Pros
Understand the point of view: I have worked in several environments from R&D sites to production sites. I have worked in global businesses and physical worked for weeks at a time in several cultures in at least 8 countries. I have worked in large very posh companies (for everything that means in travel and project funding). With that said, I have to say that Ascend is GREAT! This isn't to speak badly of my previous employers - they were great too!
This company has a family feel, high impact projects, clear definitive goals with big picture clarity, and led by a management team that is honest and focused. I have been encouraged to network with other sites, outside contacts, develop through perfessional societies through giving talks and meeting others. At Ascend, there is high visibility on your projects and funding hasn't stopped anyone to date that I've seen (which is quite remarkable for a company this size). The professionalism is the highest I have seen yet in industry! Safety focus is very high. Very energetic and helpful engineers and staff. Everyone wants to do a good job and go home feeling proud anywhere you go but here it is more sweepingly pervasive.
I don't see anyone overworked. I saw comments below on that one... doesn't make sense at this site. With that said, people don't play around at work... they are focused and work hard but then people go home. That is another thing, I have never seen people hang out so much outside of work as they do here. Engineering groups are constantly meeting (learning and also for fun). Also, people are constantly talking about having spent the weekend together playing tennis, boating, or whatever.
I don't know how this group all found eachother but it is a pretty cool situation.
Cons
Would love a cafeteria to eat on-site.
