Saronic

Free lunch and equity packages

Heads up—this is a lengthy but completely honest post geared towards individuals that are considering relocating from long distances to work for Saronic.

When I first started, the job seemed great. There was plenty of overtime, and I worked with some genuinely good people. The culture felt supportive, and the few tasks we had were consistently completed on time. This was during the early days when the company had ten or fewer employees.

As the company grew and more employees were hired, the lower performers began to stand out. Drug use among certain employees became difficult to ignore. I chose not to participate and kept my focus on my work. Despite obvious attendance and performance concerns involving some individuals, two of them were promoted into leadership roles. In my opinion, this reflected poor judgment. One of those leaders was eventually terminated for repeated attendance issues and tardiness.

As the team expanded to more than twenty employees and multiple leads were added, the work environment deteriorated. Miscommunication, favoritism, backbiting, and animosity became common. Only a handful of leads were willing to admit when they made mistakes, and accountability often seemed absent.

An employee tasked with ordering tools had limited relevant experience managing tooling and supplies. I was repeatedly told that necessary tools had been ordered, only to find out later that some never arrived while others showed up months after they were supposedly requested. Raising concerns about these issues and pushing for accountability appeared to put a target on my back.

Tool maintenance was another ongoing problem. Very few people properly cared for the equipment. I routinely red-tagged broken tools, only to be asked to continue using them anyway. I've never worked for a company that went through as many drills and die grinders due to neglect and improper use as this one.

The process used to select leadership positions also raised concerns. The cut and grind lead appeared to have been chosen before interviews even took place. The individual selected had limited experience and often created an unnecessarily hostile atmosphere.

One incident that truly changed my perception of the company involved allegations serious enough to call for potential criminal charges that the company says in their handbook are immediate termination offenses made against an employee that held a lot of influence over the way that things were done in the shop. He was reportedly suspended but later returned to his position, while the other employee involved received a significant promotion. The way the situation was handled left many employees confused and questioning whether company policies were applied consistently.

Composite leadership had little direct experience in composites. His management style created constant disruption. Entire sections of the shop would be reorganized, only to decide shortly afterward that he didn't like the layout and require everyone to move everything back or start over. It created unnecessary chaos and inefficiency. At the same time, I personally witnessed him spending significant amounts of time watching YouTube videos to learn processes that many of the technicians were already experienced in performing.

The safety culture was perhaps my biggest concern. I observed numerous OSHA-related issues. Early on, a senior employee instructed other employees to throw MEKP bottles into the regular trash, which I immediately pointed out as inappropriate. On another occasion, I was asked to clean approximately 110 gallons of fiberglass dust from the grind booth filter area, bag it, and dispose of it in the dumpster, despite the obvious health and safety concerns associated with that task. My overall impression is that production was often prioritized over safety.

Employees who raised concerns, questioned decisions, or pushed for accountability sometimes found themselves marginalized. Whether through pressure to leave or termination under other stated reasons, speaking up did not always feel protected.

There were good people there, and I genuinely enjoyed working with many of my coworkers. However, the longer I stayed, the more I witnessed inconsistent leadership, poor communication, questionable decision-making, and a culture that, in my experience, did not always support employees who advocated for doing things the right way.

Listen to the employees doing the work every day. Technical skill alone doesn't make someone a good leader, and leadership positions should be based on experience, professionalism, integrity, and the ability to communicate effectively. Establish and consistently enforce policies across all levels of the organization. Employees lose trust quickly when rules appear to apply differently depending on who is involved. Accountability should extend to everyone, regardless of title or tenure. Invest in managers who have relevant industry experience and provide them with leadership training before placing them in positions of authority. Encourage an environment where employees can raise concerns, admit mistakes, and offer solutions without fear of retaliation or being labeled as a problem employee. Most importantly, make safety a core value rather than a talking point. Employees should never have to choose between meeting production goals and following proper safety procedures. Concerns about hazards, equipment, training, or compliance should be investigated thoroughly and addressed promptly. The people willing to speak up about problems are often the ones trying hardest to protect the company, their coworkers, and the quality of the product. Saronic has talented employees and tremendous potential. Retaining good people will require rebuilding trust, promoting transparency, and creating a culture where doing the right thing is valued just as much as meeting deadlines.