Pilot Chemical Company has announced the retirement of Rick Shook, vice president of research and development.
Shook, who spent his entire career in R&D, joined the company in December 1978 as a chemist. Over the years he served in roles including lab supervisor, lab manager, corporate technical manager and director of research.
As vice president of R&D, he was tasked with technology and innovation activities including new products and new process developments. His achievements include helping to develop Pilot’s Aristonate and Calfax product lines.
“When I started at Pilot, I was 25 years old with a brand-new master’s degree and a pregnant wife,” Shook said. “I was thrilled just to have a research job. I never dreamed it would last me 40 years, but the job has been continuously challenging and renewing, with something new always coming down the pike.”
