skilled laborer

tradesman

yard hand

laborer

journeyperson

Northgate Industries

I worked here for  over two years. The biggest issue was a complete lack of process and leadership straight from the top of the company. 

There were no clear systems for how work should be done. Expectations changed constantly, and decisions were often made reactively instead of strategically. You could be told one thing in the morning and something completely different by the afternoon. That created a lot of confusion and frustration.

The culture became toxic over time because there was no consistency. When problems happened, the focus was usually on blame instead of solutions. There was very little ownership from leadership, and the owner basically hires her friends and treats the business like a toy. 

The hardest part was watching good employees burn out. Without structure, strong performers ended up carrying the load for everyone else. Instead of being developed or supported, people were left to figure things out on their own.

If you thrive in chaos and don't mind not knowing what you're doing, you might survive here. But if you’re looking for mentorship, clear direction, and strong leadership, this probably isn’t the place.

For construction in general working there Monday to Friday at the same hours was nice. It's a large place with many other workers and you may find yourself in an area/department full-time doing something repetitive. That's to be expected in a factory setting eventually.

Lots of perks like boot truck discounts, benefits and reward programs.

As with any job you are likely to bump into a few bad eggs, and there are many employees you will interact with often and many more you will not. As above you may find yourself settled into an area due to experience or current needs and are generally required to do things a set way to reproduce previous results even if they are not always the ideal way.

All in all one of the better places I've worked for. There are shop wide meetings every Friday for workers to raise concerns or questions which is either opportune or daunting depending how you approach it.

What is the best part of working at the company?
New Opportunities for using Modular,  building in the factory and then bringing a design to life quickly and efficiently.  Very satisfying to help companies, communities, not for profit with an idea and bring it to reality to help people live and work in a comfortable and well designed building.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Sometimes the speed to market is difficult to adjust to.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Everyone working together to build something great so team work is what everyone strives for.  

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Lots of direct calls from clients who have worked with us in the past and putting together  a quote for a new used unit.  Prospecting, going to tradeshows, and walking clients through the production line.

I worked for Northgate Industries for 8 months on a temporary contract that could have possibly become permanent.  I worked well with the HR Management and Finance Team.  I would have loved to stay on had the position became permanent but it was to cover the balance of a maternity leave.  
I found the environment was very positive and most employees seem to be very happy.  As well they have several long-term employees which is always a good sign.
I found their hours 7-3:30 were great even though i am not a morning person i adapted and enjoyed getting off at 3:30 as this gives you an opportunity to grocery shop and prepare dinner.
If given the opportunity i would work for them again and would recommend as a good place to work.

Most people at Northgate are super friendly and great to work with. Like anywhere, there’s the occasional bad apple, but they usually don’t stick around long. One of the things I really appreciate is the work/life balance, you get your weekends off and finish at 3:30 p.m., which I really like.

If you’re new to the modular industry, learning everything that goes into building the trailers can be a bit overwhelming at first, but it starts to make sense with time. Upper management has really improved since I first started. My first boss lacked leadership, but the new boss does a great job and has a clear sense of direction when it comes to managing the business.

Overall, I think the company is on the right track and has a bright future as long as the right people stay in leadership roles.

The work isn't to difficult, the difficulty starts with the amount of people that work in the plant, it can be overwhelming trying to work effectively while crawling over other workers stuffed into a single unit and it's easy for someone to pass the blame. They also have these things called snitch tickets that allow anyone in the plant to make up negative things about other employees to get them fired without being able to defend themselves. 
The plant in Acheson is ran by father and sons so unless you are part of the brothers friend circle you'll be treated as second rate. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Northgate's core values, support for work life balance, great team members. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Position specific: tracking down info or waiting on information from external sources/contacts can make it hard to complete tasks in a timely matter.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Team oriented. There are many departments that rely on each other and we all work together to accomplish goals or tasks at hand.

Both the office staff and plant staff are two faced. Rumours without any truth circulate if you are not in the “clique” and you have an opinion, you will get let go. No back talk allowed. Work completed is shady and done by people who have no formal training or education. Unprofessional, un educated from the top to the supervisor level. Neither Human Resources or the president of the company care about the drama and the toxic environment as they’re both in on it. I would avoid this company at all costs

What is the best part of working at the company?
Leaving it behind most mismanaged and toxic place I have ever worked. Workers are to be seen and not heard. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The management turns a blind eye to serious issues and like to sweep things under the rug. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The employees are threatened they will be fired often and people are afraid to speak up. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Stressful. Bullying, violence and harassment are alive and well.

Its a good job for folks that are team players.

Company is restructuring and focused on long-term growth.

Overall, no complaints about the culture. There is a strong focus on safety from management, and it is reflected in the safety culture on the floor.  Upper management carries a message of "leaving your ego behind and focusing on building"  

Clients that tour the facility often comment on how well housekeeping is looked after, and how efficiently the crews are working.  


Top Job Titles	Average salary
Skilled laborer 2 salaries reported	$26.50 per hour
Tradesman 3 salaries reported	$27.50 per hour
Yard hand 2 salaries reported	$25.00 per hour
Laborer 3 salaries reported	$20.50 per hour
Journeyperson 4 salaries reported	$41.92 per hour

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