In my personal experience, working at PFG’s Midlands/Newberry, SC OPCO, formerly MerchantsFoodService, was extremely frustrating. From the start, I sensed the operation was poorly run, but I decided to try it as a way to change my situation and experience something new. Unfortunately, leadership was weak, disorganized, and unprofessional, leaving employees to navigate problems on their own. Operational issues—from transportation to product management—were widespread, and management rarely addressed them. Monthly out-of-town meetings were run poorly, covering repetitive material that did little to help the team or improve anything or anyone.
In my opinion, the culture heavily favored a few long-tenured employees who inherited large books of business through attrition rather than earning them through effort or skill. These individuals were often celebrated by leadership as “stars,” even though they rarely opened new accounts on their own. Meanwhile, management expected the rest of the team to generate new business, participate in sales blitzes, and complete other initiatives, yet they themselves never participated or provided meaningful support in the field. In my experience, this created a demoralizing environment where hard work and high performance by newer employees went unrecognized, while others were elevated solely because of attrition and personal connections.
In my experience, there was no meaningful career path or leadership development, and promotions were rarely based on skill or achievement, instead, personal connections seemed to drive advancement. Leadership often treated individual contributors as if they were somehow beneath them, which in my opinion was demoralizing and fostered a culture of disengagement.
