manufacturing technician

laborer

construction laborer

support specialist

warehouse coordinator

HarbisonWalker International

Ever since new management has taken over this company, it has went downhill. We aren’t making as much money (as a company), they do not care whatsoever about their employees, and they force you to think this is a great place to work. When I say force I am not exaggerating. You don’t get to have an opinion, if you disagree with anything corporate says you are now considered stupid or you’re next on the cutting board. I wish I was kidding. 

They force everyone to say “this is what makes HWI a great place to work” after every meeting. It’s like a cult. It’s not a good place, it used to be. They’re building a new plant down south and shutting down their main plant that actually made the company money with NO EXPLANATIONS TO THE EMPLOYEES WHO WILL BE LOSING THEIR JOB! This plant was open since 1911. They aren’t even receiving a severance package. But yet it’s a great place to work?

They have zero clue about what the plants make or what products we own. All they care about is if things look “pretty” and “new”. It’s a joke. 

Horrible training. Then when you mess up they chew you out and make everything your fault. Makes sense, right? I’ve never been so stressed at a job and it’s a shame because the plant itself was the best job I’ve ever had. But typical corporate America ruined it. And this company will not succeed if this corporate leadership still is running it in 2-3 years. Don’t waste your time.

This is not a place to retire. Run far far away. Do not waste your time. I wish I could have seen this review before I accepted this position.

Typical days of work are hectic with not much of a plan and a lot of procrastination (things change from shift to shift). Employees frequently call off work or show up under the influence of drugs/alcohol with no repercussions. Pay is good with decent benefits. Work environment is very dirty with frequent dust storms inside the plant. Corporate tries to run the plant as much as they can while being 2 hours away with no idea at all of what goes on inside the plant, they also will have visits to the plant but will not actually talk to any of the workers on the floor. Constant battle between hourly and salary employees. They claim they wanted to be a great place to work by 2020 and things have only gotten worse since that promise was first made. This is only a good place to work if you care only about making a decent wage. 

Upper level management do not care about the people that actually do the work.  They overload everyone and expect them to get the work done while being understaffed.  They have had layoffs twice in 6 years because the sales group cant sell enough product and it is easier to cut the workforce then it is to change how they do business.  They are 150 years old and the are stuck in the past on how they manage the company, "we've always done it this way".  it is a very cancerous environment to be in.  It is a very "good old boy" type of place where upper level management only cares about protecting themselves and their bonuses.  There are too many managers and directors and not enough people that do the work.

HWI is absolutely the least stressful place I have worked as far as feeling pressure to meet production goals. There is a disconnect between salaried employees and the union as far as supervision. Every shift is the best shift, and the other shifts don't know anything. there is an inadequate amount of technical training. I will say this at least, there is some camaraderie on each shift. The corporate office is not trusted. Corporate does not come across as genuine.  No I'm going to say Corporate is not genuine. The Salaried team is lean. People retire or are permanently laid off and are not replaced, while the corporate office hires multiple people for senior level  positions. Lay offs are frequent but that's not unexpected. Maintenance practices need to be improved.  If you aren't from Windham or the surrounding area, it takes a minute to really feel "welcomed".

A typical day is fast-paced with little time to get projects completed even though projects are required for year-end review and raises.

I learned a great deal about systems administration, Office 365 deployment and administration, Quest KACE, and zScaler webfilter deployment and management.

The culture is top-down, where they are trying to force cultural change towards accountability but the top levels do not follow the same requirements.  This breeds malcontent among the rank and file.

The hardest part of the job is getting time to work on the more challenging projects.  

The most enjoyable part of the job is the feeling of accomplishment for handling everything being thrown at me and still excelling beyond expectations set by management.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Best part is pay. If you value a life outside of work this is not the job. They don’t tell you that you’ll be forced to work ot with 1 minute notice minimum 2 days a week by staying over and working a 12 hour shift compared to an 8. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Having to deal with office workers telling us to suck it up and deal when a massive safety issue gets brought to light. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
God awful. Completely utterly fully disastrous. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Broken equipment, material leaks, double standards

This is my second stint with this company. Have had a few company names in my time with them. Currently HWI. Very dissatisfied with their employee advancement practices.  There have been a handful of times where there have been really good employees who have had the opportunity to advance into high positions and have lost out to people off the street. People who have not even been in the industry. They'll give you obligatory interviews but that's an even bigger slap in the face knowing they ended up going outside the company. I'm one who always takes pride in my job but my "give a f***" button is now officially broken. Mid 50s and they have without question given me reason not to care anymore. It's a shame. It really is.

Lean 6 Sigma was key and was just beginning to take off when I left.
Precision is a key component in the refractories industry. At times changing the culture was a challenge, but one that was being overcome. I enjoyed my co-workers and the hourly group.

A typical day was dirty, hot or cold, and long. However, when seeing the production goals that were met and exceeded, the end of the day became the best part of the day because all challenges had been met and the bar raised for the next days production.

Upon entering my internship at HarbisonWalker International, I was thoroughly impressed with the workplace environment. The building has several conference rooms, one of which my team and I were able to occupy for the entire duration of the project. Along with efficient use of office space, they utilize technology to effectively stay connected with clients and workers for meetings. Not only the Human Resource department, but the entire office treated me with the upmost respect.

Good place to work. I learned a lot through my position over my 11 years of employment. I got to learn new things along the way. I also helped out in other areas to find information as needed for customer concerns. Overall, I enjoyed working with the CSR's, traffic, PLS Logistics and last but not least, my coworkers, they were great and I believed we worked well together.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Manufacturing technician 15 salaries reported	$24.95 per hour
Laborer 3 salaries reported	$23.79 per hour
Construction laborer 20 salaries reported	$23.20 per hour
Support specialist 2 salaries reported	$22.00 per hour
Warehouse coordinator 2 salaries reported	$22.00 per hour

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