welder

laborer

cnc operator

structural welder

forklift operator

Merrill-Steel

Moving from one ownership culture to another presents some unique challenges and opportunities. I greatly enjoyed leading the challenge and the diverse cultural differences. Required utilizing different skills and assessment, and working through the process and strategies to meet a new organization's objectives and corporate mission while implementing manufacturing changes and improvements.

The Merrill organization has a passion for improvement that is very exciting for me, making it important to embrace change and know that nothing improves without change. Leading people and an organization through cultural change requires analytical skills, compassion, good communications, recognizing your assets that will carry you forward as the organization blends with the new ownership.

Growth oriented organization allowing leadership and management of facility, equipment, man power utilized my diversified skills to improve profits and expand capacity. It was gratifying for the ownership to recognize my success over this process while producing products and meeting the needs of our customers.

Enjoyed working with the ownership and board of directors during this process. My work through this transition has ended but have great respect for the organization.

I worked here for a short time and immediately noticed red flags. Pay was lower than advertised, reviews are annual so you're locked at that rate, air quality was poor with no respirators except for some long-term employees, and they micromanage things like bathroom use, I got talked to for using the bathroom on the clock. They’re strongly anti-union and have walked people out for even discussing it despite it being a legally protected right. Discussion of wages is prohibited even though that's your right as well. I left after being accosted for checking a print and trying to weld joints that needed to be completed (i.e. doing my job). Instead I was expected to be stuck grinding plates daily. I have many years of experience and I felt like I was being totally sidelined and put on things no one else wanted to do.

Overall not recommended. I would say it's good for new guys to get some experience or use it as a stepping stone but not a good place to stay long term.

Culture starts from the top and  trickles down to the locations. If you are not part of the solution you eventually accept the way things are and become part of the problem. There is no transparency in anything.
A lot of conversations on issues and desired changes individually, but never any follow-through as a group. Politics make decisions that will eventually become a liability. Human Resources needs to remember the human part of the position, it was lacking. Policies and procedures are weak and provide little risk management guidance.
My hopes for this family-owned company as they grow is to attract bigger, brighter talent to take on leadership roles that have the desire and ability to change the organizational culture going forward. Change is always hard but necessary for success. I wish Merrill the very best going forward. 



Problems start at the top and trickle down to the department heads. Unless you're in the old boys club with the Plant Manager, absolutely forget about advancing or even being heard here. The company doesn't value hard labor, they rate you based on cliques and gossip. People are in leadership roles based on where the Plant Manager worked with them at a previous job, so many don't understand their roles here.

An extremely unsafe work environment that never improves. They rotate out Safety Supervisors and HR about every 10 months to a year. Overtime is mandatory and pay is decent, but not worth the stress or sacrifice to possibly being injured on the job.

Leadership at the MO branch is rude and condescending. They speak down to employees without provocation and issue write-ups for the most minute failures. Further up the ladder there are some of the greediest people I've ever had the displeasure of meeting. Safety is ABSOLUTELY dead last. 480 panels with water running THROUGH them in rain, an unwillingness to purchase new disconnects for those damaged across the plant. Just a general atmosphere of hostility at the employees expense. Even 480 extension cords get an electrical tape patch when sheered with fork lifts. And good luck getting respectable pay for your labor. Bottom line: CHEAP.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The owner's truly care about their employees.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Changes related to the fabrication schedule can get frustrating at times.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Casual environment that focuses on getting the work done as quickly as possible while still maintaining quality standards.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Most days are a blur of the tasks at hand.  But only on occasion do I feel pressure or stress regarding my workload.

The day to day at Merrill iron is usually different in that one day you will be welding on a beam for 8 hours straight. The next you'll be building beams at 20 minutes each for ten hours. I learned how to read a blue print with precision and accuracy. I also learned how to weld in various positions. The management leaves a lot to be desired, the supervisor and his assistant make a serious effort to avoid their workers. The hardest part of working at merrill iron is the heavy lifting. It is a very physical job. I really enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment after finishing a big job.

Good place for new welders or people just starting out. Pay is on the low side for this area, definitely entry level. Management is kinda all over the place, too many people trying to run things. The Camanche plant gets told to do stuff from the other plants that doesn’t even make sense. The plant manager and maintenance supervisor mostly look out for their buddies instead of the people who actually work hard, which I've seen cause conflict in the shop. It’s who you know, not how hard you work. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Family oriented and best in house clinic for families 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The long hours and heat and no mechanical work shop for maintenance 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Very open to offenders other then that anyone with skills they will train 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Very fast paced and great place to learn all trade

The job itself is typical for structural steel, but the management and company culture is one of the worst that I have ever seen. If you are on day shift, pay increases and sometimes even time off are less dependent on job performance and more dependent on how the main supervisor feels about you. If you don't mind kissing up to him, you're golden.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Welder 3 salaries reported	$57,460 per year
Laborer 3 salaries reported	$58,759 per year
Cnc operator 6 salaries reported	$57,288 per year
Structural welder 3 salaries reported	$62,408 per year
Forklift operator 1 salary reported	$66,498 per year

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