maintenance mechanic

entry level production operator

production assistant

industrial mechanic

utility operator

Kraton Corporation

There's not enough people to staff the plant. The few of us unfortunate enough to still be here have to deal with terrible schedule planning and shifts to cover for shy spots. They can take all your days off if need be with no incentive. Management couldn't care less about its employees. They sent alot of us home during the pandemic with promises of being paid and some of us weren't paid. The job is very dangerous. The equipment is atleast 4 decades old and ran down. Nothing works like it should. Everything is rigged and band aided together. They will not fix anything and pressure employees to produce at full speed with busted up equipment. They issue write ups for any mistakes and try to put the blame on employees for equipment failure. They preach safety is top priority but refuse to fix safety issues until someone's injured. Then they try to put the blame on employees to save their behinds from corporate. This plant has more injuries than any other kraton plant in the world. When your hired your led to believe this is a family oriented company and your valued and they take pride in their company. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Also we make a fraction of what the national average polymer workers make. Do not apply to this company. You will regret it.

Most of the Scientists are very nice and personable. The Lab technicians are for the most part very nice.  You do have a few snakes in the grass when it comes to the tech's. They suck up to management to get ahead and will take credit for the work you do, if you are not careful. They will try to make you look bad and them look good to management. Very childish.  
Upper mangaement definately looks down on the technicians. There is a division between the scientists and the technicians and inturn they treat the technicians like second class citizens. 
Perception is how management looks at things when it comes to the tech's. If your asking another technician a question about work and a manager see's you talking you will get in trouble. It does not matter if it is about work. It is percieved that you are goofing off PERIOD!
HR and upper management are a huge problem at Kraton, well for the most part they are the only problem at Kraton!

Very Micromanaged, not a pleasent work enviroment when dealing with management, and treated very poorly if your a technician.  Sorry, but telling it like it is!

What is the best part of working at the company?
Transparent leadership,  strong core values, employee engagement,  opportunity to advance within 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
I love my job and enjoy the people I work with.  After 4 years I haven't found anything more stressful than with any job or workplace.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Work environment is positive and upbeat with a strong safety culture. Lots of training opportunities  and experiences. Many inner company groups to participate in and different activities to be involved with. Strong community ties. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I have an office job.  I sit at my desk and work on a computer.  My job is very autonomous.  I engage with employees who have questions and am free to set my schedule. Remote work is an option,  depending on the job.

Working at this company has been a very positive experience overall. For most of my time here, the workplace environment was supportive, collaborative, and allowed employees to do their jobs effectively. I valued the teamwork and the sense of stability that existed within the organization.

However, since the recent transition to new ownership, there have been noticeable changes in leadership and management structure. Many leadership roles are now held by the new ownership team, and this shift has created additional pressure on long-term or legacy employees. The changes in expectations and management style have made the work environment more stressful for those who have been with the company for a longer period of time.

While I still appreciate the opportunities and experiences I have gained while working here, the changes in leadership have significantly impacted the overall workplace atmosphere and employee experience.

Input is rarely listened to, while safety is overlooked unless it is management's new bad idea that only adds stress and does nothing to help safety.
Equipment is worn out and typically cobbled together while engineers spend money adding solutions to problems that arent there
Typically understaffed and will lose off days working coverage or be moved from shift to shift and be unable to keep up or plan for your life
Job scared management culture leads to rapid rule creation every meeting leaving workers stuck trying to keep up with bad ideas rather than focus on the tasks at hand

Save yourself the frustration and aggravation of working there and don't even apply for any openings they may have.
They bring you in and fill you full of promises about how great the company is and how much you will love it. 
After you are there they come out with two tests for you to complete that was never mentioned during the interview or orientation, that you have to pass in order to stay employed. 
Production manager is inexperienced, thinks he has all the answers and is power hungry  He  uses email surveys from your coworkers to get input on you that is used in your evaluations instead of using the supervisor's input. 
Overall, the place has bad communication and bad management. 





Plant management is fairly much ok. Upper management is overbearing and problematic to work with. They do not bring a team spirit to work but an attitude that says they know better than anyone else how things should be done. Kind of "of course I know better? Look at my job title". 

Kraton struggles to keep people, and there is a lot of turnover. The role I filled is still open after a year, and they have gone through numerous people, not finding anyone who can successfully work with the local staff. 

The main reason people stay is that they do not want to make waves, as there are not many options locally.

This place has great hourly employees who have been there for years and know what they are doing. However the management has no clue. They are all too young in their positions and do not work well together. There is no guidance, coaching or teaching. You are lucky to see a manager once a month. Production and Maintenance do not get along AT ALL. Worst team I have ever seen. The 4 shifts totally suck, no life at all!! and lots and lots of overtime and if you are a supervisor that means working for free.

The company has had its ups and downs over the years, however since the new management team has taken over it has progressively gotten better. The quality of training, safety, culture and leadership has steadily improved. The new plant Manager leads by example and is heavily involved at a personal level with all employees no matter what their position is. Definitely is starting to feel like a family and not everybody for themselves. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Maintenance mechanic 1 salary reported	$33.91 per hour
Entry level production operator 1 salary reported	$30.09 per hour
Production assistant 1 salary reported	$23.62 per hour
Industrial mechanic 4 salaries reported	$36.86 per hour
Utility operator 3 salaries reported	$28.93 per hour

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