Snow Peak Reviews

All of the incredible potential the company has is continuously squandered by the incompetent and unproductive “leadership.” Upper management is totally disconnected from the business, yet holds the keys to the kingdom; managers aren’t allowed to lead their business unit, as they get constantly overruled by senior leadership, and the expertise and abilities of managers aren’t leveraged at all. Overtime, the US branch has lost its autonomy and we are basically being asked to replicate the approach taken by the parent branch (in Japan) in the NA marketplace. Being a Japanese company, the management and culture is wrought with prejudice; no matter how strong one’s performance or contribution is, unless you’re a man or Japanese, you won’t be allowed to be successful. In May of 2023, the company performed their first “work force reduction”, and the direction from the CEO in Japan to the US executives was to trim “15 percent of head count”, instead of targeting a reduction in salaries by a specific percentage or dollar amount. Underperforming and non critical employees were kept, and long-tenured and strong performing employees were trimmed; the former were Japanese or men (or both), the latter were largely female, BIPOC, and LGBTQ (or a combination of these three). In addition to this, the senior management just continues to make horrible business decision after horrible business decision.

Combine Japanese bureaucracy with the blandness of corporate America, you have Snow Peak. It is such a shame because they make amazing products but working for Snow Peak USA has been an exercise of futility. Superficial corporate culture mixed with the slow-changing corporate culture of Japan makes you feel like the world is passing you buy. If you have an ounce of creativity and grit, do not apply here because it will go to waste. I do not recommend working here unless you don't have any ambition in your 20's.