Mathews High School alum Phillip Machen has been hired by fellow Mathews native Matt Muffelman to help grow Hudson USA, the largest rowing boat manufacturer in North America.

Both Machen and Muffelman were four-year letter winners for the Mathews rowing team, as well as competing internationally with Mobjack Rowing Association during summer, fall and winter.

Machen won the prestigious Stotesbury Championship Four and Muffelman is a U.S. National Team World Championship gold medalist; both of those races were won in a Hudson boat. Machen earned a full rowing scholarship to Florida Institute of Technology, where he excelled in academics and rowing.

He represented FIT in the Men’s 1st Varsity 8 all four years, winning several National Championships at the Dad Vail regatta in Philadelphia. Following graduation, he was hired by FIT’s head coach to be an assistant coach and boatman, after earning a scholarship to complete his master’s in mechanical engineering.

Machen spent one ...