Pros
Cool technology with interesting challenges based on the industry we are working for (oil and gas drilling equipment). There were some really great people (less and less of them are left each day, it seems) who cared about what they were doing and wanted to help the company and the younger employees succeed.
Cons
After the death of the founder, new management was brought in and quickly changed the whole feel of the company. To be fair, some changes (even some that were hard to get used to) were certainly needed and perhaps long overdue. That said, there was a feeling that anything from the old days was somehow bad and needed to be done differently. New management had a vision for growth for the company, but added so many personnel in the corporate office, extensive management structures throughout the company, sales and marketing, HR, and HSE that the company had trouble dealing with the recent downturn in the oil and gas markets. Again being fair, some of this structure was long overdue, but the company feels more top heavy and much less efficient than it used to be. As is often the case, layoffs seem to hit the lower parts of the company hardest while protecting the majority of management for as long as possible. This time of growth and unfortunate downturn in the industry have been difficult, but I am hopeful that Applied Technologies (Scientific Drilling) some day will once again be a great place to work on the Central Coast.