Working at L & L Products — Reviews by Employees

I worked for L & L Products for over 10 years and chose to relocate to another state. Alot of the line employees constantly complained about everything. I now work in another career field and now realize how great the company was. The insurance was top of the line compared to what I have now. I have higher premiums, higher copay's and I can only go to certain doctors. Even when the profit sharing started to get lower and lower we were still getting paid (hourly) very well for the work we were doing. I now make alot less than even my lowest year at L & L Products. Yes, there were issues that alot of people did not like but I don't remember L & L Products calling me and asking if I wanted a job. I called them! At my current job we have never had meals provided by the employer, never had an open house, never a barbaque, I have to pay for my uniforms, there is no such thing as a cost of living raise. Even when profit sharing was really high people were still complaining. I have never had or will I ever receive a profit sharing check. Every thing is not perfect there but always remember, it could be alot worse. I miss L & L and I bet there are still many people who would give their left arm to work at L & L for just the hourly wage. For the years that I worked for L & L I was able to provide very well for my family. Other than the large auto companies we probably made more than any other factory in the state. I feel very blessed for the time I was employed by L & L, you should too!

The company itself is not bad. The management is what's broken. Every company I've ever worked at has had a health research and development department. It was the same at L&L until 2000. How is it that one individual can make so many bad decisions and still keep his job? R&D is the innovative lifeline of a company so new products should be made all the time. Not the same product repacked and sold as something new. The owners should really look into how their R&D department has fallen over the last ten years and ask themselves why is it so bad? Look to the top and see the poison that is slowly killing it. I really do wish everyone at L&L luck in these hard times but someone needs to finally wake up and clean out the dead weight at the top. Good luck.

Since when was it against the law to have the freedom to express your opinion on this site? You yourself made a posting on this site, does that mean you should be fired? I'm sure L&L is in no financial position these days to be in lawsuits for firing employees for postings or talking to the outside for that matter. It's too bad that a "Big Brother" watch out mentality would be an attempt to put fear into the employee's eyes. The only fear these days is being laid off into the most difficult job market in over 30 years. The controlling factor in the past when times were good was the 40%+ profit sharing checks which was like a rabbit being lead around with a carrot. L&L is a tight knit group which consists of friends, families, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles working there, just look at all the same last names in the phone book. It's too bad relatives/friends are the key qualification for unemployment too. I find it hard to believe that ones relative or friend is the most qualified for the job. How could any company improve their talent pool based on hiring relatives and friends? Eventually your competition will surpass you when they come out with more state of the art innovative products than your same old year in year out L&L products. I think L&L will eventually destroy itself internally by hiring friends/relatives and giving the customer the same thing over and over again. Would you like to buy a car or cell phone that never changes? I also believe there is some truth too from other posts that if you don't golf, bowl, hunt or hang out at the bar with the right people your first to go when it's time for layoffs. It's too bad these are the qualifications for maintaining a job and not your skill level, because many of the most talented people were let go because they lacked the buddy-buddy qualifications. I do believe that the owners of L&L are very thoughtful and generous people who truly care about each and everyone one of their employees, and it breaks their hearts to let people go in difficult times. During these difficult times, the owners need to become more observant as to what really goes on in each plant/department to really "Set the new Pace" so we can become "a good place for all who touch it" again.

I heard that they were rooting out the individuals posting on this site and firing them. That would also explain the sudden wild shift from bad company to good company. The phrase I heard was 'I thought we got rid of all the ones talking to the outside'. Big Brother, watch out.

Iceman, you are the one hiding behind a keyboard. You are hypocritical and immature. Why dont you prove who you are? I thought not. People come here to vent because it is anonymous. They have a legal right to voice their opinions without reprocussion just as they would anywhere in public. Now I guess you're thinking that your reply may state something about how you have a right to voice your own opinion and you do. Don't bother responding, I may come back in a few months and check it out and I may not. Either way I'm sure you'll be the same person hiding behind your keyboard throwing insults unless you try to say you're someone else to pin it on someone else. I've read all of your entries, you're a very weak person and I pity you.

Hopefully L&L Pulls through this horrible time. I will not return because I've moved on to bigger and better things. That's my opinion of course but I enjoy what I do now and hope everyone else can find something they enjoy as well. I've always listened to those with 20+ years talk about how things used to be and I wish I were part of that because you can see it in their eyes when they talk about it how much they miss it.

Pay great. Respect mostly if you're related to someone. Benefits were changing for the worse but were still good. Job security is gone. Work/life balance is good, they try to work with you. Career potential/Growth is NOT what others are saying about "you get what you make of it". Location is near m-53 at both locations so that's good. Co-workers are mostly nice but you have a few bad apples like anywhere else. Work environment was bad due to morale dropping.

Iceman...Dont take it personal. You and everyone else reading this knows you're just here to stir the pot, just like the being at work isn't it?

I haven't completed the ratings because I can think of circumstances/individuals... that could tip the scale to either extreme. I do have some strong opinions and feelings that might trouble me less if I were to "vent" especially if I were to place blame on someone specific but what good would that really do? Regardless of the order in which individuals lost their jobs the sales simply can't support everyone who earned and deserved the right to stay. That doesn't make it fair, is just means that regardless in the end it will be unfair. I'm an old fart so this is the third time I've been faced with this. The mental, emotional, and physical pain doesn't get any easier because you've been there before. This will challenge your sanity and your faith. I encourage you to focus on your faith, pray for your sanity, and verbalize your thoughts and feelings with whomever you are closest to. Let the anger go as soon as you can as well as trying to figure out how to right this wrong - you can't.
As for the one who hides behind the name iceman while accusing others of hiding behind a keyboard you need to get a clue. Job loss is as difficult as divorce or loosing a close family member. Do you realize how many people take their own lives because of this? How dare you mock them with your cold hearted sarcasm and belittling remarks. You are a sick individual! Care to refute that? My number is in the book - Ron VW

In my opinion, L&L Products is a very good place to work with good wages and benefits. For the average person career potential is a little iffy. The plants are kept very clean and most of the time too warm in the winter. I have never believed in any place or job being secure. In restructuring and the current layoffs I am sure they have tried to be fair to every person. Those people who were so unhappy with the company should have moved on before their attitude got so bad. I worked for a company I didn"t care for and moved on. As in anything, you get out of something what you put into it. Many people feel they are owed a living without giving of themselves. I'm sorry for the few who feel the company was bad, god bless you and help you in the future to find what you want.

L&L's biggest problem is incompetent management. The owners have been very good to their employee's and I think sincerly care about them. However, they didnt see that the president who was running the ship wasnt qualified to steer them through the upcoming difficult times. L&L should have diversified by now- but has been too fearful of taking risks like the founders took. They let go all the good people go who were doing execellent work to diversify the company. We need leaders with vision, passion, integrity, and who listen to the people and treat them with respect.

The new management team I think is better than the old but it still is not at the level we need to get through this mess.

I want to know why some people worked at L&L as long as they did if they were so miserable. Has anyone found a job yet comparable to our pay, health benefits, profit sharing, 401k, education foundation, dinners, parties, golf outings, free coffee, tea and hot chocolate because I sure can't. I'm going back to school just in hopes to get as close to our hourly wage that we had, let alone all the extras because I know that will never happen again. I really enjoyed my time there and made many friends. It is so sad that some of you think of this great company the way you do. It was not the company's fault that we got laid off. And I give the owners a lot of credit for still hanging in there and not selling because they definitely don't need the money but this is their family. I was not there back in the day when things were good but they sure weren't bad in the time that I was there. As far as being treated fairly from a female's perspective I was not treated any differently then the guys. And the cleanliness of the place was great considering all the black powders, pellets and other chemicals that went into making the materials. I hope that you eventually find what makes you happy in life because working there obviously wasn't it. I will go back in a heartbeat if we ever get the chance.

I am so shocked that there is such negativity about L & L. What is wrong with you people? The pay was great, the work environment clean. I got laid off but you know what, L & L hung in there as long as they could, by keeping their employees as long as they could. Laying people off for a month at a time. They did this for 2+ years. The economy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Come on people I can't believe you were or are so miserable there. L & L has done lots of wonderful things for a lot of people. Scholarship for our children and ourselves. Paid schooling for business related schooling. Dinners for the recently married, new babies, retires. Company picnics, L & L golf outings, The CHRISTMAS PARTIES!!!! If you are saying or have said bad things I hope you can't sleep at night. Remember what goes around comes around!