Women in Manufacturing: A Story of Family, Growth, and Taking the Leap

There's a version of the Martin Trunnion Tables story that starts with the product — the engineering, the machining, the first IMTS show. But there's another version starting with a family deciding to bet on themselves, and Toni Martin is at the center of it.

From Living Room to Shop Floor

Before Martin Trunnion Tables was a business, Toni was a stay-at-home mom to four kids — a job she'll tell you was her favorite. When the youngest started school in 2006, she launched a tent rental company. When that chapter closed in 2009, she and her husband Stan turned their attention to something new: taking the trunnion to market.

"Stan and I did our first IMTS show in 2012. We didn't think twice — 'Let's do this,' and we did."

That willingness to jump in without a roadmap has defined her approach ever since.

Learning a New World

Manufacturing wasn’t something she had experience in before.

“It’s a whole different world and language.”

Like many entering the industry for the first time, there was a learning curve — not just technically, but culturally. “It isn’t easy working in such a male-dominated sector," she says.

Over time, that unfamiliar space became something she understood, contributed to, and helped grow.

Supporting the Process

Today, her role touches nearly every part of the operation.

From entering purchase orders and placing orders from BOMs, to tracking components through the shop and coordinating with outside vendors — and when it’s ready, she’s the one making sure it gets to the customer and invoiced properly. It's the critical kind of work that keeps everything else moving, and it's largely invisible until it isn't.

A Family Business in the Truest Sense

What lights Toni up most when she talks about Martin isn't the products or the growth — it's the people she's built it with.

“It’s been the joy of a lifetime.”

She worked side by side with her husband, Stan, and now works alongside her son, Michael, as he continues to grow and evolve the business.

“He’s taking the trunnions to another level. I’m just lucky to be along for the ride.”

Their daughter Samantha also stepped in during one of the most difficult times — helping when Stan was battling cancer ("I will be forever grateful for her help," Toni says simply) — and has since gone on to build her own career in manufacturing at Xometry.

Looking Back — and Forward

When she looks at where Martin is today, the pride comes down to one thing:

taking the leap.

“We trusted each other," Toni says of the early days at Martin Manufacturing.

Watching a product her family built from scratch grow into what Martin is today, she doesn't hesitate when asked what she's most proud of. "Michael coming on board has made me even prouder of the Martin Trunnion name and how far we have come."

A Message to Women Entering Manufacturing

Her advice is simple:

"I encourage women to look at manufacturing," she says. "It is so interesting. I've always taken an interest in how things are made — thank you, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."

What started as an unfamiliar world has become something she genuinely enjoys — especially seeing more women entering the field. More women at the table.

“I’ve noticed more women on the phone in recent years, and I think that’s great.”

She’s seen firsthand that there is a place for women in manufacturing — not just as participants, but as leaders, contributors, and builders of what comes next.