Constellation Brands Reviews

Pros

Great training programs and opportunities to grow your skill set. If this is your first supplier job you will be able to transfer to any company in the industry after spending a few years with Constellation.

Cons

The politics involved in moving advancing through this organization are unbelievable. THere are meny talented people workignhere but they are not always the ones that get promoted.

Advice to Senior Management

Look at your teams and how they are working together. This is a group of individuals not a cohesive unit.

Pros

Benefits above average for the area, even an allowance for wine purchases, pay above average for the area. Company enourages volunteering in community (with some restrictions during work hours) and contributes financially to many worthy causes. Great potential to learn about the alcoholic beverage industry.

Cons

Management is out of touch with those on the front line. Birthright is not a guarantee of competent leadership. When goals are not being met, pressure from upper management explodes and stress becomes horrific - plan on working extra hours, getting frowned upon for needing to leave for doctor appt's and kids' functions. Paper diplomas have a higher value than loyalty to the company, long time employment, and common sense. If you are young and hip, apply and pad your resume for 3-5 years and leave. That's the pattern now. What was a wonderful place to work has become a merely paycheck to so many. And if asked for an opinion, just smile and nod and agree with the management person asking - they don't want to hear the truth. I have seen some bright, talented, experienced people leave for simply telling the truth.

Advice to Senior Management

LISTEN to the front line people. Enough with the flashy parties and trying to get the company name plastered on everything imaginable. Mr. Marvin Sands was a kind, compassionate, brilliant man and truly cared for the people who worked for him. The culture today is pure business, cold and ruthless.

Pros

Fair benefits packages, friendly coworkers, interesting industry. Most areas have a lot of autonomy and there is always plenty of work to do.

Cons

There appears to be little guidance from upper management. Projects and initiatives are started by divisions or departments without overall integration with the rest of the company, usually to pad someone's resume before they leave the company. This leads to a lot of cleanup work and integration after their departure.

Advice to Senior Management

Please spend less time on retreats creating corporate values and policies and more time leading by example. Constellation Brands has some great employees and brands that deserve better leadership.

Pros

Constellation seems to have salary and benefit levels at least competitive if not better than industry average. From a corporate perspective acquisitions and sales of pieces of the business make sense giving employees a degree of security. The portfolio of owned companies is impressive. The company works to assure employees of acquisitions that it will not immediately revamp the status quo.

Cons

Top level executive compensation according to annual report seems high in view of the company's recent performance. There is a strong feeling that complaints and suggestions by low to mid level employees can not be heard by top management. Marketing decisions such as packaging and market research seem to be made without reference to local production units resulting in avoidable mistakes. Distribution networks have seen evidence of recent disarray resulting in some loss of sales volume. Working for a company with good compensation but truncated communications with decision makers is better than not having a job.

Advice to Senior Management

Find ways for any employee to ask questions, make suggestions or even complain without fear of retribution and with some indication that the communication was received. Lincoln Electric seems to have a way of doing this.

Pros

Good pay and benefits relative to other wine industry employers. Many individual managers are committed to creating a good product and a positive environment.

Cons

Poor communication from management, poor advancement opportunities, overemphasis on short-term growth rather than long-term stability. There is very little importance placed on developing employees as a long-term investment; people are expected to move on rather than to grow into new positions.

Advice to Senior Management

Fill upper management positions with people who understand the beverage business, including wine, rather than with people who are primarily sales or HR managers. Consider decentralizing senior management so that employees around the world have more contact with and communication from you and can better understand your goals.