Pros
Many of the individual contributors and frontline team members are genuinely talented, down-to-earth, and collaborative. Despite broader organizational challenges, there is a strong sense of camaraderie at the working level, and many employees are supportive, approachable, and committed to doing good work. The people you work alongside day-to-day are often the strongest part of the experience and make the environment more positive than it otherwise might be.
Cons
Executive leadership continues to be a significant challenge. While there was optimism that new leadership would bring greater transparency, approachability, and strategic clarity, those improvements have not materialized. Based on employee feedback and publicly visible approval ratings, confidence in senior leadership remains low. Following the leadership transition, much of the existing executive team was replaced, and several new hires appear to have prior professional relationships with the CEO. This has reinforced a long-standing perception of favoritism at the executive level and contributed to concerns about decision-making driven more by relationships than by institutional knowledge or internal talent development. Given that nepotism and insular leadership were historical criticisms of the company, this has felt like a repeat of past issues rather than meaningful change. Communication from the top is inconsistent and unclear. Strategic goals are not effectively cascaded to teams, resulting in siloed departments, misalignment, and inefficiency. Cross-functional collaboration often feels reactive rather than intentional, with teams left to navigate priorities through informal channels rather than clear direction. Transparency is another major concern. Company-wide meetings frequently highlight a limited set of positive metrics while minimizing or omitting discussion of underperforming areas, even when negative trends are well known internally. This selective transparency erodes trust and makes it difficult for employees to feel informed or invested in the broader business. In Operations, support is inconsistent. Roadblocks are often left unresolved, placing additional strain on frontline teams who are expected to deliver results without adequate guidance or advocacy. Local leadership engagement and operational understanding vary significantly, which further impacts morale and execution. At the plant level in Los Angeles, the primary challenge has been with the most senior on-site leadership role rather than the broader leadership team. Mid-level leaders and frontline supervisors are frequently left to compensate for gaps in direction, operational understanding, and decision-making, which creates unnecessary strain despite their strong efforts to keep operations running. This is not an environment that provides consistent leadership support or clear pathways for growth. Employees are largely expected to be self-starters and solve problems independently. Advancement often appears relationship-driven, making it challenging for those outside established inner circles to gain visibility or influence.
