Pros
Alliance being in the small town of Ripon has that small town feeling, easy commute with little traffic if you live outside of Ripon, and employees that are friendly and helpful. -For the town, pay and benefits are pretty good, but could be better when you compare to other large companies in the Fox Valley and Green Bay area that employ engineers. -Most engineers are very hands-on in the projects rather than having a lot of wasted middle management. -Again, the employees you work with make the job worth it, very enjoyable employees here. -The company is doing well and is a leader in the market. Also has been around for over 100 years. -The company is fairly conservative when it comes to spending money (but this can also be a con in that the buildings/environment is a little bland/boring, though they have been slowly making some improvements regarding lighting and repainting, still more needed in the office areas). I'm not looking to be like Epic in Madison, but a little more color and other enhancements would be nice. (Look at ceiling tiles that need replacement for one thing) -The health insurance/vacation/other benefits are fairly competitive. -There is a nice mix of young/old employees to help keep the environment more balanced. -Hours are somewhat flexible, there is a general time you should be at work and you know the projects you should be working on and have deadlines to meet, but there are no hard set hours to arrive and leave for engineers.
Cons
-The office environment is nothing special and feels somewhat like a prison for the engineers on some days. There are very few windows and so almost no natural sunlight during the day. During the winter, there are many days when I haven't seen the sun because of arriving and leaving when it is dark. On the opposite side, this provides little distraction, but it is very depressing and one thing I miss from other jobs I have had. -There is not a clear path of what it takes to be promoted or to advance within the company. Promotions are rare. -Raises could be better, the company does not give good incentive to retain employees through raises, bonuses, etc. If you are looking for a jump in pay, then look elsewhere, the best way in the world today still is to get hired by a different company for a promotion/raise every so many years. -The engineering building is getting a little full (which is also a pro actually), but unlike other companies, there is no place to really let off steam or anything. No ping pong, foosball, common area, etc that you can go to get away from your desk for a little while. -Parts of the factory are very outdated and could use more lighting, redesign for better workflow, better air quality, etc. -No ability to remotely access shared network drives for when away on business. -Until a few years ago, there also was no wireless, but in the engineering building, the wireless is only for guests and still is unable to access the shared network drives. Other companies have this type of access, why not us?