territory manager

automation engineer

service technician

it technician

electronics engineer

Makita

Makita is a strange place. They offer great benefits and the paid time off is quite exceptional, despite the pay being below the national or state average for whatever role you're in. With the amount of time you get away from this place, it's just nearly a fair trade-off. 

The problems that plague Makita are much larger than the pay. If you're looking for a place to advance your career or learn new skills, this place isn't for you. Management is too afraid/stubborn to try new things, often deciding vehemently to stick to old tactics because "that's just what we've always been doing," without doing the research to suggest that the current way of doing things really is the best way. Your ideas, while being recognized, will most likely go ignored, leaving you in a place where you'll probably be stuck doing some mundane daily task, and probably doing the work of another (sometimes incompetent) coworker that gets paid much more than you do. Be extra careful with the tasks assigned to you and the expectations placed upon you. Management will try to steamroll you, and it's very important to establish your professional boundaries early on.

Makita thrives on ignoring new technologies and ways of streamlining their (most times unnecessarily hectic) processes, despite clinging to the idea that they're an innovative company. And they are, when it comes to their products. Makita really does crank out some of the most innovative items in their industry. It's just a shame that the thought processes don't match the product. Little thought goes into the long-term goals of the company (consumer-facing and internally), with management so consumed with getting things done in the moment, they fail to realize the potential hazards or obstacles such clouded decisions will create further down the line. This is usually because the powers that be are reactive instead of proactive, often panicking based on a smart move made by a competitor, even if that move doesn't necessarily work for Makita itself, based on Makita's own set of goals and standards. This creates a batch of problems resulting in and from last minute projects, unrealistic expectations, unreasonable deadlines, half-efforts, and constant second-guessing that always leaves Makita with a finished product that is most times a severely watered-down and thoughtless version of what it could have been.

As for the workplace culture, you could honestly say that it doesn't exist, outside of the friendships and camaraderie employees develop on their own. Though it isn't the case in all departments, management and human resources don't really do anything to build and develop any sort of enthusiasm about the workplace. There are no welcome packages or formal introductory training sessions for new employees. Most employees will fill out the necessary tax and insurance information and will be quickly left to fend for themselves shortly after meeting their managers. Workplace functions are relegated to the occasional and very infrequent (and often last-minute) lunches in the parking lot, where management pawns off old product they can't sell as 'prizes' in  raffles. If there are any, Human Resources doesn't make apparent any sort of employee discounts or offers available (gym memberships, tickets, etc.) through Makita (aside from an annual tool discount and a partnership with Ford). Despite sponsoring major sports and events and teaming with other major brands, employees don't really get to experience the benefits of those partnerships, and if they do it's not properly communicated. There are no tickets to local teams (Los Angeles & Orange County), or readily available access to partner discounts or product. However, business partners do seem reap the benefits of these sponsorships. 

Though employees do make efforts to build friendships and morale in the office, those efforts are usually viewed and commented about negatively behind closed doors by certain management who would rather see people huddled up at their cubicles finishing their daily tasks. This often creates an atmosphere in which most people unfortunately feel as though they aren't supposed to be able to enjoy themselves at work.

As for the physical setting of the workplace, it's not very well-kept. Some of the furniture is 20+ years old. The carpets in most of the building are filthy, the walls remain plain and unpainted, archived physical documents are stored randomly throughout the building, and any opportunities to renovate or brand the building definitely seem to be low on the priority list. If you walked past the lobby and a couple of meeting rooms, you wouldn't even know you were in the same building, since the higher ups only made an effort to make aesthetically appealing the customer-facing areas of the building. The employee areas have the bad carpets, crowded cubicles, and the plain walls. 

To sum it up, you will get out what you put into this company. If you just show up everyday and do the bare minimum, you will go unrecognized and you will feel as though your time has been wasted. Unfortunately, even if you do put in your time, effort, ideas, and enthusiasm, there's still a very high chance that you'll suffer the same fate. The people that work here are great once you get to know them, and there are opportunities galore, but you'll have to work very hard to make the higher-ups recognize the value you see in those opportunities.

Good luck.

If you are in sales, If you kiss butt, that is a major plus here. That matters A LOT more than performance. If you are a remote salesperson, doing detailed reports to act like you are busy is  far more important, than actually performing and getting really strong actual results. You can be a lower performer here, as long as your reports are strong, and hang out for a few years.  Learn to be a creative writer, they like that here.  It is all about the politics. Management is beyond arrogant. You would think Makita is the most successful tool company by far in the USA which is far from reality. It's not that they couldn't be doing a lot better, because they have a great tool line and excellent service.

Most of management hasn't been in the field in years, so they don't understand how the cordless evolution has changed the landscape, even though they claim they do. If you have a lot of previous experience and success, that does not matter here, unless you kiss butt to get noticed, because they like that here, and if you do, then you may get some attention.  If you demonstrate new ideas and strategies that work really well, they will at first, praise you for it, but then, suddenly, out of no where, they don't want you doing those things anymore, even though those things are what made all the difference, and it has reflected in sales in significant ways. They think the same method work the same everywhere, where, in reality, seasoned performing territories, are a world of difference, to territories where Makita has little to no presence.

They will have new 'this is the most important initiative' every 4-5 weeks, and so many of these pet projects take so much time, it takes away from actually doing what you are paid to do, which is efficiently manage your territory to get a consistency of growth.

They will CLAIM they are different than their competitors as far as how their competitors are all about buying business essentially via crazy promos. This is not true. If your distributors know how to play the game, Makita will claim they won't play it with you, the rep, because they sell on merit they say, and they tell you, therep, not to play it, but in the meantime, if the distributor goes around you, because they know how ot play the game, the distributor will control the situation, and you are left powerless, because you were told to conduct business one way, but your management does another, totally disrespecting you. Hypocrisy abounds at Makita management and it won't change, because they all support each other, and promote each other. Massive turnover in the territory sales manager role be damned.. They could care less.

It is all too bad... Makita USA does not operate the typical Japan way and they seem to get away with it. This company could be so much more.

Executive Marketing VP leads by fear and intimidation. He is the epitome of all those memes that compares a BOSS vs a LEADER..he’s a boss.. The executive marketing leadership is a TRIO of stale and unimaginative marketing execs that lead the product roadmap which is ONLY reactive to what the competition does. And from that TRIO, are two spineless lieutenants that are rubber-stamp yes men to their boss. They keep recycling marketing ideas that worked in the early 2000’s. Thinking outside of the Makita Box will only get you blacklisted as a NON-Yes Man. They say they want fresh ideas but are quick to shoot down anything new.  The marketing leaders have never held a job at another company. They have no outside perspective of how a successful company is run. The only thing keeping Makita afloat are the international subsidiaries and a strong , albeit dwindling, following that is quickly learning that the competition is offering a better cordless battery platform and more useful and thoughtful products at a faster launch rate than at Makita. Japanese leadership is totally clueless as to how bad the executive marketing managers are screwing up the Makita Legacy. Japanese leadership has no idea of the US market either. The sales force turns over at an abysmal rate that HAS to be the worst retention rate in the industry. Training is non-existent. The first day on a sales job is basically the following: “Here’s a list of outdated client information... now go sell”. The product management team has immense talent on the Associate Product Manager level but they are systematically excluded from the selection process of filling Product Manager roles. The Associate Product Managers do not even have the opportunity to apply for the next role up. The fact that not ONE SINGLE ASSOCIATE PRODUCT MANAGER has been promoted in over 10 years tells you all you need to know. These talented Associate Product Managers tend to leave the company after 3 or 4 years to Product Manager roles in other companies which tells you that they were “good enough” to lead as Product Managers in other companies while Makita overlooks them for a crapshoot and gamble on total unknowns from the outside talent pool. Jokes on them since they wasted all that time and talent for another company to benefit. Human Resources is a joke. They can’t keep an HR manager more than a year. The HR generalists come and go almost as fast as the sales people turnover. HR is more worried about dress code, toilet paper and car washes then they are about investigating the numerous complaints that upper management has..if you care about your advancement opportunities, career and sanity...stay away.

Makita used to be a good place to work around 2000 -2002. Employees been taken care and rewarded. Now no matter how much you work hard, no appreciations, no opportunities, no growth, no pay increase at lower level in assembly for last 7 - 8 years, now people working at small companies, they making same money or more then Makita employee. Mostly highly paid in management and sales department, but most of the hard work done by assembly worker, they deserve more money, not the management and sales department, company stands on assembly workers (production). More production means, company's data looks good and GOOD credit goes to upper level and they get rewarded. If some one have to rewarded, it has to start from lower level and then goes up. They won't even fix cold water / ice machine for last 3 years, people drink hot water and no ice, is it expensive for this huge company? They can even install 2-4 machines if needed, but they don't want.
Now they have mostly temps, they have to work hard. They are start getting rewarded, but not Makita Employee.

The problem with Makita is middle/upper management doesn't give a hoot what the average employee has to say.  Input is regarded as complaining and treated as such.  If you don't belong to the "boys" or "girls" club, you are just another number and are replaceable.  They manage with the "lead by intimidation style" as others have mentioned.  "You don't like it, we will find someone else - mentality".  Its really pretty sad, this company could be so much more, and I don't feel it is the Japanese culture that is the problem here, but rather a few upper management snobs that think their proverbial you know what doesn't stink!  And from a distributors point of view, extremely hard to work with.  The marketing team works against the sales team.  The customer service team thinks they are more important than the sales team, feel they have authority over such.  The whole company needs some new leadership from the top down to structure it for success.  Like I said before....it could be so much more!

You have to deal with outrageous, unacceptable behavior, old time micro-management people with attitude and no vision about growing together, bad leadership when their main goal is to secure their long term positions or ready to retire with no interest in actual events. Key positions/promotions on higher levels are hold for few employees with more than 15-20 years in the company). People on that category overlook team achievements, they have no appreciation for newer employees (5 years or less) who deliver outstanding performances regardless the lack of motivation. Benefits are acceptable but overshadow with poor job environment with low morale. VP's and directors never take the time to walk around and see for themselves what's going on and explain the high rate level of terminated jobs. If you think outside the box you are out of Makita box.

You have to deal with outrageous, unacceptable behavior, old time micro-management people with no vision about growing together, bad leadership when their main goal is to secure their long term positions or ready to retire with no interest in actual events. Key positions/promotions on higher levels are hold for few employees with more than 15-20 years in the company. People on that category overlook team achievements, they have no appreciation for newer employees (5 years or less) who deliver outstanding performances regardless the lack of motivation. Benefits are acceptable but overshadow with poor job environment with low morale.
VP's and directors never take the time to walk around and see for themselves what's going on and explain the high rate level of terminated jobs.

Many talented individuals have come and gone, unfortunately, due to poor upper management which breeds a toxic culture, at least in certain areas of the company. Upper management hears employees' feedback however does very little to reconcile teams' needs to boost morale or encourage more progressive thinking and quality work. Often times hard work goes unrecognized with small faults or mistakes turned into mountains from molehills.

Advice to upper management: hire more qualified people or invest the proper time and resources into training and developing those who need support and/or guidance. If you can't trust your employees, you're not spending enough time mentoring them or you're hiring the wrong people—either way, it speaks volumes about you.

My day consists of phone calls, emails from customers and running current Agings for all of my assigned National account and general customers. Excel spreadsheets are reviewed and research is done daily making sure that accounts are up to date and invoices are paid in a timely manner. Issues that I deal with on a weekly basis are deductions taken on accounts due to price discrepancies, freight or COOP. I work closely with customer service to assist customers with backup for disputes and invoice or credit copy requests. The hardest part of my job is time management. The most enjoyable part of my job is communicating and visiting customers, working with coworkers via email and over the phone to address issues in a timely manner. I enjoy multitasking and customer service.

This was one of my favorite jobs while it lasted.  The work had high expectations, but was still enjoyable and we were able to meet our expectations.  The vehicles/carts we used to pick orders were very easy to use and made the process much easier.  We were also able to customize our carts and vehicles which I really enjoyed.  I made a lot of friends at this place and we always managed to have a great time.  The only issue with this workplace is that all leadership positions are handed to friends and neighbors of the top managers regardless of their experience or ability.  This was established by one manager coming in and demoting an existing manager until he finally decided to quit, then replacing that manager with a friend.  Those two continue to use that tactic to drive out anyone that they can't control, or is a conflict of interest for a position they want to give a friend of theirs.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Territory manager 7 salaries reported	$85,214 per year
Automation engineer 3 salaries reported	$76,667 per year
Service technician 2 salaries reported	$27.54 per hour
It technician 5 salaries reported	$60,000 per year
Electronics engineer 12 salaries reported	$75,000 per year

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