machine operator

press operator

assistant

maintenance technician

inside sales representative

Brook + Whittle

A typical day at work was chaotic and extremely stressful due to the complete lack of structure, communication, and support from management. Employees were thrown into responsibilities with little to no training and expected to simply “figure it out” in a sink-or-swim environment.

What I learned most from this experience was how important competent leadership, accountability, and proper training are to a healthy workplace. Unfortunately, this company lacked all three.

Management was ineffective, unhelpful, and rarely available when issues arose. Concerns were ignored, employees were not supported, and nobody was ever held accountable for mistakes or poor behavior. The workplace culture was toxic, disorganized, and created unnecessary stress for employees on a daily basis.

The hardest part of the job was trying to succeed without any guidance, communication, or support system in place. Expectations were unclear, yet employees were still blamed when problems occurred.

The most enjoyable part of the job was the coworkers who were also trying their best under difficult circumstances. Aside from that, this was honestly the worst working experience I have ever had.

Job as a press assistant is easy, fair pay for simple work but not fulfilling. 

The good
- you typically do 3 hours worth of work out of an 8 hour shift. About 65% of it taking out trash
- the option to train to be a level 1 flexopress operator after 90 days of employment. Basically getting paid to learn something you’d have to pay to learn at a technical college. Great for those looking to get their foot in the door in pressing as a career path
- MOST of the people are cool

The bad
- cheap facility. The building is dilapidated (inside), has plenty of products that operators don’t really need but very few of what they require to do their jobs. 
- don’t expect a raise. Most operators that have been working there have gotten only one or no raise after 5+ years. Company can’t even afford it
- management is in shambles. 
- no formal training (for press assistants). Other than cleaning and taking out trash you’ll have to learn how to help set up jobs for operators.

This job can go for three types of people:
- those looking to get their foot in the door for this career path
- those just needing a job to bridge the gap, something temporary 
- those just re-entering the workforce,  hooding between option 1 and 2

A typical day at work is chaotic, stressful, and overwhelming due to poor leadership, limited communication, and a lack of support from management. Employees are consistently expected to take on more responsibilities without proper training, resources, or guidance, leaving people overworked and struggling to keep up without the support they need.

The biggest issue is the lack of fair compensation and recognition. Employees are expected to go above and beyond, take on additional responsibilities, and carry heavy workloads, yet raises and bonuses are rarely provided. Brook + Whittle recently secured a $130 million refinancing deal to support growth and future investments, but the question employees are left asking is: how much of that success is actually reflected in our paychecks?

I was extremely disappointed with my experience at this printing company. While the staff on the ground may try their best, the management is severely under-qualified and ineffective. It’s clear that the leadership lacks both the experience and competence to run the company properly. This lack of skill at the top results in constant miscommunication, missed deadlines, and a complete lack of organization. 

The company has potential, but the leadership is holding it back. Instead of improving, the management continues to make poor decisions that only worsen the situation. Until they bring in qualified leadership or make significant changes, I can't recommend this company to anyone.

This company exemplifies a severe disconnect between management and the workforce. Leadership prioritizes their own financial gains through bonuses and incentives, while employees contend with inadequate resources and outdated equipment. Contrary to the company's claims, raises are NOT consistently provided, and work hours are dictated arbitrarily. Utilizing earned personal time off is discouraged, despite its accrual.

The company continues to operate mainly because employees rely on a steady income. Management lacks integrity, and the few individuals dedicated to driving positive change have already departed.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Nothing good about that company they lie like rugs.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Non stop changes between supervisors and the safety team. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
This is a high stress corporate control management team that broke up the printing press union and cannot keep employees. The plant manager listens to his little brother who manages one of the warehouses and could care less about the workers. They bypass safety for profit.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
The equipment is old the supervisors are young kids and they push you until you break something then blame you once it breaks. It's ok if you don't mind constant backstabbing.

B&W has been aggressively growing over the past few years.  Do they have some growing pains? Sure, but that's to be expected.  Can work be challenging at times? Sure, but it's the nature of the business.  The printing industry is fast paced and ever changing, and if you're up to the challenge, it's a great way to make a living.  Brook & Whittle recently improved it's pay and compensation program to help attract and retain good people.  The people I work with genuinely enjoy working there and they are upbeat and positive about the work they do, and the company they work for.  They have great teamwork, and produce amazing results!

After new management took over, they stopped investing in their workers. No raises in over 2 years just a review to tell you that you how bad your're doing. They will keep an "improvement manager" who does nothing and get rid of production workers first. There is no proper training and they want you to work more but for the same pay. A typical day at work is Supervisors do what they want, never around, sleeping in their car, and coming in late. The management in the Presshall is horrible. There are always new cases of harassment, drama, and just a horrible work environment created by new management. HR does not care as long as they keep people who produce the most, they will let the environment stay the same.

The company recently announced a refinancing deal, which is a significant milestone. While it's encouraging to see this kind of financial growth, it has raised some concerns among employees about how these resources will be allocated.

In my experience, requests for raises or additional support have often been met with budget-related constraints. With this new influx of capital, I hope leadership will consider reinvesting in the employees in a way that makes us feel relevant.

It's important to recognize the hard work of employees and ensure they share in the success. A stronger focus on internal investment would go a long way toward improving morale and retention.

This company has seen a constant decline since new management has taken over, and has become a complete joke to work at. Upper management has shown their true intentions by acquiring two new plants without investing in current employees who are essential. Nothing is positive about the work culture and lazy management constantly demands more out of employees. Managers in key departments are unqualified and incapable including press hall, continuous improvement, customer service, prepress and quality. Poor management and lack of leadership are bringing the company down and upper management is too blind to see it.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Machine operator 20 salaries reported	$19.85 per hour
Press operator 12 salaries reported	$24.44 per hour
Assistant 4 salaries reported	$19.63 per hour
Maintenance technician 3 salaries reported	$26.67 per hour
Inside sales representative 30 salaries reported	$68,167 per year

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