There is a big disconnect between middle management and upper management. I've seen upper management come acting like the cavalry has arrived when there is a problem, and the solutions presented for middle management just cause more headaches. There seems to be a lack of understanding for upper management about the basics of what needs to get done at different accounts. I've also been in meetings where upper management will openly threaten everyone's jobs if a certain criteria has not been met. I'm all for getting rid of people who are not performing, but the constantly remind someone that their job is in jeopardy is not a proper motivation tool that should be used lightly.
Like I mentioned in the Pros section there is definite potential to move up in this company. The flip side of this is that it often depends where you are located in the country. There are a lot of sections of the country that are considered "dead zones". These areas are barely turning or not even turning a profit for SBM and if you work in these accounts then there's a good chance you're stuck there.
The company also seems to put a big emphasis on safety. Which should be a good thing. However, when you dip below the surface it doesn't really seem to add up. In the end if a front line employee says a job is too unsafe (which I agree many of these jobs are) middle management will be expected to pick up the slack and get it done anyway. I've personally seen and experienced this where I will tell my superiors that a job is just too dangerous for our employees because of lack of proper equipment, tools, or knowledge and all I would get is a "just get it done" response. This means that it would be just me and another manager trying to carry around an 800lb piece of equipment that has a serious potential to hurt either us or a passerby for example.
