welding engineer

operator

maintenance technician

assembly technician

quality technician

KIRCHHOFF Automotive

A typical day at work was getting to work early to clock in before the bell rang so you had to be all PPE on and ready plus at your spot that you worked before the bell sounded. Same thing every day if your on a line working so basically you see the same machine everyday and do the same thing every day. Only changed some for me because I was allergic to the automotive oil they put on their parts there to keep them from rusting. I learned how to operate a whole lines worth of machines and how to kinda fix one so maintenance didnt have to keep coming all the time it helped them I guess. Also learned a few other machines plus how to stock a line. Management is okay but can tell favorite card is used with them but can also be kinda harsh at times too. Mainly Haitian ppl there like was the demographic for the most part and then some of us white folks but its alright if you can trust to make any friends or have friends that aren't perverted old men. Hardest part of the job is really no breaks besides lunch and quick bathroom breaks if your not the one operating the first machine in a line, working still when it's 100+ in the building, no PTO, requests for days off gets denied alot, working almost non stop for 8-10 hours, working 6 days a week on second shift.

I worked here for about 3 years, 1.5 of them was 7 days a week because of constant "mandatory overtime"
- Machines are never preventatively maintenanced, always breaking down with patch fixes.
- Management ignores employee concerns for months before you MAY get your issue fixed.
- Regular safety issues in many areas that employees are expected to just 'work around'..

I was almost electrocuted when a resistance welder almost came down on my hand when loading my cell because an engineer removed the line of code that ran the light curtain (safety precaution) in my cell to make it run faster without telling anyone. Initially when I told management I was brushed off until it almost got me again, then I was gaslight about wanting to fill out a Near miss form. When I voiced my concerns I was told pretty much "we fixed the problem, thats good enough, get back to work." 
I draw the line with potential maiming.

I was also told after a meeting once by a regional manager verbatim "I really shouldn't tell you this but Kirchoff cares more about its machines than the employees" (we were talking about replacing shredded impact mats in the cell I worked at)

I still think about how awful trying to get any support there was. Grateful I finally left.

Show up at 15 til or you get pointed if you’re in the quality department, gotta stay until 15 after as well or you’re pointed for it. Run, run, run! That’s the moto well it’s actually bend it and send it, but downtime for maintenance is held against you, downtime if you’re out of parts is held against you, and if you’re down you had better be cleaning! 

I learned very little outside of what I taught myself, luckily I am a very quick learner and figure things out easily without instruction.  If you’re not that type of learner it’s really hard for you to make it. 

Management is the worst I have ever encountered! It seems they are trying to run the place into the ground, so much so that everyone expects it close at all times! If it’s the worst way to get something done you can bet that’s how they want it done!

The culture of the workplace as far as people you work with is amazing by far the best part of the job!

The hardest part of the job is showing up 7 days a week on time and trying to maintain an acceptable attendance record! Good luck! 

The most enjoyable part of the job is when the end of shift whistle blows! Or for your pat on the back you get Fred’s nasty pizza or for Christmas getting your 25$ gift card! 

When I first started working here, there was an overwhelming sense of dread.  The plant was losing millions per month, the turnover rate was extremely high due to poor work culture and poor management, and many other issues.  It's been four years since then and the plant has had an amazing turnaround.  People are actually staying to work, the work culture there has improved since people feel they're being treated fairly, and the management has gotten better, but needs improvement.  However, job security is non-existent.  People can be dismissed or let go without prior notice.  When a line is taken out due to an end of contract by the customer, there is no guarantee that the employees who worked those lines will still have a job in this plant.  I've been one of the lucky ones to still keep his job (even after butting heads with management back in the day.)  However, it's not all bad.  Pace depends on the line you work, but your work position will stay consistent for the most part.  The hardest part of my job is waiting for parts that my line needs while the most enjoyable part is the satisfaction of seeing a fully-stocked line once I have said parts.  While I don't recommend this job for the long run since pay caps out after three years, it is a good place to get started if you want experience in the manufacturing world.

Working here is not so bad, Mandtory overtime every weekend months at a time, and forced shift changes  for 6 month periods, failure to pay overtime accurately, you are given 11 points, but work 40 percent more days then other comparable local factories with less points (faurcia). Management has a poor grasp of asset management and utilization of people's skill sets; because of this, it is common for production to be planned in ways that inhibit just that. Company is a revolving door hiring only the bare minimum number of employees to manufacture parts and doing everything they can to blame them for the mismanagement. Production numbers are based on idealism and equipment on a par the company does not maintain, maintenance is based on a  bandaid and ducttape basis /seemingly lacking any preventive maintenance schedule, most lines are down> 20% of the time.  If you need money their door is open;  You might get shorted your mandatory overtime, and it is double points to call off on any day mandated. 
No breaks, 26 min lunch 8 hour shifts. the union representatives are either bought, apathetic or just plain dumb.

3rd shift review

I would always start my day looking for my lift because there isn't assigned places to park your lift at the end of the shift. From there, you'd have to figure our for yourself what was going on that day because the lack of communication between Supervisor, Leads, and operators.
Everything is usually chaotic for the first part of the shift. If you start off behind, more than likely, you'll stay behind because you don't get any help from the Supervisor or other drivers.
With a Supervisor that stays in the office all night being a desk jockie, he has no time to help his team out. The whole time I worked there, we never had a team lead. They did interviews for it but never filled the position. 
Every day, from week to week was about the same. It made it easier when you would know what was being ran on which day.
The hardest part of the job would be the lack of communication. From the top to the bottom, no one knows proper communication.
The most enjoyable part of the job is the people you work with.


Kirchhoff is going through growing pains and appeasement of the UAW, so the culture is kind of Corporate Vs Union. In a non salaried position, you’ll be accustomed to the sound of Hilo’s, robots, welding sparks and slags, along with stagnant air and a pungent odor that permeates the entire facility. 

Skilled trades members are pretty great, but are stretched thin due to job responsibilities and process improvement driven changes. The Union kinda changed the culture of making operators own their processes by kicking the can in to skilled trades, who’s already taxed enough as it is. 

Comradeship is great between teammates, but lacking when it comes to corporate. Most managers are knowledgeable and willing to support their team members, who get blamed a lot for issues beyond their control. 

Context: I worked here through a hiring agency for the 2nd shift. 

People: The people I worked with were totally fine I never really had a bad interaction with anyone, some people didn't like others but it was never anything beyond what you would expect in a big workplace.

Communication: It was pretty bad the answers to "What's going on with X?" or "Did someone tell you about Y?" were "I don't know"/"No" respectively. The team leads seemed to be in the same boat as everyone else on that as well since it often seemed like nobody ever told them what was happening either.

Schedule: Was also bad 7 days a week was pretty common and most people didn't know if they would be off on Sundays until around the end of the week.

Overall: Pay was solid for what they have you do so if you're in a bad spot for money it'll work, but more than likely at the cost of your free time.

This was a great job I loved it and busted my back to go above and beyond to be lied to and misused as an employee! I worked 65+ hrs a week to get parts out that are “HOT” even volunteering to stay 12 hours only to be let go due to missing “too many” days that the company refuses to prove to me or give me a print out! 
As long as you suck up and do what you’re told to you will work your seven days a week with no days off including holidays you’ll be fine! 
Oh and you get ONE 30 minute paid lunch in a 8 hour shift!
Like I said before I absolutely loved my coworkers and the wonderful people I got to meet and I enjoyed the new jobs I learned but, there are too many chiefs and not enough Indians. 
Maybe when they get everything together it will be a better work environment!

If the job you're running works well, the day goes by quickly; otherwise 8 hours can seem like 12. Most machines are only given band-aids until they break down (management pretty much treats the people the same as their machines).Jobs differ in difficulty depending on your physical fitness, and the parts you handle. I wonder (a lot) how this place stays open with the lack of managements knowledge of inventory (not automated or computerized), and their logistics capabilities. It never fails when we work weekends (at 1.5 x pay), come Monday or Tuesday, we run out of components to run some machines. Most people are friendly and easy to get along with. The hardest part of the job is learning to deal with boredom, and still make quality parts. The most enjoyable part of the job...the bell at the end of day!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Welding engineer 84 salaries reported	$87,500 per year
Operator 12 salaries reported	$17.33 per hour
Maintenance technician 3 salaries reported	$29.67 per hour
Assembly technician 5 salaries reported	$17.33 per hour
Quality technician 1 salary reported	$23.00 per hour

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