laborer

inside sales

installer

outside sales representative

driller

Almita Piling Inc.

This company have all the potential of being Canada's top leader in helical screw piles, but unfortunately, they are not even close to what they vision or dream.  

Engineers are often pressured by Sales and perhaps Leadership Team into cutting design in order to win the job.  However, the engineering team consists of talented individuals, very competent, and friendly.  Engineers know their helical pile design inside out, what works, and what does not.  

Sales Managers/Account Managers are very friendly to work with, but again, they are under pressure to win, win, win.  Every potential project/bid is a GO, even if screw piles are not remotely favorable for the location.

A few projects executed were over budget, and poorly executed due to poor project management control, or lack of authority, and lack of understanding of the project scope of work and technical requirements.  Some of the PM have limited understanding and/or knowledge of the piling industry, let alone standard practices unique to the helical piling industry.  QA/QC has lots of green people who often lack the skills, management, and understanding of data collection requirements unique to the helical piling industry, but they are a bunch of over-worked staff.  Company lacks a PMIS, and a system for handling the vast amount of data collected during installation.  The data is electronically recorded, but there is no system in place to automate data evaluation, and presentation.  Lots of manual data inputs and manipulation as well.  Lots of re-work when piles are installed at wrong locations, or wrong pile installed at the correct location...hence, requiring more resources from engineering, project management, and QA/QC.  

The Ponoka shop is very impressive with start of the art machinery.  The company is full of humble, hard working, knowledgeable staff, especially in the Ponoka manufacturing facility.   

Learned a lot and will take skills/knowledge somewhere else.  Also, one of their former core values was "Got Your Back"....yeah right...got your back after they have laid-off so many workers.  If you plan of joining them, ask them what their turn over rate is.  There are other helical pile companies to consider before you join this one.

Screw piles are ideal for many applications within the oil and gas industry. They are rugged and easy to install, which makes them ideal for use in remote or congested locations. With a strong resistance to vibration or cyclic loading, screw piles can be placed under pump jacks and compressor stations or installed for pipeline buoyancy control

Management is going through ups and downs, the hardest part is keeping the right staff on board. Supervision require better understand on the roles they play as leader, The hardest part was having supervisor not care for safety, Always having to argue about safety, and not correcting deficiencies that needed attention right away. The Management system was very poor and not having a system makes any company look bad. Overall many companies go through challenging times and learn from the past and that’s what makes a company better. If you’re looking for to challenge yourself, this is the right company

The most enjoyable part was the people, great attitude that made the day go faster and enjoyable

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part about working with Almita is the people there such great people and help out where ever is needed. They take time to help each individual with there situations. We have a great supervisor and sr supervisor both great people and help wherever whenever. Were not just workers their were family and I consider Almita my 2nd home and family

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Not a stressful place unless you make it that way for yourself. We are a strong team and try to make it less stressful for every person. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It's a very easy outgoing factory everyone gets along were family. Over the past year we've been trying to change the culture in our shop for the good and has been a great work in progress.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Punch in at 645 bust my butt till 320 and out the door for 33o after a long nice hard days work with work family I love going home to my kids.

My experience with Almita was lacking to say the least, I was appointed to look after the installer network. This part I enjoyed and excelled in however there was very little support from my immediate supervisor. I basically taught myself and my manager kept me in the dark most of the time. He only wanted me to know so much. Just enough to get by. The Estimating Manager was my God Send. She was about the only good thing at Almita in terms of support and training. I'd say my manager was the worst manager I have ever had. To be honest I think he actually wanted me to fail which seems counter productive because if I was doing well it would have reflected positively for him. Either way after about 9 months I was let go without any reason and I've kept in touch with some of my installers and they were all surprised to hear that I was no longer able to help them. I've recently heard they aren't doing to well in that department. I chalked this up to my managers failure, not mine.

The approach of Almita is that you should be completely committed to your job and be available to work extra hours, even when you are not compensated for additional hours. This leads to a poor work/life balance. 

Benefits were good, salaries were okay but maybe a little below average. Lack of opportunity for advancement and little job security.

Often felt like just a number with the management. However, there are lots of great people who work for the company which often made it a positive place to work. However, being a small town, management tends to protect their own families and friends so there is a feeling that the company has favorites who are immune to staffing changes or the rules that other employees must follow. Some employees (and departments) were allowed to act like brutes or bullies toward others as a result of being among the company's "favorites." 

The company's management has a vision, but it often seemed too reactive instead of proactive.

In summary, this was not the worst job I have ever had, but wasn't the best either.

Working for a small company has many challenges but I learned that if you take the role for any company make sure you understand where the company’s Health and Safety program.
The best way I can describe Almita piling is small company facing lots of challenges. Requires more influence from the upper management to help identify where the problem is and take actions. I had a great run helping this company but the main area where it requires attention is supervision roles and making them understand the important of being a leader in a supervision role. The hardest part of the job was getting supervisors to complete the deficiency that were identified out in the field( Leadership training).

Overall I learned a lot through challenging times but if you’re looking for a company where you can challenge yourself, this company has the opportunity.

Almita Piling Inc.  June 2011 – May 2012 (1 year) Ponoka Alberta
Training Supervisor (Installation, Maintenance & Welding Departments)
•	Setup classroom training, orientation for new employees
•	Review Alberta Safety Codes with employees and supervisors.
•	Reviewed standards and procedures with employees
•	 Safe operating class and field training on various equipment, excavators, dozers, loaders, skid steer and highway tractors. 
•	Tracking apprenticeship programs for maintenance and welding departments. 
•	Schedule training for outsource courses with system experts.
•	 Review commercial highway drivers  National Safety Codes, Provincial Hours of Service, Federal Hours of Service, Cargo Securement, Commercial Vehicle Maintenance Regulations

Typical day at work is a 10 hour shift, start at 6:00am and finish at 4:30 pm for the mornings, and 4:30pm-3:00am for nights. In thoughs hours we, cut pipes/helixes for costemers,removed scrap from the plasma table,after we cut them in to managable size with the hand torch. Then we press and sharpen them with a hand plasma and prep the pile for the welder,prep them to be weld on eg. grinding away or buffing the piple/heixes so that there is no corosity in the weld. In the slow hours mostly on nights we would sweep if there was no work avaliable for us as a general labour.

The time i spent at Almita was only good when i was away on a job, and also with the right people. Most supervisors there were only worried about the job and not the well being of the workers or equipment. The communication at the company was way less than should be required at any company.  Equipment was not up to standards for the details of the job. Every job i every went on either broke down on site or didnt even make it out of the yard. Also most supervisors would put hours in that were untrue ( less hours than you actually worked).

Almita focuses strongly on their people!  The Leadership Team is collaborative and well aligned which provides purposeful direction to all employees.  Almita has been challenged by a drop in revenue in Alberta, but has maintained a positive culture as they work to recover.  Almita's diversification across geographic regions and in  a number of industries has provided security and stability in challenging times.  This will be a company to watch in the future as they continue to evolve, grow and move into new markets.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Laborer 13 salaries reported	$21.50 per hour
Inside sales 8 salaries reported	$59,500 per year
Installer 7 salaries reported	$33.50 per hour
Outside sales representative 6 salaries reported	$76,000 per year
Driller 3 salaries reported	$41.89 per hour

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