Ocean Spray Reviews

Pros

They treat you with respect. They go the extra mile to make your job easier. The pay is above average for the area.

Cons

They expect a lot out of their employees. They don't let people slack off.

Pros

working at Ocean Spray marketing department allows you to interact with various different departments; most of the work is interesting

Cons

organization structure is highly hierarchical; takes a lot time and tedious process to get your idea heard by upper management.

Advice to Senior Management

in improve ocean spray's culture, the senior management needs to empower their employees to make decisions and encourage them to take calculated risk

Pros

Ocean Spray is a beloved juice brand in the USA
You work for cranberry farmers and are responsible for their livelihoods
Lots of hands on learning experience, but you do end up doing the work of someone who would typically be higher up in another company.
Most of the people are nice
The pay seems reasonable, but could be higher based on comparative companies

Cons

It can be very political and beurocratic
A lot of people that work at Ocean Spray have been there a long time, pros and cons with that
The company culture can be somewhat old school and stodgy
It's a really flat organization and they rotate you around alot - it can take a while to move up.
Senior management and middle management really seem to be concerned with themselves and their own career paths and gaining political capital vs. empowering the people below them. You can end up feeling like a cog in the wheel, even though the company is mid-size.
Managers are overworked and don't really have time to manage their people effectively

Pros

It was a fair place to work for.

Cons

They put too much work on the operator that the lab should have been doing, your trying to keep the machine running and have to do the lab work.

Advice to Senior Management

I think they put too much pressure on the operaror.

Pros

Work atmosphere is very casual. Very good work/life balance

Cons

They need to watch senior management. Initially the current management team came in and gave the company a much needed kick in the pants. Now they are a little in love with their own press clippings and keep bringing in their cronies for top jobs.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't lose site of what gave you success....yours is a very cyclical business, don't alienate people that helped you get to the top, because there will be a crash.

Pros

I have worked at the Middleboro plant for many years. The pay and benefits package is above average for most industrial jobs. There is excellent job security. The environment is clean, safe, and friendly. The plant workers are part of the Teamsters union and have a very good retirement program. There is often plenty of overtime and they give incentive bonuses. Ocean Spray also offers a 401K program and pays an annual incentive towards that as well. They have a tuition reimbursement program. It is an excellent place to work. Management treats the employees fairly and with respect. Very few people ever quit or look for work elsewhere.

Cons

There are no downsides. There is no nepotism, favoritism, harassment, or negative sorts of things that you often see at other places. Because it is such a great place to work they can recruit excellent employees, those with poor work histories would be unlikely to get a job there.

Advice to Senior Management

Over the many years I have seen things keep getting better! Yet, the management continues to look for ways to improve. Keep up the good work!

Pros

Lot of variety and decision making given. No shortage of work. Growing business and successful year on year as long as crop value is high.

Cons

Change underway. Lot of transitions. May have many new leaders or managers.

Advice to Senior Management

Maintain growth and yields. Protect assets and base businesses. Find and invest in true innovative products and markets and not just short term needs.

Pros

Great work-life balance and very genuine friendly co-workers.

Cons

very heirarchical and old school. Promotions come on a time-table, not based on performance. Compensation is a bit low, despite being in Lakeville MA Ocean Spray should recognize that it still has to compete for talent from Boston where salaries are 10-15% higher for similar roles.

Advice to Senior Management

develop talent and push the organization to become faster. This is in progress, but could be stepped up. The senior leadership team is doing a great job but should spend more time communicating with employees, getting to know people. That's the best part about OS, the fact that people know one another and are interested in other's well-being. That sentiment doesn't pass between senior management and the rank and file though.

Pros

The people who work there are great. The salary and benefits are also very good. The overall company is employee orientated and a good place to work. Management has done a great job of improving the business. I love the setting of the building, right on a pond and cranberry bog, it is beautiful there. We have half day Friday's in the summer which really makes life more enjoyable.

Cons

I do hate the new dress code. Every morning I swear up and down, trying to figure out what the heck to wear, although I like that we can wear jeans on Friday. I think they could do better at promoting flex hours, only a few people actually get to use that benefit, even though they say it exists.

Advice to Senior Management

Your doing a great job overall, but try to improve on the flex time arrangement. Also I think the dress code could be relaxed a little, even though it was just implementated, I HATE IT!