production associate

human resources business partner

production supervisor

automation engineer

research & development manager

Foremost Farms

I was an office worker in a temp-hire position.  I started on a Monday.    In the first week of my job we had 3 FULL days of computer down time.  There was literally nothing to do; no training of any kind.  On Friday I was informed (by a passing coworker) that my position had been automated and he didn't know what I was going to do all day. HUGE RED FLAG, but I needed the job and was hopeful to obtain direct employment.  No one from management ever spoke with me.  I didn't even know who my supervisor was!  I got lucky that there was a different office position open and that I became a temp-hire in that department.  

In the 7 months I was there I had FOUR different managers.  I discovered that employees who had been there for years had stable, secure employment, but more recent employees (those whose tenures were under 5 years) had a much higher turnover rate.  Very few temp-hire workers actually became employed by Foremost.  Most of the temp-hire workers are actually only temporary workers, but the company isn't up front about that.  Employment is easier to obtain when you apply directly to the company and you're a shoe-in if you have friends or family in management.  I trained my replacement, who was hired because of being a manager's spouse.  Once that person was up to speed, and another portion of my job had been automated, my services were no longer required.  I realize there are politics in every job, but it's a little thick at Foremost.  

I was told by the more tenured employees that Foremost had been a great company to work for at one time.  There is currently an extreme shift in management going on within Foremost, both at the local levels and in corporate.  It's like watching rats jump off a sinking ship.

Office employees and management are not unionized.

A typical day at Foremost Farms in Sparta, WI is to get harassed and belittled by the plant superintendent. If you are not part of "the good old boys club" you might as resign. You are forced to falsify documents, endure endless harassment, work double shifts, be subjected to racism and be belittled at any given moment. The plant is very old and outdated, it's an OSHA nightmare. Lot's of cuts, chemical burns and even amputations. If you have a family you might as well forget them, you will rarely see them. There is no HR department to speak to about any problems. If you complain to management about anything you will pay dearly. It was the worst four years of my life. I only stayed that long because jobs were scarce at the time. The company is a CO-OP and owned by farmers. The board of directors don't have a clue of what's going on at the Sparta, WI plant. They are given false information on what is going on there. They need to come to the Sparta ,WI plant and talk to the employees to find out the truth. They have one of the most highest turnover rate of any company in the nation. Don't waste your time folks, you will not be happy there. If it's your last choice then go for it.   

You'll show up, punch in, change, and walk through the doors to start sweating your rear-end off. You'll be lucky if you see a couple people smile throughout your shift and don't expect people to say, "hello" or ask how your day is going. The culture is nothing but negative. Some of the management has attempted to make changes for the better, but the senior staff ensure no positivity is brought in. Consequently, those at the bottom will continue to suffer at this plant. If you enjoy sweating and working in a fast paced environment where you are only a number, this is the place for you. Talk to a few of the senior staff and ask how most of the employee's marriages have ended up. Families are split apart and ruined for a company that could care a less. Regardless of the intentions of some of the management, READ THE POLICIES. The Union isn't always on your side. In fact, it protects the most toxic and senior members. Do not trust anyone when you walk through the doors. There are a select few who will not stab you in the back, but I wouldn't recommend taking any chances. 

Working at Foremost has been a frustrating and disappointing experience. Management often seems disorganized and out of touch with the daily challenges employees face. Communication from leadership is inconsistent, leaving staff confused about expectations and priorities. Workloads are frequently unrealistic, yet there is little recognition or support for employees trying to keep up with demands. Training is minimal, which makes it difficult for new hires to feel confident in their roles. Additionally, opportunities for growth or advancement appear very limited, creating a sense that hard work goes unnoticed. The workplace culture can feel negative at times, with low morale across teams. Rather than focusing on improving employee satisfaction, leadership tends to prioritize short-term productivity over long-term development. Overall, the environment can be stressful and discouraging, making it difficult to stay motivated. Many employees would likely benefit from clearer leadership, better communication, and a stronger commitment to supporting their staff.

Some people were nice and tried to encourage you. Then there were the others that were just awful. Not only to eachother, but to everyone. Training in some areas was a struggle, because you may get placed with someone new who just finished training. Or! You get stuck with some one who has no desire to train you, and will scream at you if you didnt do things the right way when they didnt tell you what way was the right way. 
Also, no actual break unless you have a certain job. People tend to not want to help you get a break. I think somedays i was lucky to get 2-5 minutes every so often during a shift. 
Management... the supervisors didnt do much about the way people treated eachother. The plant manager may have a meeting with said people, but nothing would change and they would continue.

Ive heard theyve tried changing the way things have been going there, but i wouldnt want to work there again.

I worked frm June 2016 and I couldnt take it anymore lasted for 3wks...Its always 100+degrees and you're sweating like crazy...they have Air conditioning but doesnt even help at all...the men's bathroom/locker room is soo disgusting...its a very fast pace job always lifting 25lbs+ of powder bags. If you dont keep up filling up the bags on a constant fast pace you'll fall behind and once u fall behind you're screwed.  SooO much paper work to fill while your filling up the 25lbs bags its ridiculous constant doing test samples on the flow of the job dont even have time to fill your paperwork.  You'll never move up the ladder chain cuz your the bottom of seniority.  Pay rate sucked starting @$13hr+..max pay is $19-20hr.  You rotate shifts every week..u get 1wkend off out of 4wks...Coworkers are okay to work with depends who's training you or soo.  Managements dont do anything at  all. All they do is sit in the Air Condition office and talk all day.  Don't ever work there you will regret it!!

Unvetted gossip turns into documented accusation here without being properly checked. Issues are rarely addressed in real time, and enforcement of rules depends heavily on who you are, so standards aren’t consistent across the board. Expectations are not clearly communicated, and training is handled by people who are not concerned with your success. Perception carries more weight than verified information, making it impossible to operate effectively if you value fairness, accountability, and clear communication.

My typical day varied from what job I was on that day I could either be on a job bring in the milk from haulers, making cheese, cleaning up after running cheese or running equipment to make other products from the whey left over from making cheese.
I learned every job in 2 1/2 years no one else learned every job in  the plant in 37 years of it being open.
EFV's were the hardest job there a lot of squatting in tight places and heavy equipment to put on to get cheese out.
I got along with my co-workers very well many if not all would help you out and then in return  you would help them out on their job functions.
Most enjoyable job was intake where we would bring milk in from haulers very nice in the summer because of all the fresh air, but a little chilly in winter but overall my favorite job in the plant.

What is the best part of working at the company?
I loved my crew that I worked with!  They were a team and helped where needed!  Great pay and the best insurance in WI

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Low staffing and lots of forced overtime!  12 hr shifts were great because you only worked 3 days one week and 4 the next but if forced you could work 18hrs with a 6 hr return to work time. 

Management needs work on communication because that was the biggest issue!  You never seen them unless they wanted to give negative feedback!  

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Very diverse culture and sometimes hostile environment due to overworked employees. Otherwise it was not bad

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Come in at 6am or 6pm depending on your shift and busy your butt until you leave. Unless you are on the cube line then it was boring, easiest line for the break from the packaging line

I would not recommend the Chilton facility to anyone pursuing a career in quality. The results of tests were altered in order to push items in production to be shipped. There was also no rush to fixing positive bacterial swabs, asbestos, or other possible contamination. The facilities are not equipped to have high quality.

I would also not recommend this to other people who are not working in the corporate office or as a manager of a plant. Working a 50+ hour week is the norm and it is not uncommon to work a 16 hour day. With the way shifts line up, it is also possible to work for a few weeks straight without a day off depending on how staffed the facility is. The president of Foremost Farms USA actually visited the Chilton plant for the first time while I was there (he has been president for a while).

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Production associate 1 salary reported	$22.82 per hour
Human resources business partner 1 salary reported	$97,500 per year
Production supervisor 1 salary reported	$73,500 per year
Automation engineer 2 salaries reported	$102,500 per year
Research & development manager 1 salary reported	$94,837 per year

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