welder

warehouse coordinator

manufacturing engineer

mechanical assembler

human resources business partner

CAF USA

This Spainish-owned company insists on forcing their manufacturing culture on the American workers. Unemployment in Spain is a staggering 16.6% so their workers are just happy to have a job and therefore have no incentive to increase their productivity through efficiency. CAF USA does not listen to any efficiency suggestions from American workers, therefore they make garbage products using garbage assemblies with substandard manufacturing and production models. Designs are produced by lazy engineers and are modified daily on the floor. The test procedures originate in Spain and CAF USA uses Google-Translate to produce a barely decipherable document. ALL testing is done via tribal-knowledge (information passed down rather than through documentation). The operations manager is the epitome of arrogance and has no desire to communicate with the workers and tolerates no opinions other than his own. The HR manager is an elite used car salesman whose primary skill set is the bait-and-switch (CAF USA loves this guy enough that he can afford a Viper as a daily driver- company man through and through). DO NOT BELIEVE A WORD THIS MAN SAYS.
No opportunity for growth, no merit based raises, no employee representation, bring your own tools, and experience European manufacturing.
CAF USA, upper-level management, and the two above mentioned gentlemen have garnered a poor enough reputation that they no longer can find quality employees locally.

This is just a job, and most workers are just there until they find something better.  It's very difficult to move up, in fact it's easier to be replaced than to ask for a raise.  Their roll over system to go to a full time CAF employee is very skewed and biased.  One man has final say over job placement, in company applications, raises, and roll overs.  If you aren't in his click, you don't move up.  Period.

Higher management is too hands on and slows down production.  They can't stick to one plan, and constantly change their minds.  It's why every contract is way behind schedule.

I have been there for two years, I've done everything they've asked me to do, moved to any dept they've wanted me to move to, only to be passed over two years in a row for roll over.  I've applied for four different in company jobs, jobs I am more than qualified for, and only received an interview for one of the jobs.  A job they decided not to fill at all.

I would not suggest anyone to apply there to work.  There is better work elsewhere.

-The bottom line; is key for this company. 
-Rotating shifts every two weeks (nights to days). 
-Management would not train incoming employees, its more of a thrown to the wolves mentality. 
-Complaints aren't handled in a timely manner.
-Schematics are often incorrect, revision is needed.
-They're some good people that do work here
-Train Car discrepancy reporting system is based on paper write ups and constantly lost.
-Upper management rushes testing to make profits at the end of the quarter.
-The temp agency they work with; pays well with minimal benefits
-When you roll over to a CAF employee, your benefits are much better to include a significant raise in vacation.
-They provide some college certificate courses for free

Don't get me wrong once you get to know your job and are left along to do it, it is a great place to work. Seeming how most of the time the management is just blowing smoke screens on the employees instead of giving strait answers on topics it makes it hard to trust. Not to mention you have managers in place that don't even talk to their employees or know how the area is to be ran. They just make off the hip judgments on topics that end up costing money or fire ppl that have the know how to run an area to save a friend's job.

The management team is a joke. The company is run by the spanish over in europe. If the US government knew how CAF was ripping off the US tax payers, they surley would not be operating here in the U.S. Many individuals were told they could retire with CAF but, they were laid off shortly after they get their probation in. CAF  was contacted by AMTRAK to build train cars, here it is 5 years later and CAF still cant perform to finish the contract. I would not recommend this company to anyone. Being laid-off after 2 years is probably the best thing that happened to me.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The co workers & new facility 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The entire work scope we were technicians mechanics software support a lot @ times alone in a shift 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Pleasant but the direction & leadership not the greatest 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Maintenance on the vehicles inspections troubleshooting any problems

When I first came to CAF I was excited about the money I was making but quickily realized I was on a rocky road. Always worried if today was gonna be my last day... But two years later I believe the company has learned a lot as a whole and has done a 360 turn around and is back on track for SUCCESS!!! I'm extremely happy with my management and my team as a whole. There will always be room for improvement but Caf usa is on the right track. Very pleased!!

CAF USA is in general a good place to work.  Cultural differences are sometimes difficult to become accustomed to with regard to the role of a Quality Manager and in particular where Supplier Quality is concerned.  Data mining can be difficult as well as long term solutions to quality concerns and customer requests for corrective actions.

CAF is a good place to work in Elmira, NY. You are assigned a position to where to work that fits your strengths and this is what you will be responsible for doing each and every day. I have worked there for 4 years and if you are good at what you do and have a good attendance record, there is an opportunity of going out of town for a set period of time to do modifications on trains that you have built in the city where they were sent.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Good pay and excellent management and staff

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Nothing there patient and care about there workers I miss it so bad working there

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Environment is clean and in order

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I enjoyed it there a little hot though

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Welder 4 salaries reported	$25.00 per hour
Warehouse coordinator 2 salaries reported	$22.50 per hour
Manufacturing engineer 2 salaries reported	$85,000 per year
Mechanical assembler 4 salaries reported	$80,000 per year
Human resources business partner 3 salaries reported	$90,000 per year

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