Armo Tool

Once family owned and based on trade knowledge and hard work- has been squandered and turned into a soulless profit machine. New owner, management do not care about employees in the slightest. I have worked here for over 15 years and have seen nothing but a downward spiral in the last 5-7. New management and philosophy have destroyed a once great work place. Good honest skilled trades people have been replaced with non skilled cheaper labour, with many many jobs being out sourced to China to save a buck. The die building department has been hit the hardest. The new addition to the plant sits empty. New presses sit idle. There's a handful of skilled people left, with no work to do and yes another manager to manage the no work. 
Company takes government grants in one hand and cuts skilled workers and outsources work to china in the other. Moral is poor to say the least. You either work here because you don't care and won't question poor management decisions or you are at the end of your career collecting your paycheque or waiting for a buy out. If you are a new employee forget about advancing your career or moving up, management doesn't want anyone to think critically and the owners won't get involved (if you ever see them). Most of the management have taken advantage of the owners lack of trade knowlege and use the company to benefit themselves solely. When issues arise with projects (which is inevitable with the mismanagement) the blame shifts to the employees even when they have no say in how anything works in the shop. Want to seek out the help of the owner or to voice insight into improvements? Don't bother, it will fall on deaf ears and eventually force you out the door. The best policy in this place now is to do the bare minimum, go home and get paid. 
It truly is a sad that myself and others have had to watch this all happen and see a lot of honest people get fired or quit in such a short space of time. There are plenty of places in the industry looking for tradespeople right now, do yourself a favour and go elsewhere!

A typical day at work involved managing a mix of operational tasks, coordination with team members, and responding to day-to-day business needs as they arose. The role required adaptability, organization, and the ability to prioritize effectively in a fast-paced environment. Each day brought different challenges, which kept the work engaging and encouraged continuous problem-solving.

Through this experience, I learned a great deal about how a business operates at a practical level. I gained hands-on exposure to operations, customer interactions, and internal processes, and developed a stronger understanding of accountability, time management, and teamwork. I also learned the importance of clear communication and follow-through in keeping work moving efficiently.

Management was supportive and approachable, with a strong emphasis on trust and responsibility. Expectations were clear, and there was flexibility when needed, paired with accountability for results. Being able to work closely with management provided valuable insight into decision-making and business operations.

The workplace culture was collaborative and respectful. Team members were willing to help one another, and there was a strong sense of commitment to the success of the business. The environment encouraged learning, initiative, and taking ownership of responsibilities.

The hardest part of the job was balancing multiple priorities at once, especially during busy periods. However, this also helped me develop stronger organizational and problem-solving skills.

The most enjoyable part of the job was seeing the direct impact of my work and contributing to the success of the business. Being part of a team where effort and initiative were valued made the experience both rewarding and motivating.

I recommend that you write down each and every thing your interviewer states in the hiring process - get it signed
Make sure you know your responsibilities and you get your manager to sign on what he asks you to do
Make sure your manager has power to say things and approve them for you
Make sure if you are assigned a task you confirm 10 times before spending your days and nights on it - because any one from build team can come up and ask you to change the designs without any knowledge just because they are comfortable with old styles.
If you want to stay quite and keep rolling with how things go.. then sure go ahead join the toxic culture or else do not enter the company gates.

I found Armo tool to be an excellent place to work at. Everyday was different as the work was custom and you were encouraged to think out of the box to complete different tasks. The ability to manufacture parts for many departments made for personal challenges to be achieved. I am very grateful for the opportunity that I was allowed and it was by far the only manufacturing company that allowed you the freedom to come up with your own solutions to machining or shared ideas with collogues. 

Great company with a history of success, Staff is amazing, knowledgeable with extensive experience and if you ask the right person they are willing to share that knowledge.
Lots of changes in recent years, some positive some more challenging, but as any company with aspirations of expansion there can be some expected growing pains, mistakes are made, but that only means they are trying.
Culture of continuous improvement is important to stay competitive in an ever changing and challenging market

Company used to be a great place to work. Brought in 3rd party company to help. Also general manager. Both turned out to be bad moves. Too many changes. Not enough communication. Untouchable employees and managers that can do what they want and when they want with no consequences. 

Pay is at the low to medium range and need to increase. 

Morale is low and culture has bern stripped.

No micromanaging. Employees have the ability to think for themselves and make decisions on most jobs. Sometimes you need direction and guidance from Managers but everyone's really helpful. Can be stressful at times when things get busy. Flextime is also great for home life.

If you want the chance to learn and grow they'll help you. The more effort you put into your work and growth the better.

A day at work was busy with deep thought. I learned more about tool making because of the variety of different jobs. The management were very supportive. Everyone worked together, and helped one another, when needed. Hardest part of the job, was getting up in a morning. The most enjoyable part of the job, was the great atmosphere the place had.  

Like any other business based in the skilled trades, you will reap what you sow. If you are willing to be respectful and eager to learn, you can do great things at Armo with a very talented team!

Typically, I would be setting up and operating various CNC machines, both vertical and horizontal machining centres. Co-workers were awesome and it was a very team oriented environment. Editing of programs (Mastercam) was done on the fly.

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