Pros
Lubrizol is a speciality chemical company which manufactures a lot of various molecules from a eclectic mix of raw materials. From a technical point of view there is a lot of unique processing that you won’t find in a textbook. It can be a fun place for people who are technically inclined. I really enjoyed working with the people at the local sites. There are still a lot of smart hard working within the organization. Lubrizol is a Berkshire Hathaway company which has a few benefits and proximity to Mr. Buffett’s bankroll.
Cons
Pay is increasingly less competitive for all. Bonus is underwhelming as it rarely meets target. Incentive plans for senior employees are not consistent within the organization and not competitive for most. Management was proficient in making false promises to retain staff. Plant spending was not well controlled. While there are a lot of needs to improve aging infrastructure, the organization can get a lot more out of the dollars they are willing to spend. Hyper aggressive safety focus while well intentioned disrupted production for months and alienated a lot of large longtime customers (and cost a TON of money). Morale is low as many long term employees have exited the organization due to pension elimination and leadership and others are left to pick up the slack. Unfortunately the folks exiting the organization are taking the skills needed and will be difficult to replace given lubrizol’s products are very specialized. Increased micromanagement and frequent strategy changes by the most senior leaders was a disappointing development HR leadership focused on trendy initiatives at the expense of day to day needs. People spend months in interim roles because HR is bogged down with complicated processes and staffing issues. Notable work life imbalance exists for many. Lubrizol once took a lot of pride in having respect for people. Unfortunately that philosophy was abandoned with leadership changes. Hope the most recent appointees can reverse the trend.
