Stowers Machinery recently announced a number of personnel changes in the company's management.

Mike Coward recently announced his retirement from Stowers Machinery after a career that spans more than 30 years associated with Caterpillar equipment. Following service in the Navy and his graduation from college, Coward entered Caterpillar's Management Training Program, working in commercial, industrial and truck engines. He was soon promoted to a field sales rep position and began his work with Cat dealers and customers. He joined Stowers in 1977. Named company vice-president in 1995, he has held the positions of used equipment sales manager, machine sales representative, Chattanooga Branch manager, and most recently, area vice president and manager of Stowers' Chattanooga rental facility.

Andy McCall will be assuming the position of branch manager of Stowers Rental & Supply facility in Chattanooga. McCall has considerable experience in the earth moving and construction equipment industry. After graduating from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, he joined a manufacturer of excavator and loader buckets in sales. For two years he sold construction and forestry equipment for a dealer in North Carolina. He moved across the country to Colorado and worked for the Caterpillar dealer there while attending law school at the University of Denver. Returning to his home area in 2002, he came to work at Stowers as salesman of compact construction equipment.

Bill Stanley has relocated to Stowers' Chattanooga facility from the company's Tri-Cities store as vice president and branch operations manager. In this capacity, he will work with the parts and service operations to deliver quality equipment backup to area customers. He joined Stowers in 1974 as a service technician. He has since held numerous positions in service and branch management and has served in Knoxville, Tri-Cites and Chattanooga.

Stowers is the dealer for the products of Caterpillar Inc. for the 38 counties of east Tennessee. The company operates seven locations in its marketing of heavy equipment, commercial engine, truck engine, and equipment rental operations. Headquarted in Knoxville, Stowers has branches in Chattanooga, Kingsport and Crossville.