Morbark President James Shoemaker Jr. retired after 13 years with the company. He will continue as a consultant for the company, which was acquired by Stellex Capital Management in September. Shoemaker joined Morbark in 2003 as director of operations. He was soon promoted to vice president of operations and then was appointed president in 2011. He was honored with the 2016 John G. Thodis Michigan Manufacturer of the Year Award for Large Tier Companies by the Michigan Manufacturers Association. “What I’ll miss the most is the team members here at Morbark,” said Shoemaker. “I’ll miss the dealer personnel as well as the customers I’ve come to know well over the years. This is the most wholesome, hardworking, down-to-earth group of employees, distributors and customers I’ve ever met in my 50 years in manufacturing.”

Select Source, a distributor of chemical and specialty turf products, added Jud Hudnut to its sales team. Hudnut brings to the job 21 years of industry experience, including 16 as a golf course superintendent. He holds a bachelor’s in business administration

Aquascape expanded its marketing department with four new hires.

     Scott Rhodes was promoted to vice president of marketing. He previously served Aquascape as director of product marketing, starting in 2008. He has 27 of experience in marketing sales management and product development.

     Aveline Hauser was hired as director of marketing. Bringing 17 years of experience, Hauser previously served in brand management, strategic planning, digital marketing and similar roles.

     Julie Canning was added as marketing project manager. She previously worked as broadcast fulfillment manager for Feld Entertainment, where she assisted in the development of the firm’s project management software.

     Matt Augustine was promoted to product copywriter. He previously served as a customer care team lead and is knowledgable in the pond product market.