Facility & Company Information > Big Rock
Big Rock Point
Jill:
Hell if I were sane, I wouldn't be in this crazy business! ;)
Eightmile:
FWIW, Big Rock has its strong points and its weaknesses - but then I beg you to name a plant (or any work place) that doesn't!
Bartlett and Duratek hold the contracts. RP is split into two groups - RP Ops and BMR. For the most part, if you do your job like you're supposed to and keep a positive, friendly attitude, you'll find that the entire site is like one big happy family. There's only about 300-some-odd folks on site, so most everyone knows you by name, or at least well enough to nod and smile in passing. However, if you slack off, play the rumor-monger, pass the buck, whatever... well, word tends to get around.
Laborer contractors are BNFL/MOTA and PMC. BNFL/MOTA are currently working on activated concrete, etc., and - through a subcontract with Beirline - screenhouse demo, stack demo, and turbine/admin bldgs demo. PMC is mainly working on turbine bldg pipe/soil removal, and I think they're also involved with the screenhouse demo.
The temperature gets pretty chilly, although last winter wasn't TOO bad. Heating/Cooling was removed last spring, so they run portable heaters where they can. Still, it's a good idea to invest in a nice carhartt, and a nice pair of warm boots. Even with the cold and the snow (average snowfall per year being 6-10 feet) it can be very beautiful with the lake frozen over. Lots of skiing and snowmobiling all winter long. Summer is reserved for fudgies ;). Both Petoskey and Charlevoix have the quaint, small-tourist-town appeal, especially with Petoskey's gaslight district. Petoskey has a Wal-Mart, other places to shop besides tourist-oriented shops are mainly grocery stores, like Glen's and Carter's. Traverse City is 60-90 minutes away, depending on where you start from. Very easy drive, mostly 55mph all the way with vew stop lights. TC has a mall, Meijer, Best Buy, Red Lobster, Outback... all the nice stuff.
Basically, if you're looking for a fairly easy job, Big Rock is the place. The pay isn't great, but it's an almost guaranteed 40 hours, with alternating 4-day weekends, which is really nice. Management has it's own issues, as they always do, and every now and then they actually come up with a solution.
One thing to keep in mind is that both Duratek and Bartlett are asking for a 6-month comittment, and at least for BMR, there is no offer for a lay-off.
radrat:
I loved it there,
was my long term /temp second HP job.
everyone was very nice and yes they knew you by name. Had a great supervisor I think Tim vance was his name and the other was Georga I think, both great people. I knew it was going to be a bad winter there but when I was passed on the way to work by 3 snomobiles and was thinking to my self " that looks like fun, there lucky to have the time to do that" and pulled into the parking lot to see that the people on the snowmachines were there allready , thats just not right. I thing one of the best thing was the work scedule , I think it was 4 on 3 off then 5 on 2 off .
the summers there are great to lots of boats in petoski and lots to do.
if your an 18.1 looking to put in some time , its a great place to start.
Bernies:
Hi All:
Looking for anyone that helped start up and operate Big Rock and or Palisades Plants. Many should still be out there.
Eightmile:
Most of the work at Big Rock is just about over, but you never know, they may decide to bring in more folks.
BRP is close to downtown Charlevoix, which IMHO is mostly a big tourist trap in the summer months. Several bars here, including The Weathervane, the Townhouse and Whitney's Oyster Bar. A few miles further on is the Flight Deck, for those who prefer a more homey hole-in-the-wall atmosphere. Charlevoix tends to have many summer events, including craft shows and concerts.
Heading the other way from BRP, about 15 miles away, is Petoskey. Wal-Mart is in Petoskey, which is pretty much the only place to do "real" shopping, with the exception of Glen's or Olson's for groceries, or Kmart for other goods. Across from Walmart is Victories Casino. Downtown Petoskey has the Gaslight District, and the entire downtown is filled with more tourist-type shops. Pretty decent, but the aura of expense shrouds most of the stores. There's also a Salvation Army in Petoskey, for anyone looking for cheap furniture, etc. Pre- and post-tourist season are the best times to shop at the SA.
The closest mall is located in Traverse City, about an hour south of BRP. There's also a Meijer in Traverse, as well as a Sam's Club, Best Buy, Toy's R' Us, Wal-Mart, and several restaraunts such as Cracker Barrel and Outback.
Otherwise, the entire area seems filled with casinos and places to ski - it's all dependent on how far you want to travel. Maybe an hour and a half away is Mackinac Island (good for fudge and "historic" sightseeing) and the Mackinac Bridge, leading to the upper penninsula. There's plenty to do in the summer if you like water sports, but the summer is a little short for anyone who doesn't like winter. For those who love winter sports, there's also a lot of snowmobiling, etc.
Good place, but after 2 years I'm looking forward to heading back to the big city. This place seriously lacks a 24-hour restaraunt.
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