Pros
I've worked in publicly-traded hi-tech companies and Johnsonville has been a fantastic change. As a medium-sized company with a flat hierarchy, members are able and encouraged to take on true growth opportunities where in larger organizations I had to wait to be selected. Being privately-owned removes all of the 'reporting to the street' gamesmanship and enables members to focus on driving true value to the company. Driving value is important to all members as the company has a truly unique and generous incentive program that pays out monthly based on year-to-date metrics. And what has kept me at Johnsonville for the long run has been all of these smaller-company advantages while using my graduate-level education on business tools and processes that the big companies have: National and international growth, innovation, SAP (and other best-practice tools), Integrated Business Planning, reporting & analytics, significant capital investment, large national marketing programs, continuous improvement focus, and an all-around incredible reputation.
The bottom line is that the culture is truly unique, thanks the to the Johnsonville Way. It's worth repeating - the unique culture makes all the difference, and has drawn a highly-talented membership.
Cons
Some would say non-metro location is a con. It is easy to get work-life out of balance with all of the opportunities you can take on, but I've seen higher workloads in other companies.
