production operator

production

machinist

production supervisor

process engineer

Olin Winchester Ammunition


Working at Olin Winchester has been one of the most frustrating job experiences I’ve had. There is absolutely no work-life balance. You’re scheduled for 12-hour shifts, and on top of that, you’re forced to work an additional two days a week. Out of 14 days, I worked 11—seven straight days, then two days off, and then back again for four. The only upside is the paycheck: after taxes, you can take home around $3,900 in two weeks. But you pay for it with your health, time, and sanity.

The training is by far the worst I’ve ever had. Communication is almost nonexistent—what needs to be done and what’s expected of you is never made clear. You’re often thrown into an area with little to no help. On the night shift, the leads are more focused on taking their own breaks than training team members.

The working environment is miserable. It’s extremely hot, the machines are over 40 years old, and most are held together with temporary “band-aid” fixes. The tools you need to properly fix problems are rarely available, and management has no plan to properly repair or upgrade equipment. Communication from leadership only happens when it’s already too late—usually the same day or even after the fact—and then they’re quick to place blame instead of taking accountability or showing how things should actually be done.

After seven months there, I still had no idea what real progression looked like. I could barely keep the machines running with what little training I received, and when it came time for me to move into the next area, I was told I’d have to wait because they didn’t have enough people or space to train me. That completely stopped my progression pay.

In short: this is a job that will drain you. You’ll get paid well for the hours, but you won’t get proper training, support, or growth. Unless you’re desperate for a paycheck, I would not recommend working here.

A typical day at work starts with a start-up meeting with my team.  We hear what happened since we were last there and we see what we need to do in order to keep our area on target for the day.  We make assignments for what each of us will be doing for the day and then we go to work.  If there are problems we have several people we can ask for help.  If they can't fix it they find someone who can.  I have learned about lots of different machines and how they work.  I have been able to transfer to other jobs when I want to try something new.  Management is very focused on safety and they will hold you accountable if you do not do your part by following the rules. 
 We count on each other to do our part and we need each other to succeed.  We have to follow procedures and safety rules so that we can all go home safely with a sense of accomplishment for the day.  Sometimes it is hard to not be frustrated by certain problems but then you can remember that we can team up and figure it out and that it is easier to be proud of what we accomplished if it was a little bit hard to do.

I have worked at Lake City for 17 years in various positions and can honestly say it is a great place to work everyday.  The Lake City mission to supply the US warfighter with quality ammunition truly drives pride in everyday work knowing all our efforts are going to one of the best causes to keep our country safe. Winchester is an outstanding operating contractor that truly cares for Lake City and it's employees. I know I can trust my leadership to do what is best for the company and its employees. There are plenty of opportunities to excel at Lake City and grow in your career and personal development. Our leadership team has a great passion for helping our employees better themselves and achieve their career goals. Lake City is a large complex with several different working groups, so if you ever find yourself in a job you don't like you can always bid on other positions and try something new. Get your foot in the door when you can and see for yourself! I love working here and plan to stay here until I retire. 

I worked at Lake City for 3 years before I left. I will give credit where its due: the pay was pretty good and I was even able to have a side career because of it. However after one of my favorite managers left and went to work for a different company it started rapidly going south. If it only have 1 building in the plant I would have given it a 2 star review, but since there are multiple buildings to work in, they may have a better experience than the one I worked in which was building 35. However as good as the pay is, the overtime is unpredictable and makes it difficult to make plans during the weekend. The day shift allows you to have a life but you still only get a few hours during business days to spend with you friends or family. The night shift is horrible and does not give you much room for social time. If you are a loner, in need of a good paying job, like to work lots of hours, and/or have a high stress tolerance this is the place for you. If you need a good balance of Work/Home time, aren't in need of a big salary, and/or don't like to work more than 40 hours a week I do not recommend this place. 

From the start I was disappointed in their training. New employees are expected to start their assigned job with a trainer to be used as a resource. I, personally believe trainers should be more of a teacher and mentor instead of simply a "book on the shelf" type of resource.
Also too many of the policy's set forth are not followed by group leaders and supervisors. For example their policy for primer cleanup calls for notifying supervisor for any spill or buildup of unused primers of more than one board of primers yet when I notified supervisor was told that since I was close to primer dump I'd be ok
Also defective shells are supposed to be pulled from production machines, however the unspoken pressure of production has led to to this policy being ignored to the point that the very machines that they depend on are being run in disrepair condition. 

* A typical day at work included maintaining quality production and safety.

* I learned to maintain a safe work environment, time efficiency, utilizing multi-tasking skills, interpersonal communication skills, and that I need to be employed through a company that is appreciative of a person willing to work hard and contribute to the company.

* The hardest part of my job was not the labor itself, rather it was the constant questionable continuity of stable employment.

* I had close relations with co-workers who became like family due to all of the time spent together in regard to mandatory overtime. We worked together as a team and I loved being a team player alongside of wonderful co-workers.

* The most enjoyable part of my job experience at Olin was the satisfaction of knowing that I did my job well-done and took pride in my accomplishments.

There are a lot of good people working at Winchester Ammunition. It is a very high volume Ammunition Plant so you will need to be able to learn new skills quickly and apply them directly. The process engineering group is a tightly knit group that works effectively together to meet production goals and ensure safe, reliable, and quality ammunition.  Working in engineering, you must be able to meet an ever changing set of problems and learn to adapt to solve them quickly. The foremen are also hardworking and willing to work with engineering to solve problems. My advice to anyone looking for an engineering position is to work with the foremen whenever possible, these guys have been there for years and have a lot of the hands on knowledge about the machinery and are willing to teach anyone who wants to learn.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Money !! people and their attitudes suck . Management sucks . They sneaky and low down . They only hire and fire who they want. Money is the ONLY best thing .  AND they were underpaying for certain jobs . 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
MANAGEMENT! The management there is sneaky and I mean like you’ll have vacation days that you can use and they won’t even put them in the system causing a domino effect. So just cover yourself!!

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Hot. No air conditioning. Heavy material. Not welcoming work family but something else that I’m glad I’m not longer apart of! 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
HOT. The work was very tedious and heavy! A lot of walking. Heavy material to work with. Dangerous machines that were raggedy as all get out .

Typical day was 8-12 hours. Forced overtime almost every Saturday. Moving up or over was almost impossible unless you knew someone already in management. Communication was medium to low depending on department and management in the area. Company culture was figure it out. Little to no help from management and group leaders depending department. Most my help when learning came from fellow employees with more time or experience. HR was really inconsistent on what they would help you with. That’s not to say that they never helped. Olin Winchester isn’t a bad job. But that’s all it is. It’s not a place you can work your way up into a career anymore. The company management will lock you in areas they want you and it is near impossible to leave those areas. 

Start off by checking all running operations and identifying materials for the days run. Collect and gauge all material for government testing. Test and record results for the day. I've learned that perfection is in the hands of everyone involved in the operation, and it is possible to achieve. Management could benefit a lot by listening to the people who operate on a day to day bases. Some co-workers can make any job unpleasant at times but it's through understanding that at the end of the day it's not personal you can overcome these trials. Working third shift can take a toll on you physically, mentally, and personally. But knowing the job that you are doing is protecting peoples love ones and the country makes it all worth it.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Production operator 9 salaries reported	$21.22 per hour
Production 4 salaries reported	$26.54 per hour
Machinist 1 salary reported	$77,500 per year
Production supervisor 3 salaries reported	$89,567 per year
Process engineer 2 salaries reported	$115,125 per year

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