Semitool Reviews

Pros

A foot in the door

Cons

Limited mobility and growth potential

Advice to Senior Management

Look within rather that at large

Pros

International travel, ability to work creatively, dynamic company, always trying to innovate

Cons

Management does not give you feedback, management relies on informal networks to evaluate employees which results in "back-stabbing" management over promises equipment capabilities to customers and then blames engineers for not being able to meet the standards.

Advice to Senior Management

Rely on your own personal interactions with employees before you judge.

Pros

Very talented engineering, solid development atmosphere. Excellent at quick turn of projects. Generally, nice people to work with throughout the company.

Cons

Very good at R&D but lacks the discipline for stable production, repeatability of product. Management can not seem to figure out that customers want stable platforms for production. Prototype systems are OK for prototype development, but not full production environments.

Advice to Senior Management

Try to stay on track. Applied Materials will either use Semitool as an R&D center or force a major reorganization. Applied is well known for its Product Development Structure. Even if you continue as R&D only, there will be massive changes to the internal structures.

Pros

The location is the only really great thing. It is because of the location that compensation is so low as compared to others in the industry.

Cons

Compensation will be less than most other semiconductor related companies and the atmosphere in not very friendly. Lay-offs are continually happening. Very few jobs in the area, if Semitool doesn't work out for you.

Advice to Senior Management

The employees are struggling at this company.

Pros

Provides decent wages for geographic area. Job satisfaction for technically oriented professionals or those willing to go above and beyond on a regular basis is adequate.

Cons

Repeated layoffs in lieu of temporary reduced profit margins, line workers disposable, excessive social structure within line and staff employees determines employee achievement and growth opportunity regardless of individual contributions.

Advice to Senior Management

If the business remains in Kalispell after the Applied Materials buyout, please consider adopting Applied's corporate policy; specifically standards of business conduct. New executive management should consider terminating existing Semitool operating doctrine as it relates to the "good old boys club" and dissolve internal social bonds within key manufacturing department heads. Consider hiring a world class machine shop general manager with the intent of operating as a self-sufficient business entity. Allow remaining Semitool employees a chance to keep the business in the Flathead Valley by immediately implementing or adopting modern ERP systems and hire qualified employees to run them (new hires with direct experience and education, if needed). Turn off existing legacy systems ERP. Using fact based/automated data collection (ERP), identify every cost down to the last nut, bolt and labor hour. Consolidate independent manufacturing departments/division operating doctrine into a unified corporate standard of business conduct. Evaluate true costs and adjust organization for most effective and efficient operations. Allow Kalispell the opportunity to build existing Applied hardware. The savings might keep the business and jobs in our community and abroad while showing Applied the value of a Flathead Valley base of operations.

Pros

Flathead Valley and a good deal of opportunities for someone talented

Cons

General low pay of the area

Advice to Senior Management

Less politicing from middle management and their divisions wouldn't hurt anything, but that's middle management in every company I've worked at