Pros
Profit sharing (required 6 years tenure to be fully vested) 401K and company match Solid team of senior scientists Well equipped analytical laboratory, stupendous atmosphere for learning the ropes
Cons
I worked as a QC chemist at hydrite for 2 years at the Cottage Grove, WI organic processing facility. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. The company is run by an incredibly politically conservative family and they hammered this message home with company-wide daily e-mails. I felt this created an atmosphere hostile to discussion and openness that hampered work-related communication. Additionally, this is a work place that did not stand by the work of its chemists. The QC laboratory was not taken seriously by other departments and there were multiple events where I was asked to repeat the work of other chemists because engineering didn't like the number. Occasionally this work was performed after a product had been shipped to a customer adding frustration to the wasted time. The pay is LOW for QC chemists. Other jobs in the same region with the same experience pay about 30% more. Hydrite chews through QC chemists very quickly and their average tenure is typically less than three years. There are no other job opportunities available for chemists at this facility.
