Local female welder proves anything is possible

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Weld like a girl. That’s the theme one 23-year-old woman is sharing in a male-dominated industry.

“I can show them I can do it just as good as they can,” welder Marissa Lengel said.

The Haney-Technical College graduate works at Central Moloney, Inc.’s site in Bay County. The Arkansas-based company focuses on transformers and component-part manufacturing.

Lengel’s superiors said they’re impressed with what she’s accomplished in just six months.

“Marissa as an employee is a direct correlation to Marrisa as a person,” Central Moloney, Inc. President and CEO Chris Hart said. “Conscientious, talented, she does her job. She wants to do more. She’s the reason why we looked at Northwest Florida.”

Lengel is the company’s first local female welder. She can already add the title “Quality Process Inspector” to her resume.

“The Quality Inspector just inspects and makes sure everybody is following standard procedures and quality is up to par,” Lengel said.

Hart said she’ll soon be overseeing the work of more than 200 employees.

“There are some positions where females are way more detail-oriented and way more driven to the attention and the small things that make us be successful,” Hart said. “She’s an example of that. Marissa does all of the little things and the big things very, very well.”

Lengel remains humble about her earned successes and opportunities.

“I feel pretty lucky to be one of the first people here,” she said. “It gives me a lot of opportunities to learn more processes than just welding.”

She has a message she wants to give to other aspiring young women about her profession.

“Don’t let a male-dominated career hold you back from doing what you want to do,” Lengel said.

The young welder said she doesn’t want to “stay under the hood” forever. Lengel is using this time to learn and grow as a young professional.

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