TL;DR
Suzanne Morrison, an installation manager with Ace Hardware Home Services, was named an Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News 2026 Top Woman in HVACR. In an interview with Hardware Retailing, she described her progression from office assistant to manager and said visibility, mentorship and clear advancement paths can help women build careers in the trades.
Suzanne Morrison, an installation manager with Ace Hardware Home Services, was named an Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News 2026 Top Woman in HVACR. In an interview with Hardware Retailing, she discussed how she moved from office assistant work into management and the opportunities and barriers women encounter across the home improvement trades.
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Morrison told Hardware Retailing that she entered the industry while seeking work as her children got older and started school, rather than with a plan to become a manager. Her early duties included filing, inventory tracking, customer follow-up and inspection coordination. As the company expanded, she took on additional responsibilities and moved into an installation coordinator role, working more directly with customers, installers and leadership.
She said that experience helped her contribute to company processes and the customer experience before eventually becoming an installation manager. Morrison described saying yes to opportunities, staying curious and continuing to learn as factors in her progression. She also said that gaining responsibility brought doubts about whether she was ready; preparation, questions and experience helped her build confidence.
The interview covers both leadership and the range of jobs available in HVAC. Morrison said careers can include operations, project management, sales, technology, administration and finance, as well as field work. She also described mentorship, education and visible examples of women succeeding in the industry as ways to help more people understand those paths.
Making More HVAC Careers Visible
Morrison’s account offers a specific example of how a career in the trades can develop through roles that are not limited to hands-on installation. Her path from administrative tasks to coordinating installations and managing them shows how operational knowledge and customer-facing experience can lead to leadership responsibilities.
Her remarks also point to an access issue: if prospective workers associate HVAC only with field jobs, they may miss other ways to enter and advance in the industry. Morrison said some women also have to establish their credibility before their knowledge and contributions are recognized. Her comments are a personal account, not industry-wide data, but they identify workplace practices employers can examine: fair access to development, mentorship, clear promotion paths and a culture that evaluates people on their work.
For retailers and home services companies, developing and retaining talent matters to their ability to staff operations and serve customers. Morrison’s recognition brings attention to one employee’s career and to the wider question of how employers can make trade careers visible and advancement achievable.
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From Office Support to Installation Management
According to the Hardware Retailing interview, Morrison initially helped with office work and did not expect to build a long-term HVAC career. As she learned more about the industry, she became interested in solving problems and working with customers and employees. The company’s growth created opportunities to take on more responsibility.
Morrison said she has seen more women’s visibility and support networks over the past decade, including more conversations about recruiting and developing women. She characterized HVAC as still predominantly male while saying women are making a positive impact and entering leadership roles. The source provides her observations, but does not give workforce figures or a measured timeline for changes across the industry.
“One of the biggest barriers is still perception.”
— Suzanne Morrison, speaking to Hardware Retailing
What the Interview Does Not Measure
The source does not provide the date the award was announced, the selection process, the number of honorees, or information about other recipients. It also does not include workforce statistics to quantify women’s representation in HVAC or track changes Morrison describes. Her account of barriers and progress is attributed to her; it should not be read as a statistical assessment of every company or worker in the sector.
The supplied interview text ends before Morrison’s full response to what the recognition means to her personally and professionally. No additional remarks about that response, company programs or award-related events are available in the material provided.
Recognition and Career Pathways
The immediate development is Morrison’s inclusion among ACHR News’ 2026 Top Women in HVACR. The source material does not identify an upcoming ceremony, follow-up announcement or specific company initiative tied to the recognition.
For readers interested in how the industry may respond to the issues Morrison raised, the next concrete developments to watch would be employer programs, mentorship opportunities and publicly described advancement pathways. The interview itself does not confirm that any new policies or programs have been adopted.
Key Questions
Who is Suzanne Morrison?
Suzanne Morrison is an installation manager with Ace Hardware Home Services. She was named an ACHR News 2026 Top Woman in HVACR.
How did Morrison advance into management?
She told Hardware Retailing that she started with office duties, including inventory tracking and customer follow-up, then moved into installation coordination as the company grew before becoming an installation manager.
What barriers for women in HVAC did she describe?
Morrison cited limited awareness of the range of trade careers and situations in which women may need to establish their credibility. She said mentorship, education and visible examples of women in the industry can help address those barriers.
What changes did Morrison recommend for employers?
She recommended equal development opportunities, mentorship, clear advancement paths and open communication. She said employees should be judged by their performance, character and contributions rather than stereotypes.
Source: hardwareretailing.com
