process operator

intern

senior laboratory technician

research associate

plant manager

Green Plains Inc.

No element of the Green Plains work culture can be described as enjoyable or welcoming. Corporate management are FAR too involved at the site level regarding site strategy, culture management, and quite frankly any decision at all. To say the Green Plains executives are overbearing, undermining, and company killers would  be a dramatic understatement. Never before have I experienced such an overwhelming combination of ineptitude, narcissism, and the complete lack of respect for other people like I did at Green Plains. All the toxicity at this site originates at the highest level of the company and is forced down through the hierarchy to the director level where it is relentlessly rained down upon the site on a daily basis from this group of executive clowns. If quality of life and being treated respectfully is even mildly important to you I recommend staying as far away from the Green Plains Mt Vernon site as you can. Green Plains is the worst company I've ever worked for.

It's a small company and you wear a lot of hats. These hats are very specific one off software hats for which there is no training and if you ask for any, you are told ..."We are too busy to document that". During my short stint there, there was almost no OJT for their systems. There is monitoring but it consists essentially of a big 200+ email data dump every day. There is no documentation of just about anything and you are pretty much on your on. The few techs are very smart but have zero cooth and are very unprofessional and no respect for customers or their needs. I came from a culture of organization, documentation and constant peer to peer training to ensure knowledge transfer. That does not exist here. A few customers had to wait multiple weeks for a request because the only person that knew how to do something was on vacation. The pay is good, the benefits are good and the only thing the Execs seem to be worried about, is covered parking at the new location.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Pay Only! All other aspects of working for Green plains was degrading.  Example- I  have had a new manager for 2 months and he has never spoke to me!

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Work life balance is bad. Rotating 12 hour shifts. Always working short of personnel.  No accountability! Work is never checked, so many don't do there jobs and burden those who do.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Toxic! They make decisions that give you no delusions that they care about you!  this is a dangerous job which can be deadly, so it is a hard pill to take that nobody cares.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
First couple of hours you fixing messes from the previous shift.(result of no accountability). Then you start your work which is mostly solitary. If everyone did their job this would be a easy job, but that is rarely the case.

Process often stalled due to machines not working. High expectations and unreasonable goals consistently thwarted by poor planning and broken equipment. Work environment consistently dirty, sticky and covered in rotting biomass. 
Managers and coworkers are great but corporate and HR teams are completely disconnected from reality. Ehss program shows strong enthusiasm and goals but little engagement from Ops. Strong pressure to not complain about unsafe work conditions or easily resolved problems. Corporate is highly vocal about "wanting" your feedback, but executes disciplinary action whenever feedback is not exclusively positive.
This company has potential, and most of the workers and managers are excellent, but overall work is harmed by unrealistic expectations, broken machines and a resistance to improvements or basic hygiene. 

Management has extreme favorites and they never have to lift a finger and will literally sleep for their 12 hour shift while everyone else is working in 100+ or -10 degree weather. Management expects you live at the plant and have 0 care for your personal lives, children, or any other responsibilities you may have. If you are a member of certain supervisors family you have a great chance of promotion, if you want a job as an operator don't come here, you will fill the role of operations, maintenance, logistics, and janitor on a daily basis. Cameras are everywhere to keep an eye on you, safety is not a concern until it becomes an issue. Once hurt they do as little as they can to help you get healthy or prevent further injury. 

Local management was very nepotistic, gave preferential treatment to friends and former coworkers! Bonuses and raises were not based on length of employment or ability to do ones job correctly! This was made blatantly obvious by "do not discuss bonuses or raises with other employees so we don't have hurt feelings!" Upper management didn't pay enough attention or didn't care what was happening in plants as long as money was being made! Safety was usually only important if it did not get in the way of production!  Only one manager that I could stand by the time I left, and consequently the only person in management to say a word to me on my way out the door my last day!  They need to overhaul local management!

Green Plains doesn't care about the average employee. They keep talking about all the new innovations and blah blah blah but it means nothing to the a average employee. They have meetings about how they are breaking all kinds of records yet the lack of pay raises and basically cutting the bonuses out has you scratching your head. Telling employees about how your setting records with record high inflation then giving small raises every year and cutting bonuses this year falls on deaf ears. 

I usually start my day off talking to the employees about what when on during the weekend or the night shift.  I have learned about in the last 6 months about different types of air permit and how to properly send information to the state.  I have also learned a lot about different reports that need to go out during different parts of the year.  The hardest part of my job is remembering how the different criteria that deals with air permits.  I love this job because I am keeping the environment clean and keeping the company employees safe.

There are many issues with this company. First, they pay well under the industry standard. An operator can go to just about any other ethanol company and make much more per hour. This in an industry where labor costs don't even show up on a cost sheet.
As a result it is nearly impossible to recruit or maintain operators. So the people that stay are not held accountable for anything, and I do mean ANYTHING.
This drives out any employee that actually cares or works hard, as they easily find employment for a much higher wage.

At Green Plains the local people make barrable to work in a toxic environment. when hired in the speech of family work balance is not a true statement at all. One must know to expect you will work to keep the plant running and miss out on a lot of your family time. The ONLY good thing about Green Plains is your coworkers. They set you up for failure due to lack of training. Green Plains is not worth your mental anguish and or your family life.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Process operator 4 salaries reported	$22.00 per hour
Intern 3 salaries reported	$21.00 per hour
Senior laboratory technician 1 salary reported	$25.00 per hour
Research associate 1 salary reported	$22.00 per hour
Plant manager 1 salary reported	$120,000 per year

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