Merchandiser - Overall a very positive experience
Pros
Very good team atmosphere and communication between the plants and the corporate office. There is a daily conference call with all of the plants and the head of merchandising in Omaha to discuss markets and strategy. The merchandising managers and senior merchandisers are very willing to help train new employees. You will be given a lot of trading responsibility as soon as you start which allows new employees to learn very quickly. Many managers and upper management have been with AGP for a very long time. AGP is financially strong and also has a pension plan.
Cons
As a merchandiser you will be working at the plant in a small town. This may not be a con for some people but as a young person it can make it difficult to make new friends and your personal life might suffer. Decisions can sometimes feel very top-down from upper management. However, the upper management are all long time AGP employees and know what they are doing. The technology is outdated and might feel like you are taking a step back in time if you are coming from another company. There have been some improvements in this area over the last several years. You will likely be asked to relocate at some point. You do not have to accept the relocation, but this may hinder your ability to advance. However, the relocation package is very strong and you also will get a significant salary increase. Since AGP is a relatively small company compared to the ABC’s there is a somewhat limited ability to advance beyond being a merchandiser at the plants. The pay is good but not great, which has lead to turnover considering there is limited ability for advancement. The company seems to lose employees after they become a senior merchandiser and realize there is limited ability to advance their career and pay. Because of the lack of retention to mid-level employees there is a very pronounced gap between older employees (50 and up) and younger employees (30 and below).