This company makes and sells commodity products (mainly tires), and that said, there are DAMN few exciting innovations that generate significant new revenue any more. In fact, this company has never been able to surpass Goodyear or Michelin in market position in the US, and it looks like they never will. This makes the company aggressively look for margin on the cost side of the equation. This has made the company erode into a cheap, and I mean DIRT CHEAP company. EVERYTHING is cost-driven, from the software they buy down to the flimsy chairs and crappy tiny cubicles they cram you into, and not to mention the eroding salaries and benefits. The company regularly brings in consultants to create fancy new ways of eliminating those with tenure and benefits and replacing them with cheaper fresh college grads or off-shore replacement workers. Although company meetings stress participation and communication, your suggestions will NEVER result in anything more than lip service, and such meetings are far more geared toward the C-level executives using your feedback to learn ways to better manipulate you. Be prepared to move on shortly after settling in for this reason. The company also loves to play the "we are relocating" game every 3-5 years in order to get tax breaks for their residency (and are completely willing to move and refresh the entire staff if necessary every time they threaten it), so combined with the hiring/firing philosophy this is a place you'll need to look over your shoulder every month to see if you'll have a job next pay period regardless of your performance.
