warehouse worker

customer service representative

distribution center manager

chemist

quality control lab technician

Byk-USA-LLC

BYK wallingford is utter chaos. The managers are far more concerned with future growth (so much so, they will chat unsolicited with you in the bathroom about it) and leave day to day plant management by the wayside. Housekeeping is very poor and personnel safety is ignored for the most part (though I must admit the  process safety culture is quite good). The phrase “one neck to grab” is used almost as often as hello and good morning and perfectly summarized the work approach: individuals must independently work their projects because they think collaboration and teamwork is wasted man-minutes (see how I said minutes, the level of  top down control of your time and work tasks  is quite suffocating) and the result is poorly executed projects. Operator feedback is looked at as belly aching. Trying to help your coworkers is looked at as “spoon feeding” and “mother henning”. Very cynical view of people (give them an inch, they will take a mile), which leads to almost no work flexibility (some wiggle room for adjusted work hours but no work from home and you must work in the production building in a very open distracting environment, even occasional working in another on campus building is outright shunned). Also leads to lack of empathy, blame culture, and unrealistic deadlines with enormous pressure (otherwise people will just milk the company, duh). Couldn’t leave fast enough. 

This review applies to the engineering department only - A typical day at work as an engineer involves planning, and coordinating, and assisting production with troubleshooting and recipe assistance. An engineer here as a typical amount of maybe 3-6 projects at the same time. The engineer is able to choose their projects they want to work on and are given generous due dates for project completion. This makes for an environment where the engineer can work at their own pace in a collaborative stress-free environment.

There is always more to learn here. If you feel like you know it all and there isn't anything left to learn, the manager keeps an open-door policy and very understanding when an engineer wants to seek out further education outside their specific studies. Also, the engineers are always happy to teach what they do and provide education for those who seek it. 

The hardest part of the job is the pressure, and time constraints that come with repairing a process/piece of equipment and the attention demands that it requires. With that, this is an industry norm, and is to be expected at almost any engineering firm/department at any employer. The more knowledge you have, the more your colleagues are going to seek answers from you. 

The most enjoyable part of the job is learning new things, and leading projects to help build the plant. The feeling is a project completion is rewarding, and even more so the amount that was learned along the way is also a plus. But at the same token, this is also something that is normal across industry. Finishing a project is something that rewarding regardless of the employer it's for.

BYK was a great place to work at. There were many things to learn and tons of way to provide support. With time, BYK's management changed and made it impossible to advance. Now it's very hostile with a lot of shady activities going on. If you didn't know any of the big bosses personally then you wouldn't be able to get your ideas out there. Overall, a nice start for someone trying to get into the industry, but definitely not a place to stay long term. No one is reliable here (with the exception of German colleagues) and they will set you up for failure. 

Historically, BYK has been very successful in making the molecules that are "too small" for the big companies, and "too big" for smaller ones.  This has changed over the last five years, as the company pursues bigger opportunities.  Only time will tell if this strategy is successful.

An unfortunate side effect is that the company's relationship with its employees is changing as well - becoming more like the "big" chemical companies.  

I have worked for the company for a few years now and have been very satisfied overall, the hours are long but extra days off are worth it. Saves on wear and tear on your vehicle. The pay is competitive and raises and bonuses are good. The health benefits are good and reasonably priced. The company will promote from within if you have the right stuff. The managers have an open door attitude very easy to talk to. My opinion is BYK  is 
A very good place to work if you are a employee who is willing to do the work and help achieve production goals.

Pros: Cool technology, nice equipment, good pay. 

Cons: Untrustworthy management, nepotism, toxic work environment, high pressure, no support. Management undervalues employees and demeans them in front of coworkers. There’s no opportunity for advancement. Ground level employees are stressed and overworked, but management continues to push for less employees. 
When will management understand that the reason turnover is so high, is due to the work environment they’ve created in their quest to make 1 more dollar. 

This is a great place to work.  The plant is old and is in need of a major upgrade.  There is no room for expanding due to the location.  Also, the location is in the worst part of Louisville.  The average work experience there is 22 years.  Very low employee turn over, so if you are looking to go somewhere and get promoted quick, this isn't for you.  Everyone seems to work well together.  Some members of management tend to look down on you if you aren't an engineer.

I worked at BYK and while the company had potential, it was ultimately let down by its management. The leaders were more concerned with appearing successful and advanced their own careers, often at the expense of their employees. The office culture was toxic, with rampant gossip and backstabbing behavior, rather than fostering a supportive and collaborative environment. I would not recommend working at BYK to anyone looking for a positive workplace culture.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Safety is No1, a lot of safety training.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
They can fire you at any time, don’t need any reason.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Cooperative between the college s.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Writing the new programs to improve the process.

I've learned many things at BYK  and for the most part has been a very positive experience. The management is pretty good and very approachable. The most enjoyable part of my job is to operate the machinery and the crew of guys i work with, we've become a tight knit group

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Warehouse worker 6 salaries reported	$21.67 per hour
Customer service representative 3 salaries reported	$22.50 per hour
Distribution center manager 1 salary reported	$115,000 per year
Chemist 1 salary reported	$21.00 per hour
Quality control lab technician 4 salaries reported	$22.00 per hour

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