement with Briggs and the morale, not only for me but for many of he employees have lowered tremendously. I believe that if Briggs and Stratton would respect and appreciate their employees, whatever level they are at and listen to the employees input that would greatly increase the morale as well as the production, which in turn will increase our profits. I feel it is time for me to find a company that appreciates me dedicated and efforts torward my work and its all for the company.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Manufacturing technician 97 salaries reported	$24.40 per hour
Operator 5 salaries reported	$16.21 per hour
Maintenance technician 2 salaries reported	$29.97 per hour
Material handler 19 salaries reported	$24.05 per hour
Assembler 14 salaries reported	$21.28 per hour

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