Updates from Kubota, Weed Man: Green Industry Roll Call

Executive Leadership Moves at Kubota Tractor Corp.

Todd Stucke to lead Global Machinery Business and Customer Solutions Division for Kubota in Japan.Kubota Tractor CorporationKubota North America Corporation announced significant leadership changes following the Kubota Corporation (KBT) Board of Directors meeting held June 2025 in Osaka, Japan. Effective July 1, 2025, Todd Stucke will take on new responsibilities in Japan as Deputy General Manager of Farm and Industrial Machinery Consolidated Division and Deputy General Manager of the Customer Solutions Division at KBT. He will be succeeded as President of Kubota Tractor Corporation (KTC) by Alex Woods. Stucke will continue to maintain a connection with KTC as its Chairman, and he will continue in his role as Sr. Vice President of KNA and will participate on the KNA Executive Board.

In his new role, Stucke, the first appointed American President of KTC, will focus on global business operations for the machinery division and growth of Kubota’s global sales and product support strategy at KBT in Japan. Alex Woods, a 25-year veteran of Kubota, will succeed Stucke as President of KTC in addition to continuing to serve in his current role as head of Supply Chain Management of KNA.

Alex Woods, newly named President of Kubota Tractor Corporation in the U.S., effective July 1, 2025. Kubota Tractor Corporation“It has been an honor to lead the U.S. team, and this next step is an exciting opportunity to further enhance our global sales strategy,” said Stucke. “Working alongside my global colleagues, I remain deeply committed to expanding our sales and product support initiatives as we continue to drive the globalization of our business. I am fully confident in Alex Woods, who, as a 25-year Kubota veteran, will continue the tremendous momentum we’ve built together. In our new roles, I look forward to fostering even greater synergy between Japan and North America, advancing our shared commitment to outstanding service and sustained growth.”

With 35 years of industry experience in both equipment and agriculture, Stucke will continue to serve on the Board of Directors for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) where he previously served as Chairman in 2024, following roles as Vice Chair in 2023, Treasurer, and Ag Sector Board Chair in 2020.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to step into this new role and serve as President of KTC, and I will continue to be an advocate for our dealers which has been the cornerstone of my Kubota career since day one,” said Alex Woods, newly appointed President of KTC. “My driving force will be to empower our team and our dealer network to accelerate growth and deliver exceptional support to our customers across sales, service, and every link in our supply chain.”

Weed Man Appoints New Chief Marketing Officer

Weed Man appointed Laura Baker as the company’s new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).

“We are thrilled to welcome Laura to our executive team,” says Weed Man CEO Jennifer Lemcke. “Laura’s impressive background as a results-oriented leader in marketing brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Weed Man brand. She is an excellent addition to our team as we continue to drive growth and build momentum toward our vision of being a billion-dollar company.”

In her previous role as the CMO of Home Hardware Stores Limited, Baker displayed a strong track record of understanding customers and stakeholders to drive sustainable revenue growth.  Laura’s focus on brand loyalty and driving traffic to the 1,000+ locally owned stores was pivotal in driving the Scene+ partnership and revitalizing the BeautiTone paint private brand. Before joining Home Hardware, Laura was the Head of Marketing for Edward Jones Canada, the Sr. Vice President of Marketing at Sleep Country Canada, and led Digital Marketing at Tim Hortons.

About her new role with Weed Man, Baker said, “I am thrilled to join the Weed Man team. The brand is a leader in the market and I look forward to continuing to support homeowners with their lawn care needs.”

Within the past year, Weed Man has also appointed several Weed Man veterans into strategic leadership roles in the corporate team, including:

• Steve Russell as a Franchise Business Coach. Russell has been a member of the Weed Man network since 2000, serving as both a franchisee and sub franchisor. He now offers his support and expertise to franchise owners throughout the system as a dedicated business consultant.
• Phil Fogarty as a Franchise Business Coach and Head of Franchise Development. Like Russell, Fogarty joined Weed Man in 2000 as a franchisee and sub franchisor.  In addition to serving franchise owners as a dedicated business consultant, Fogarty spearheads the brand’s franchise development efforts, supporting prospective franchise owners. As a founding member of Project Evergreen and GreenCare for Troops, he is also a passionate, long-time advocate for the green industry.
• Brandon Sheppard as Head of Government Affairs and New Business Development. Sheppard has been involved with Weed Man as a franchise owner and sub franchisor since 2004. Sheppard owns and operates Weed Man franchises in Virginia, Maryland, Alabama, and Washington, D.C. He also serves on the Board of Directors at the National Association of Landscape Professionals. As the Head of Government Affairs, Sheppard spearheads efforts to identify, respond to, and pre-empt any regulatory and legislative developments that impact our industry in the US and Canada.