production operator

chemist

truck driver

production supervisor

warehouse worker

Hydrite

Typically, you are set up to fail in some way each and every day. Whether it be overloading, routing and delivery time expectations that are impossible, substandard equipment, lack of enough equipment to perform the job, managers not having a clue how much time it takes to perform the job, a female dispatcher who is extremely female chauvinistic, and managers who have no clue about the routing of the trucks making last minute decisions without consulting drivers to determine if the changes are feasible. 

The benefit package is excellent. The pay is well below what one would expect. Most employees are decent people to work with. The plant is like working in a dungeon. Very dark and dirty with strong chemical odors. Most pieces of equipment from the doors, dock plates, forklifts, trucks, trailers, etc are in some level of disrepair. Managers very slow to take action to address issues with equipment causing serious potential safety concerns. 

Upper level management at the location put most of the burden of equipment issue repair scheduling on employees shoulders. You are almost required to be mechanic, service manager, and driver all for less money than non hazmat drivers earn elsewhere. 

There is rarely any compliments or positive reinforcement offered. Just asking for more all the time with little appreciation. You can save the day from a catastrophe and never receive even a thank you or good job remark.

Numerous times bring safety concerns to the attention of local management and they end up forgetting about it as soon as you walk away.  

Constant revolving door of people coming and going after big talk early and then finding out what it really is about later on.

A typical day could be in the plant working with teams and being hands on or at home working on reports and planning next trip, but it is a nice balance and allows for some flexibility in planning.  I have learned so much, but it has been real interesting to see the process of making cheese where it had always just been an ingredient to me prior.  Learning new processes have helped me understand different or better cleaning techniques than what I was used to.  The management has been great, everyone is so welcoming and willing to help.  I especially like that direction comes down the pipeline to my boss to me, not from all sides.  And even then, it all seems like a team effort!  The overall culture seems to be based on that family and teamwork mentality that the company was built on and has kept through the years.  I would have to say the hardest part of my job right now while I am learning is remembering everything I just learned.  Thankfully my team and boss have been more than patient and supportive!  I have not established what the most enjoyable part of my job is yet, but I have really enjoyed learning new things, not being tied to a set schedule, not working 12-18 hour days just to be to tired to do anything else and only having one boss. 

Pay is pretty good for what you do at Hydrite. There is a lot of computer training and then about a weeks worth of on hand training before you are put on shift. Some managers will get mad if you don't know how to do something and they expect you to do it anyways, which is unsafe when handling chemicals. There are two people in the front office that if they don't like you they will pass your personal information around the plant and start rumors about you. Have seen it happened to several people. The different shifts are hateful towards each other and management has not done anything to try and get the shifts to work together. Have had several major accidents within the plant with no disciplinary acctions even though some of the accidents were caused by the same people. Honestly it is a place that strains your mental health. Doesn't matter how well of a job you do or how well of an employee you are if certain people decide they do not like you they will make your term of employment here a nightmare until you either quit or they can find a reason to get you fired. It's sad cause the company has great potential but with toxic people in charge it won't thrive. I have been told other locations are not like this.
 

Over the past 7 years at Hydrite Chemical Co., this has been more than just a job for me—it’s a career I take real pride in. I started as an operator, learning the ins and outs of chemical processes, safety standards, and day-to-day operations. Through consistency, hard work, and staying focused on doing things the right way, I worked my way up to a lead position and now serve as a Production Supervisor.
What I enjoy most about working in this industry is the responsibility and precision it takes to do the job right. Every day brings new challenges that push me to think, adapt, and lead from the front. Being part of a team that handles complex chemical operations has strengthened my attention to detail, communication, and accountability.
Earning my promotion to supervisor means a lot to me. It reflects the trust the company has placed in me to lead a team, maintain high safety standards, and keep operations running efficiently. I take pride in helping train and develop others, just like I was given the opportunity to grow when I first started.
After 7 years, I can honestly say I still enjoy what I do. I’m motivated to keep growing, leading, and contributing to the success of the team here at Hydrite.

A typical work day would include writing and editing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS) for the overall company and site specific chemical plant.  Also, take the lead in managing the re-certification of the chemical plant SOPS.  The Hydrite Chemical site in Cottage Grove is the only ISO 9001 certified plant within the company.  A part of my responsibilities would be to manage the internal audit program and am an ISO 9001 certified lead auditor.  As the lead auditor, I would assign audits throughout the year to the other certified auditors on my team as well as assist in auditing.  With assistance from my manager, I manage the Food Defense Team at the Cottage Grove site as well.  I have lead the efforts to certify parts of the Cottage Grove site in AIB and NSF certification as well as maintaining the food defense atmosphere within the plant and warehouse.  As I am very much a "people person," my responsibilities allow me to interact with all departments and management levels, an action I enjoy very much.  Hydrite Chemical is a great company to be a part of, however my husband and I are moving to be closer to his family.

I have enjoyed working at Hydrite. I know what is expected of me and am provided clear guidelines with additional room to grow. Hydrite's not afraid to invest in people's future, and one example of this is sending future or current leaders to classes or investing in training to further development.

The work/life balance here is extremely reasonable and fair. I believe I have adequate time off, and if I need to leave for an important appointment during the day I take off without feeling guilty or afraid of being talked to.

I know what is expected of me from my leader, with clear guidelines that i'm held accountable to. Additionally, my leader continues to actively develop my skillset and Hydrite seems highly in favor of promoting within instead of hiring from the outside. 

Overall, a solid company to work for, and I don't have any plans to go anywhere else soon.

I received this job thru Seek professional staffing, I was under the impression this was a temp-to-hire in which I was commuting from Milwaukee to Madison (Cottage Grove).
the typical day was 8am-5pm M-F as I later discovered I was there to update all the MSDS sheets within Hydrite Chemical which was a large project as there are a number a different chemicals within.
I learned very little here as I was secure and experienced in doing this Material Safety Data Sheet project
The Safety Manager I was under was difficult to work with, along with the supervisor! I stayed in the office the whole time and never enter the manufacturing plant in which I found disconcerning and odd?
The hardest part was commuting back and forth, as I was lead to believe this was a position I was to secure and willing to relocate. Also working with very unsocialable people with communication skills lacking.
The most enjoyable part was the paycheck and when Seek told me that my last week was approaching.

What once was a company run by a great family has turned into a company of men fighting for power.  There is no job security, everyday worrying if you will be the next to go. When your number is finally chosen, you will then have to work for months because they are so "kind" to give you time to find another job, while really just dehumanizing the employee. They will then throw a huge severance at you, all while making you agree to never apply again. Who would ever apply again???  Just another way to dehumanize someone while they're already down. Tenure used to be a huge badge of honor at Hydrite.  That is no longer a positive attribute.  The CFO has single handedly ruined Hydrite's culture and continues to go unchecked.  Fix what is broken or Hydrite will continue down the wrong path, a path their owners never wanted. 

My experience at hydrite was a waste of my time. Your not given any time to get to know your job tasks before they let you off on your own. When you are put on your own you'll realize that everything you learned wasnt half of whats expected out of you and it's never good enough. While you struggle through your job duties expect to be harassed by either your supervisor or a different shifts supervisor because your not getting enough done and you've left so much work for the next person to do. It's a dangerous environment, rude and threatening management. If you make it through that dont make any mistakes, you must be perfect if your not they will push you out the door or just fire you. Everyone is treated differently and the suck ups are the ones management listens too your work ethic means nothing.

The first thing I loved about my Hydrite internship was that everyday is a learning  experience. No two days are the same. You walk into a customer's plant and off you go. There is so much equipment to study and so many problems to solve that the job never gets boring. While this may be true of other companies, what makes Hydrite unique is its people. They have made these two rounds of internship an incredible experience. While sometimes the hours were difficult, the team that Hydrite has is there to support and help you grow. I am looking forward to the next few weeks I have left in this internship and am quite open to another experience with them in the future.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Production operator 4 salaries reported	$24.25 per hour
Chemist 1 salary reported	$27.50 per hour
Truck driver 5 salaries reported	$29.00 per hour
Production supervisor 2 salaries reported	$65,750 per year
Warehouse worker 3 salaries reported	$22.67 per hour

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