Don't walk away, RUN!!! - Carpenter ExpoDisplays Employee Review

Terrible company culture altogether. There is a very much a stink runs downhill mentality that permeates every aspect of the operation. They have an army of designers, sales reps, project managers and various other desk jockeys yet they'll only employ about 10 carpenters at any given time . We are talking about a company that will do somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 million in sales a year but the owner tries to act like he's not making enough. They are constantly over booking their trade show and interior projects and literally expect the carpenters to work at a nonstop fever pitch pace against an ever growing work load. For the carpenters there are no days off and it's a 10 hour minimum work day. However the days typically run much longer . It isn't rare that carpenters are expected to work through the night without sleep and continue working the next day.. And as I said it's a very one sided culture. Never once did I see a project manager, designer, ect take responsibility for any error or set back instead always finding someway to roast a carpenter for their own incompetence. They are compulsive liars saying that they provide all the tools you need and will give raises regularly. The truth is I didn't get a drill from them until I'd already been working for four months . And the tools are eventually provided are mediocre at best, much of the shop equipment is in very shaby condition no guards on the saws, sanders, grinders ect. There were many instances where we were having to bring our own equipment onto the job because the company would simply insist we already had everything we needed. By the time I left I was only making $15/hr which considering the skill level needed, the lack of support from the company and no off time among many other factors that is an abysmaly low wage . And I'm a life long carpenter , I welded, ran a CNC table, laminated, read and drafted blueprints even amoung many other things that not just anybody can do. Yet their consistant attitude was to always appear unimpressed and act as though you were too stupid to read a tape measure. I only recieved one raise after working for six months although I was told I'd be eligible for a raise after 3 months. It was only a $2 raise and I had given them excellent performance despite all their garbage. Apparently $15 is the most any carpenter there can make regardless of skill level. Which considering the experience needed to get the job done, the schedule they require you to work, the fact we were having to use our own tools . I'm embaressed I did so much for them for so little. Not to mention they force you into doing many tasks in an improper manner then complain even though they are advised against the improper methods for instance they want everything laminated in the same area everything is cut and sanded. The saw dust and wood chips fly everywhere while you are also trying to glue laminate, this is raw idiocy. On a whim one day they threw out all our work benches and had us use 4x4 ft tables. I don't think I have to explain how stupid that is when you are building pieces that are mostly 12 to 16 feet. Also the conditions are very cramped and unsanitary. You are trying to fabricate shoulder to shoulder with the other carpenters and never provided with adequate room to build, laminate ect. You can't even use the bathroom because it has no ventilation and the plumbing wasn't done properly the sewage gas will gag you before you can even walk into the stall.To sum up its probably one of the worst places you could possibly be a carpenter and this is in terms of company culture, the money you can make and the fact that they will not respect you as a human being expecting you to work literally around the clock until you are so exhausted you put yourself at risk of having an on job accident or falling asleep at the wheel and killing yourself or someone else. So like I said don't walk run . Don't do like I did and waste your time believing their lies and hoping things will improve because they won't . Their attitude towards carpenters is that you are a disposable employee and that you should be exploited in whatever ways possible. So don't walk away run!