Meet all of the 2023 Top 40 Under 40 HVACR Professionals

Claire Munch

Company: Munch’s Supply
Title: President, Illinois and Indiana Business Unit
Age: 35

The floor-to-ceiling racks of HVAC parts at Munch’s Supply dwarfed Claire Munch as a toddler. Years later, she swept past those same racks, backpack bouncing, as she got off the school bus each day. As a college student, Claire stocked those very shelves while working the front counter at her family business. Today, the 35-year-old manages those racks — and much more — as president of Munch’s Supply.

“Working for the family business was not initially in my plan,” Munch said. “I wanted to pursue a career in psychology but needed a part-time job while I was attending college. I started at Munch’s Supply and fell in love with the industry.”

The company she manages today includes 1,200 employees at 17 locations. While she has a leadership position with the company, helping others reach their goals is the most satisfying part of Munch’s job.

“We have an amazing team and I’m proud that they chose Munch’s Supply, a company started by my great-grandfather, as the place to use their talents,” she said. “Promotions, new roles, and accomplishments are theirs to celebrate, but I find great joy in watching that development and transformation.”

Munch also has a bent for philanthropy. She is among a handful of leaders who raise their hands to go above and beyond in fundraising during Munch’s annual St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital campaign. The hospital’s mission to treat and cure pediatric cancer at no cost to families encompasses the very principles that she brings into her daily life.