Pros
Most people are willing to lend an hand and help out. The owners are thankful for the help and loyalty they have received from their employees. Fridays are always casual dress. Good employees stand out and get noticed right away. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on which side of the coin you are on. This company seem recession proof.
Cons
Ellsworth is desperate for "A" players, but they don't stick around for long when they do show up. Typical office politics, like everywhere. Upper and middle management play favorites. Those in the "good old boys club" like to tell everyone how wonderful it is to work here, and can't understand why others disagree with them. HR stresses culture to the management team, who turn around and regurgitate it on their employees. It's all lip service. Petty rewards are handed out in hopes of keeping the hourly people happy. Employee turnover is higher than average for two reasons: 1- HR has given the green light to managers to eliminate employees without repercussion; 2- Good employees recognize what is going on here and leave at the first opportunity presented to them. New employees are typically put into positions below their worth. Others who have worked at Dow Corning or Henkel are instantly put on a pedestal in hopes they can bring valuable insights and legitimacy. Communication and commitment to other divisions within the corporation leaves something to be desired. Every single entity is run separately, and it shows. The owners are very involved despite not being present very frequently. This leads to some questionable decisions that slow down the business. The companies run lean in order to maximize profits. Ellsworth is more concerned about looking good rather than being good. Take a drive past the facilities on the road. From a distance they appear impressive, but once inside it becomes obvious corners were cut to same some cash.