How this Wilmington woman is achieving in a male-dominated industry

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05-03-2025

International Women's Day will be observed on Saturday, March 8. The day is to acknowledge women's achievements in a variety of fields ― social, economic, cultural, and political. It's also meant to raise awareness of the progress made toward gender equality and the challenges women still face.
Breanna Baldwin, the only female precision machinist at Heraeus Quartz North America LLC, knows firsthand the challenges women face.
"My first machining job, the challenges were quickly brought to light as I realized not many people were open to the idea of a female machinist let alone someone in the LGBT community," Baldwin said.
Born and raised in Richlands, Virginia, prior to joining Heraeus in Wilmington, Baldwin's last machinist job was at an oil and gas company in West Virginia, where the weeks were long and exhausting. Being scheduled to work 72 hours a week and being the only female machinist also meant sharing a bathroom with the men.
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"However, my coworkers were very nice in making sure nobody was in there if I ever needed it, but it was still very uncomfortable," Baldwin said.
But being "the first" or "the only" is nothing new for Baldwin. She originally thought about pursuing art after graduating high school, but was unsure about career prospects.
When Baldwin was young, she had an interest in art because she had a creative side, whether it was drawing, sculpting or making something.
"I liked the ability to create something out of nothing. It was a rewarding feeling of accomplishment because I could say to myself, 'I did that' or 'I made that,'" Baldwin said.
Nearing the end of high school Baldwin can remember how defeated she felt not knowing what to pursue, because the only thing that interest her was art.
Baldwin's cousin Tanner, who has always been as close as a sibling and also a machinist, encouraged Baldwin to apply for the Precision Machining degree program offered at Southwestern Virginia Community College.
"I've always looked up to him and he's always looked out for me," said Baldwin.
Baldwin remembers Tanner telling her that since she was so passionate about art, he felt certain she would excel in the machining industry.
After Tanner showed Baldwin things he once made in college from taking the same program, "I felt certain this was the career for me," said Baldwin.
Despite being the only girl in that major, "My college experience was amazing, the professors and other students were very supportive," said Baldwin.
After a few months of hard work and dedication at her first job, Baldwin slowly earned the respect of a lot of her colleagues, which made it easier to transition to her next machining job.
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Baldwin and her fiancée wanted to be near the beach, so the couple started taking weekend trips along the coast. Every weekend the couple would travel to somewhere new with a machine shop nearby.
"Wilmington was actually just supposed to have been a passing by trip on our way to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, but something about this area felt like this is where we were supposed to be," Baldwin said.
Baldwin joined Heraeus Covantics in 2024 as a CNC Machinist.
She faced many challenges along the way, "but the Hereaus family has been such a blessing to our lives as well as the community of Wilmington," Baldwin said.
Chris Fuller, the senior production supervisor at Wilmington, is particularly appreciative that Heraeus hires people like Baldwin based on their skills and potential, not focused on gender.
'It allows us to find and hire top candidates, and it enables our team to be more productive and innovative," Fuller said. "When companies prioritize qualifications over gender, they dismantle industry stereotypes and support more women to enter fields like machining that have been traditionally male dominated.'
Baldwin said she adapted to being the only female in the machinist industry "by simply showing kindness and always having a positive attitude along with working hard and being dedicated to what she is passionate about."
Cheryl M. Whitaker covers community news for the StarNews. Reach her at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Breanna Baldwin, the only woman machinist at Heraeus in Wilmington, NC