Meet all of the 2025 Top 40 Under 40 HVACR Professionals
Gray Hanson
Company: Rheem Manufacturing
Title: Commercial Regional Manager – Southeast Region, Air Conditioning Division
Age: 33
Gray Hanson found his calling in HVAC while earning a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida, thanks to a technical sales seminar class he took in order to gain exposure to different opportunities and areas.
“One of the presenters worked for an HVAC manufacturer, and technical sales in HVAC sounded like a great combination,” Hanson said. (Plus, he grew up in Florida, so a/c has always been an important part of life.) “I pursued an internship with that manufacturer and was eventually hired as a full-time employee after completing my internship.”
Today, Hanson serves as Rheem’s commercial regional manager, air conditioning division, for the southeast region. Since stepping into his position, he has led multiple regions to significant growth, culminating in his team receiving the 2024 award for Largest Growth Region by Revenue at Rheem Commercial Air. Prior to that, he was recognized on the contractor side as well, earning Top Service Salesman of Bernhard MCC in 2019.
A notable accomplishment of Hanson’s is his contribution to the continued growth, education, and recognition of Rheem Commercial Air products within the industry. With the help of his team, over the past five years, he’s helped add more than 250 engineering firms to Rheem’s list of firms that specify the company’s commercial air products as a basis of design or as approved equivalents.
As the HVAC industry continues to evolve, Hanson’s goals are future-focused: to be a trusted expert by engineers, contractors, and distributors regarding HVAC products. And to eventually “become an industry leader within HVAC as I gain more experience as a manager and team leader,” Hanson said.
Just as important to him is giving back: he hopes to serve as a mentor to others in the industry, whether they are already here or looking to join, helping to grow the next generation of HVAC professionals.