22 October 2025
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At Royal Ascot with, from left, Dean Kirby of Closewood Air Conditioning and Tony Marshall of Home and Industrial Heating Services
In the latest addition to our Women in ACR series, we meet Lynne Ford, a Sales and Applications Engineer working for distributor Kooltech in Fareham.
What was your first job?
My first job was at the ripe old age of 14 as a Saturday girl at a bakery. This involved interacting with customers, filling the shelves and cleaning the shop. If we were really good, we were allowed to take home any fresh cream cakes that were not sold on the day. I was extremely popular when I got home with the goodies!
My first proper job was in 1970 working for a bus company in the administration office. The position involved monitoring the mileage and fuel consumption of the vehicles and producing weekly reports showing vehicles that needed any work doing on them. I earned the grand total of £7 2 shillings and sixpence per week!
What does your current role involve?
I joined Kooltech six years ago as an Applications Engineer, which involves assisting customers with equipment selection. This can be quite diverse and could be as simple as designing a Twin Split system to a more complex Heat Recovery VRF system. Discussing the customers’ requirements with them is of paramount importance to ensure we have a clear understanding of what their expectations are. Sometimes you must ‘think outside the box’ if the application is a little unusual and come up with a system that fits the bill.
I now have a dual role, which involves looking after the core customers from the Fareham branch. This position encompasses a range of skill sets, including discussing potential project opportunities, offering viable solutions, generating comprehensive quotes with all necessary product information, and following up in a timely manner to ensure the products meet the customer's requirements. Once an order is placed, I ensure that everything is correct and that we meet delivery deadlines. If any issues arise, I keep the customer informed. Keeping customers updated on any equipment changes is also essential, especially if it may affect upcoming projects.
Corporate day at Royal Ascot with, from left, JB (aka Jonathan Brown) Commercial Director of Kooltech, Greg Harwood of Greengate Mechanical and Steve Warrington from Mitsubishi Electric
What attracted you to the industry?
I sort of fell into the industry. I was working in recruitment at the time and felt I had progressed as far as I could so was looking for a change. I had an interview with the marketing director of a company called Temperature Limited. They were looking for a marketing manager, I was offered the role and that was my first introduction to the HVAC industry. The role was to set up a small tele-sales team to increase the number of potential customers for the sales team. I also liaised with various magazines to promote the company and arranged a number of events during the time I was there. This gave me a unique insight into the HVAC industry, and I was hooked.
What excites/interests you about the industry?
The industry is constantly evolving to ensure it keeps up with the ever-changing requirements of the regulations that the government imposes. Manufacturers are always looking for unique ways of offering new products to their customers. This means you are always learning new things. “Every day’s a school day” in HVAC: it certainly keeps you on your toes. Who would have thought 30 years ago we would be offering heat pumps to heat water and an alternative for heating buildings, let alone it being one of the largest growing products in the industry today.
How would you like to see your career developing?
My career has been very eventful over the years. I have met and worked with many characters along the way, forging long-term relationships both business and personal. There are so many stories to be told I could probably write a book! Kooltech enabled me (with the help of some very experienced colleagues) to expand my career into designing air conditioning equipment, which was a challenge I relished and I will always be grateful to those people as they allowed me to achieve the perfect role for my last position in the industry.
What is the best piece of advice you were ever given?
Always be honest with yourself and the people around you and don’t change for anyone but yourself.
What do you see as the challenges facing the industry?
Making the industry more appealing to career-minded people and getting the right type of person to consider HVAC has been a challenge for many years. Young people do not see it as an industry where there is potential to grow, which is quite sad. Perhaps emphasising the unusual aspects of the industry and the achievements of young people already working in HVAC may go some way towards making it more appealing.
What would you say to other women considering coming into the industry?
Do it and do it now. I have worked in the industry for well over 35 years and if someone had said at the beginning that would be the case, I would have laughed at them. I have seen many changes during that time, one of which is how women are perceived in HVAC. We will always have to be on our game, and we will always need to give 110%, but once accepted the respect you receive is second to none.
Is there a little-known fact about yourself that would surprise other people?
I was a qualified football referee for about 10 years in the mid-late 80s, officiating at local grass roots matches from Under 10s right up to men’s football. When appointed for a match my name would never have Mrs, so you can imagine the reaction when I rocked up and introduced myself to the home manager. That said, the players were pretty well-behaved most of the time.
'With my son and his family, who are my world'
