First this is no my current employer but my previous with whom I worked 8 years. This was a “small” family owned company of 3 sites and roughly 400 employees. The business was chemical/mechanical purification of carbonaceous materials for a variety of different applications. Now most people have some idea of end market, sell to consumers, style products. But there is a whole secondary industry of consumables that companies spend millions (even billions) in to effectively and efficiently produce those products.
We dealt in this markets and played a niche role that gave use high value. Sadly most of the c-suite and owners didn't understand our technology or the advantages it gave us in the market. My degree and training as a chemical engineer awarded me with a unique view on this business. I had joined the company shortly after graduation and as time time grew so did a sense of ownership in the business. In all fairness I was granted the opportunity to learn anything I wanted about the company and beyond.
Flash forward to 5 years with sayd employer. I uproot my life for 5 months spending mon-fri 10 hours away from home in a different state working 65 hour weeks (plus travel) to commission, recruit (staff), and build from scratch a new lab for a brand new plants. Without getting into specifics I designed the layout, purchased equipment, wrote all flows and procedures, and taught a staff I vetted how to run this lab and qualify product. Note that this was literally during the time I bought my first house (a fixer upper) that I could only sleep in during the weekends.
Fast forward to 4 months after that initial visit where the lab is fully operational with staff, equipment, and process flow. It's 2021 and COVID has hit every business including my own, which now needs to downsize.
After getting my name on on plaque for commissioning this plant I am not demoted to an hourly supervisor position, even better reporting to someone with no technical education or understanding of what I do. Additionally I have 2 more engineers reporting to me for, on paper, less money. Is my loyalty truly rewarded with a complete slap in the face? Hell yah you better believe it?
Less then 4 months later after putting my resume our there I've got a new offer for 64% better then my current with 2x the retirement contribution.
Moral of the story; you're only worth as much as you value yourself. I knew my previous employer's CEO on a first name basis. I thought of him as a friend and respected colleague. He thought of me as another way to make him money.
Do what's best for you and your family. Your loyalty need only be to the ones you love and work for. Do only what is in your best interest, and fully know the value of your creativity. Anyone can do repetitive task, but invention, innovation, creation have a value that's far beyond your wildest dreams.