Pros
Good people, management freedom at local level
Cons
There is a huge disconnect between senior leadership and the field due to middle management involvement. Upper management believes they understand what's going on, but rarely have a real pulse on the true health of the organization. They try, however middle managers will not give an honest assessment of what is happening in the field, and will pressure their direct reports to do the same when given the opportunity. This existed in Airgas before the Airgas/Air Liquide merge, however it has only gotten worse in the past five years. Managers and talent are quitting in droves; losing decades of talent and knowledge. There used to be a promote from within philosophy much of which has been abandoned for favoritism and nepotism. Work-life balance is emphasized without addressing the root causes of a pervasive "do more with less" culture that has existed in the industry for nearly 30 years.