Bush Brothers and Company

Bush Brothers and Company is a family-owned corporation based in Knoxville, Tennessee, best known for its baked beans and more than forty other related products. It operates plants in Augusta, Wisconsin, and Chestnut Hill, Tennessee.

History

Bush cannery, Chestnut Hill, Tennessee

The company was founded in 1908 by A.J. (Andrew Jackson) Bush, along with his oldest sons Fred and Claude, as a tomato cannery. The company was incorporated in 1922 and expanded quickly by adding three packing plants. It prospered until 1943, when it faced a setback by the Tennessee Valley Authority, who seized the company's major plant by eminent domain, and flooded all the Bush farmland. One year later, the company purchased the Arkansas-based Blytheville Canning Company.

Recent years

Bush Visitor Center, Chestnut Hill, Tennessee

Over the years, the company has slowly expanded, finally reaching nationwide distribution in 1993 and Bush's products have become the nation's top selling baked bean brand.^{[citation needed]} "Bush's Original Baked Beans" is based on a secret family recipe that the company guards closely. The company's recognizable advertisements feature company spokesman Jay Bush and his Golden Retriever named Duke, who frequently offers to sell the secret family recipe. Jay Bush is the great grandson of founder A.J. Bush, as are brothers Kristian Bush of the country music group Sugarland and Brandon Bush who is the touring keyboardist for Sugarland.

External links

• Official Site