Bush Brothers & Company

In 1904 A.J. Bush, founder of Bush's Bean partnered with the Stokely Brothers, located in Newport, TN, to open a tomato cannery.  The partnership was that  A.J. Bush would build a factory and Stokely would supply the equipment.  This was a huge success for Bush and in 1908 he bought out his partners and the Bush Brothers and Company began.  The company did well  and even during the rough times the country went through financially.  During the depression Bush canned more hominy and sauerkraut to keep the company going.  In 1934 they developed and canned Pork and Beans which became an inexpensive staple to the country.  During WWII Bush concentrated on the war efforts and after the war the first expansion was made by opening a canning plant in Blytheville, AR.
In 1946 A,J, and Sallie Bush passed away but two of their sons kept the company growing.  During the 50's a new line of canned green beans was developed which kept the plant operating all year long.  During the 60's the Showboat line was started featuring their own brand of Pork and Beans and canned Spaghetti.  The core of Bush Brothers & Company continued to be canning vegetables including green beans, spinach, southern peas, hominy & sauerkraut.  The company grew so much that they opened up production facilities in Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Louisiana and expanded their plants in Tennessee and Arkansas.
The biggest change for the company began in 1969 when Condon Bush (grandson to A.J. Bush) along with some fellow employees developed Bush's Baked Beans based on a secret family recipe.  This happened in Augusta, WI.  During the 70's & 80's Bush continued canning the vegetables  but it was the Baked Beans that really made the company grow, regionally.  In the 1990s Bush Brothers changed the whole focus of the company from a regional cannery to a national brand featuring Bush's Baked Beans and the great grandson of A.J. Bush, Jay Bush did the first national TV commercial in 1994 and in 1995 Duke was added to the commercial.  The new label and current branding of Bush's was created in 1998 and during this time created several different flavored baked beans.  In 2008 Bush developed the Grillin'  Beans line (our favorite) and opened up the Visitor Center in Chestnut Hill, TN across the street from the Bush's Baked Beans plant.  About 80% of canned baked beans consumed today is produced by Bush's.