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In control of the motion Parker Hannifin makes the industrial world stop and go. The company is the nation's largest manufacturer of motion control products such as sealants and hoses, and makes parts crucial to the manufacturing of everything from automobiles to military jets to compact discs. For example, John Deere tractors use Parker hydraulics (equipment that controls power with the use of liquid motion) in its farm equipment; Boeing uses Parker's hydraulic and mechanical flight control systems. Or the company might be more recognizable as the force behind the sinking of the mighty Titanic in the Academy-award winning film, or powering the enormous waves George Clooney and Mark Whalburg battled with in 2000's The Perfect Storm. Parker Hannifin's more than 175 plants churn out more than 1000 products. The company has operations in over 35 countries. Engineer Arthur Parker founded the company in 1918 to make pneumatic brake boosters. The next year, however, Parker's truck slid off an icy road, destroying nearly all of his stock. He started again in 1924 with a pneumatic and hydraulics components business and was successful in developing relationships with automotive and aircraft companies. The company purchased cylinder maker Hannifin in 1957 and began to expand overseas. Since then, the company has been able to boost sales by carefully acquiring businesses in niche markets that mesh with its existing product lines. An acquiring machine In the past six years, Parker has acquired 46 companies, allowing it to broaden its product line and services. The company completed its two largest acquisitions in 2000, Commercial Intertech Corp. and Wynn's International Inc. With an additional $1 billion in sales, these two companies also make Parker an even greater supplier of hydraulics for mobile equipment, as well as seals and lubricants for automotive and heavy equipment. Another addition to the mobile hydraulics division was Gresen Hydraulics, formerly owned by Dana Corp., in early 2000. And in the world of e-commerce, Parker is also expecting to grow. MRO.com plans to provide the site that will allow Parker's distributors to partner with the manufacturer.
Parker-Hannifin's web site, located at www.parker.com, provides information on current job opportunities and training programs with the company. It also offers the opportunity to email resumes online for specific positions. Reports one insider: "They do a lot of recruiting on campuses in the Great Lakes area, as PH is headquartered in Cleveland." After this on-campus round, which consists of a "short informal interview," says one insider "the better candidates are offered a facility tour and group interviews by two to four people, including representatives from Human Resources, and people from their potential department." Another contact reports going through six interviews in three hours for his on-site interview. College graduates can be hired either directly into a division or into a general training program. Explains one insider: "After the training program, each person is assigned a division based on their areas of expertise and need at the time. Each group interviews and hires trainees separately." As for the training program, it can vary in length, generally from "six months to three years, depending on what field you are in." Says one former trainee: "Parker has an extremely developed training program. You will learn through doing." One contact provides some advice for those interviewing with a division: "Research their products. In a company like Parker, the divisions are autonomous and care lots about their products and know little about anyone else's."
The nice company Although some insiders report some cultural problems at Parker-Hannifan, most describe the company as a chummy place to work. For example, one insider describes Parker as "an old, established, conservative, political, and highly structured corporation," and another reports "some barriers between hourly manufacturing and salaried office workers." However, most report hunky-dory relations with their colleagues. Says one contact: "Communication is very open, and I really don't see much politics. The focus is on working hard and generating profit." Reports another: "I know pretty much everybody at my location and find the majority very pleasant and easy to get along with." Says yet another: "It's very people-sensitive for the size of the company." Autonomous facilities One insider reports that "the company is very decentralized, which means that responsibilities and decision-making occurs at the plant level," reports one insider. Says another: "Each location has a different feel to it. The divisions I have worked in have a great team spirit." Says another: "Parker's many business units can be quite autonomous for how some things are done, but can corporate structure and control is steadily increasing its influence over important common areas, such as information technology and personnel issues." Varied hours and dress Not surprisingly, work hours and dress vary from location to location. For example, while one contact reports that "dress at the plant is casual," another reports that "we are expected to wear traditional business attire Monday through Thursday, with business casual on Fridays." However, know that the company's headquarters has a "formal dress code" and that "while dress code varies from location to location, most are relatively casual as Park typically locates manufacturing facilities in smaller towns." Hours also vary, depending on location. Says one contact: "Manufacturing starts very early in the morning, between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., depending on the site." Good benefits Parker-Hannifin's size, insiders say, translates into "frequent promotion opportunities" and an "impressive benefit package." Says one insider: "Pay and benefits are very competitive for the market, and are reviewed regularly to ensure that they stay that way." Among Parker's benefits are a "savings fund matching program, matching educational donations for those who donate to their alma mater or other educational institutions, and continuing education reimbursement." Salaried employees enjoy a "profit-sharing program with annual payouts ranging from 2 to 12 percent of salary." One middle manager reports receiving a $9000 profit-sharing bonus in a recent year. Employees can also take advantage of a "computer purchase plan."
Daniel T. Garey Human Resources
Fuel systems;Hoses and valves;Filtration systems;Fluid connectors;Seals;Cylinders;Aerospace;Climate and Industrial controls
Applied Power;Cascade Corporation;ITT Industries;Roper Industries;TSI More Company Profiles For more career information, go to Vault.com ©2000, Vault.com Inc
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