TL;DR
Suzanne Morrison, an installation manager with Ace Hardware Home Services, was named an ACHR News 2026 Top Woman in HVACR. In an interview with Hardware Retailing, she described her progression from office assistant to manager and called for mentorship, clear advancement paths and greater visibility for women in the trades.
Suzanne Morrison, an installation manager with Ace Hardware Home Services, has been named an ACHR News 2026 Top Woman in HVACR, according to an interview published by Hardware Retailing. Morrison used the interview to describe her path from office assistant to management and discuss how home-improvement and HVAC companies can help women enter the trades and advance.
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Morrison said she initially joined the industry while looking to return to work as her children grew older. Her first duties included filing, inventory tracking, customer follow-up and inspection coordination. As the company expanded, she took on more responsibility and moved into an installation coordinator role, working with customers, installers and company leadership.
That work helped prepare her for an installation manager position, she said. Morrison described learning about the industry, solving problems and improving the customer experience as factors that changed HVAC from a job into a longer-term career. She also credited curiosity, continued learning and accepting new responsibilities with helping her progress.
In the interview, Morrison said women’s visibility and support in HVAC have increased over the past decade, including more conversations about recruitment and development. She also said obstacles persist: some women are not exposed to the range of careers in the trades, and women may have to establish their credibility before their expertise is recognized. Her comments are her account of her experience, not an industry-wide measurement.
Building Visible Routes Into HVAC
Morrison’s recognition and career account draw attention to the range of roles in HVAC beyond field installation. She pointed to opportunities in operations, project management, sales, technology, administration, finance and leadership. Making those paths visible may matter to people who have not considered the trades because they associate the sector with only hands-on field work.
Her account also connects recruitment with retention and promotion. Morrison said employers can support growth through mentorship, equal development opportunities and clear advancement pathways, alongside open communication and a culture that values contributions. Those are recommendations from Morrison; the source does not report whether particular programs have been adopted across the industry or measure their effects.
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From Office Support to Management
The Hardware Retailing interview focuses on Morrison’s experience in the independent home-improvement channel and her work at Ace Hardware Home Services. She said her career did not begin with a plan to enter leadership. Instead, the responsibilities she took on over time brought her closer to customers, installers and decision-making.
Morrison described the HVAC sector as still predominantly male, while saying she has seen more women in leadership and more support networks than when she began. She acknowledged that progress has not removed barriers, including assumptions about women’s knowledge and limited awareness of trade career options. The report provides her perspective but does not include workforce statistics or comparisons across companies.
“That’s when I started to see HVAC as a career rather than just a job.”
— Suzanne Morrison, speaking to Hardware Retailing
Industrywide Progress Remains Unmeasured
The source report does not provide workforce data, company-level policies or outcome measures showing how representation or advancement for women has changed across HVAC. Morrison’s observations are based on her experience and do not establish how common particular barriers or improvements are.
The supplied interview excerpt also ends as Morrison begins answering what the recognition means to her personally and professionally. It does not include her full response, nor does it specify the date of the award announcement or describe the selection process. Those details cannot be confirmed from the material provided.
Employers Set the Next Steps
Morrison pointed to mentorship, education, visible role models and clear development opportunities as ways companies can widen access and support advancement. The interview does not announce a new program or policy from Ace Hardware Home Services, ACHR News or another organization.
The immediate development is Morrison’s recognition as a 2026 Top Woman in HVACR and the publication of her account. Further information about the award, its selection criteria, or specific workplace initiatives was not included in the source material.
Key Questions
Who is Suzanne Morrison?
Suzanne Morrison is an installation manager with Ace Hardware Home Services. Hardware Retailing reported that she was named an ACHR News 2026 Top Woman in HVACR.
How did Morrison enter the HVAC industry?
She began as an office assistant, handling tasks such as inventory tracking, customer follow-up and inspection coordination. As the company grew, she took on more responsibility and became an installation coordinator before moving into management.
What barriers for women in HVAC did Morrison identify?
She cited limited exposure to the range of trade careers and situations where women must establish their credibility before their knowledge and contributions are recognized. These points reflect her reported experience; the interview did not include industrywide statistics.
What does Morrison say companies can do to support women?
She recommended mentorship, equal access to professional development, clear advancement paths and open communication. She also said employees should be evaluated on their performance and contributions rather than stereotypes.
Source: hardwareretailing.com
