Pros
Excellent environment for learning new skills and personal growth. Well respected manufacturer that ships all over the world (34 countries to date). An evolving and growing variety of projects in custom automation and machinery. Technical and manufacturing challenges that keeps the work interesting and people thinking. Great facility, modern offices and shop floor work areas. Prayer room. Bright lighting and clean bathrooms. Well organized product flow. Ongoing continuous improvement initiatives. Very structured planning and development processes. ISO 9001 certified. Upgrade to 2015 standard complete with zero corrective actions. Equal opportunity employer behind a strong social committee with ongoing events. Diversity is well respected. More than 30 nationalities work together. Structured Human Resource support for all employees. Conducts employee surveys, proactively addresses work concerns, recently introduced great employee benefits. Safety is a high priority with various operator training, crane, forklift, safety talks etc. Regularly passes Ministry of Labour inspections with no infractions. Core operating values of PATRIOT practiced daily (Passion, Accountability, Trust, Respect, Innovation, Open Communication, Teamwork) Leader committed to growth and long term success. Not afraid to try new things and invests heavily back into company. Having worked at this company long enough to know first-hand that some of the negative reviews up to this date are disappointingly more vindictive than truthfully accurate. This is great company BUT may not be for everyone. Manufacturing in Canada is difficult, especially when competing globally. There is no room for those who underperform and everyone has a responsibility to contribute to the overall success. Because orders are unpredictable, work volume increases and decreases in cycles, this creates opportunities for overtime to keep to our commitments but with that also comes with its own challenges. This is where everyone is expected to put forward personal leadership to think/act/do what is right, regardless of your role. Engagement is essential and no one demonstrates this more than the owner and CEO, who first starts his every working day by walking the 4 corners of the plant and offices, talking to the people, asking questions, listening, acting upon and communicating this feedback to managers and support staff throughout the day...and has done so for more than a decade. He is accessible, approachable and is one of the strongest communicators in the organization. For more than 10 years he personally creates and distributes a monthly "CEO Monthly letter" that gives all employees insight to the business, including changes, focus and challenges. In addition calls quarterly update town hall meetings with all employees going through the important facets of the business, often recognizing people for their accomplishments with awards and individual praise along the way. He likes to have fun, which is why he is a big promoter of community spirit through barbecues, game tournaments and other company sponsored activities. Through his engagement he also drives for excellence at all levels, resulting in the doubling of new jobs and sales growth.
Cons
The challenges of evolution have created turnover that doesn't speak to the many great things that are being done at Samco.