Pros
Having worked for several other large, fortune 500 companies I really appreciate the feel of a smaller company like Clement Pappas. Whereas before I was just another cog in a giant wheel, here you feel like a valued member of the team. The new CEO is really focused on making Clement Pappas a great place to work and has implemented various employee-centric initiatives, which are already paying off. Not only are they doing small things (like pizza lunches and changing the dress code to be jeans-friendly) but they are doing big things too. They are rewarding and recognizing strong employees and really increasing the opportunities for advancement through internal promotions and newly created positions. They are soliciting employee feedback and suggestions (and acting on it!). They are establishing a training program to give every employee access to developmental workshops and webinars. They provide tuition reimbursement, 401K match, paid maternity leave, etc. They continue to hold employee events like an annual company picnic, a holiday party, Superbowl tailgate lunch, etc. The communication between employees and management has improved significantly as well. When the Clement Pappas was private, the company strategy and overall objectives were unknown to the average employee. Now everyone in the company knows what's going on in the business, what the company goals are for the year, and how we are performing against them. In my opinion, that level of visibility gives an employee a better understanding of what they are working towards and makes you feel more connected to the business. The culture is definitely changing, but in a good way.
Cons
As in many companies, there is still a degree of departmental "thinking in silos" in certain groups. I believe it's up to the individual employee to build those cross-functional relationships and encourage more collaboration.