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Interstate Companies

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Interstate Companies reviews

2.4

39% would recommend to a friend

(43 total reviews)

Travis Penrod

44% approve of CEO

41% positive business outlook

Interstate Companies has an employee rating of 2.4 out of 5 stars, based on 43 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Interstate Companies employee rating is 35% below average for employers within the Construction, Repair & Maintenance Services industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

43 reviews
1.0
Oct 7, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Pay was really good but the workers there were always fun to be around and still have plenty of good stories from working with old friends.

Cons

This section is quite a bit longer and relates mainly to branch specific issues seeing as though I was let go just before the Interstate takeover back when it was still Inland Power Group. This was my first job as a field service tech. DEFINITELY not the place to learn as a beginner. Don't get me wrong, my fellow coworkers taught me a lot but let me explain.... I trained with Ford Motor Company and Cummins Power Generation where manuals were readily available and troubleshooting had a structured flow to ensure proper diagnosis of problems. Management clearly told me "you're a generator tech, not an engine tech...we have another group of guys for that". Ok great. They will send you to work on a unit that has engine issues and if you can't figure it out you become an annoyance. Never once seen manuals pertaining to the generators we worked on unless customers kept theirs. If you're not an engine tech then forget about any sort of engine software to help with troubleshooting. You'll constantly have your hours questioned as if you're up to no good. My first year at Inland I had zero write ups and work was good. Then the current manager was fired and the new manager didn't have a clue about anything. Every day I was questioned about my jobs, given less and less work and constantly harassed. Even simple tasks such as taking a van to get its oil changed were questioned. The foreman was just a senior tech that had an incredibly brown nose. Logistics and job planning is a nightmare turning week long jobs into month long jobs. Management and others were repeatedly overheard talking about other workers in a demeaning manner. Basically if you can't fend for yourself you will gladly be set up for failure. I could go on forever but I'll leave you with this. I dreaded going to work everyday after my first year and absolutely hated each and every single day under my 2nd manager.

1.0
Aug 18, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

They will let most employees get away with a lot of B.S. because they know they're not going to find replacements easily if at all. Free lunches and donuts once in a while. If you need office supplies they usually buy them no question.

Cons

If you develop health problems from the stress of being left alone to do the job of three people because the new people they hire need a ton of training which falls on you because the manager is always in meetings with the branch manager and dealing with incompetent managements shortcomings, they'll use all your PTO and floating holidays trapping you in an endless cycle of being physically ill unable to take a personal day or two to unwind. The pay sucks unless you're management or higher. The shop is old and falling apart. I'm pretty sure the only reason this location is still getting any business is because it's the only place for hundreds of miles customers can get service on certain brands. Being on call. I've been burnt out for 10 months and no one cares they just pile more on. EVERYTHING is based off that wip report and managers monthly bonuses. The parts department lacks competitive pricing (except what is set by the manufacturer) that screws the customer over. The technicians give the labor times, the book times are almost never used. Combine that with the parts pricing and you get inflated labor pricing, high estimates, and a pissed off customer. The technicians are obstreperous often. They're often short staffed due to training, absence, field contracts, and because they're all segmented by specialty. They also often wait on parts frequently as many parts including common parts are not carried on hand. The service department is heavily micromanaged. The generator side can't hang on to technicians because of the management, company reputation around the community, (Even other Interstate branch employees call Fargo the "ghetto branch") The service advisor in that department is strained and overburdened which exacerbates things. As others have said before, VERY top heavy management. There is no openness about how the company operates financially above your position. Strange when everything is always about the numbers.

Viewing 19 - 21 of 43 Reviews

Glassdoor has 44 Interstate Companies reviews submitted anonymously by Interstate Companies employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Interstate Companies is right for you.