Executive Moves: S.C. Commerce, MARS and Roadrunner

South Carolina Department of Commerce names new director of international strategy and trade, while Midwest Association of Rail Shippers elects 2017 officers and Roadrunner Freight appoints senior vice president of sales and marketing.    The South Carolina Department of Commerce has named Amy G. Thomson director of the agency’s International Strategy and Trade Division. An 11-year veteran with S.C. Commerce, Thomson most recently served as director of the agency’s Existing Industry Program. She has also spent time as a senior international trade specialist with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service.

   The Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS) has elected its officers for 2017, including:
     • President: Michael Barth, vice president of transportation and logistics, United Sugars, Moorhead, Minn.;
     • First Vice President: Harry Zander, senior vice president, ECN Capital Rail Finance, Chicago;
     • Second Vice President: Tom Surma, manager of transportation services, CF Industries, Deerfield, Ill.;
     • And executive committee members: Steve Blinn, Norfolk Southern, Westchester, Ill.; Rob Cook, Bunge North America, St. Louis; Scott Lurkins, Anacostia Rail Holdings, Chicago; and Steve Kirk, Oakley Transport, Lockport, Ill.

   Roadrunner Freight, the less-than-truckload (LTL) subsidiary of Roadrunner Transportation Systems, has expanded its executive leadership team with the appointment of Frank Hurst as senior vice president of sales and marketing. Hurst, whose LTL experience includes 16 years with FedEx Freight, comes to Roadrunner from North American Corp., where he served as vice president and general manager.