Pros
Great name recognition and a lot of respect from other companies such as vendors, other competitors, and clients. Also, AVI-SPL has a great education program - sort of like a private college with online courses. They want you to succeed by making sure you have all the necessary qualifications and certifications available. Great team work and support at my branch - I can't say enough about the people. Very pleasant working conditions with less stress than you would find at a comparable company/office. Local management at the branch level developed an atmosphere where you wanted to work, and...'happily' work long hours (I was salary).
Cons
On the local (branch) level, working at AVI-SPL is great. However, having to deal with 'corporate' (in Tampa and other HQ offices) is certainly a significant drawback. There are many restrictions handed down to the branches as well as a fair amount of 'red tape' in the form of reporting, basic day to day functions such as service procedures, etc. The corporate structure impedes the efficiency of the local branches. Finally, being at the local level it's difficult to be recognized for your accomplishments - unless you're in sales where your numbers are obviously monitored. Case in point - I went from being told I was on track to being "Employee of the Year" to being laid-off within a three month period. The corporate office instructed my branch they had to lay off six to eight people to balance the budget because sales were down for the first two quarters. So, due to seniority, I was let go. I was treated with respect and given a fair severance during the layoff process. C'est la vie...