Bush Brothers And Company
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Bush Brothers and Company is a family-owned corporation best known for its Bush's Best brand canned
baked beans Baked beans is a Dish (food), dish traditionally containing white Phaseolus vulgaris, common beans that are parboiling, parboiled and then baking, baked in sauce at low temperature for a lengthy period. Canned baked beans are not baked, but ar ...
. The company produces approximately 80 percent of the canned baked beans consumed in the United States, representing estimated annual sales in excess of $400 million and the processing of more than 55 million pounds of beans per year. In addition, the company also offers other canned beans (black, garbanzo, pinto, and refried), as well as peas, hominy, and cut green beans. Based in
Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...
, Bush Brothers operates plants in Augusta, Wisconsin, and Chestnut Hill, Tennessee. Its canned goods are sold through retail food outlets and food service operators throughout the United States and Canada.


History

In 1904, A.J. (Andrew Jackson) Bush entered a partnership with the Stokely family to open a
tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...
cannery Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container ( jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, although unde ...
in Chestnut Hill, Tennessee. His cannery proved so profitable that, by 1908, he was able to buy out the Stokelys' interest and establish his own independent business. He entered into partnership with his two oldest sons, Fred and Claude, and established Bush Brothers & Company.


Incorporation and expansion (1922–1935)

In 1922, A.J. Bush took out a $945 loan on his life insurance policy and used his bank line of credit to incorporate his business. Bush Brothers & Company was incorporated in June 1922, and Fred Bush, A.J.'s oldest son, was named president. (Fred was also a director of the
National Canners Association The Food Products Association (formerly the National Food Processors Association or NFPA) was the principal U.S. scientific and technical trade association representing the Food industry, food processing industry until 2007. FPA was headquartered ...
, the primary industry trade group for canning companies.) The company's canning operations originally began with laborious, manual processes, then expanded with steam-powered engines, and eventually evolved into electric-powered factory machinery. During the 1920s, Bush Brothers & Company began expanding its operations to include products other than tomatoes. The company constructed a small canning factory in
Clinton, Tennessee Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Anderson County, Tennessee. Clinton is included in the Knoxville metropolitan area. Its population was 10,056 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. History Early history Prehistoric Native A ...
, in 1923, and began canning both tomatoes and peaches in 1924. In 1928 the company expanded into corn and hominy, and leased the Smith Brothers & Company's Oak Grove corn processing plant just outside
Dandridge, Tennessee Dandridge is a town in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Tennessee. It had a population of 3,341 at the 2020 census. The town is part of the Morristown, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Jefferson and Hamblen co ...
. In 1930, Bush Brothers opened a new plant in
LaFollette, Tennessee LaFollette is a city in Campbell County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 7,456 at the 2010 census, with an estimated population in 2018 of 6,737. It is the principal city of the LaFollette, Tennessee micropolitan statistical area, ...
, where it processed blueberries in addition to tomatoes. As the company continued to grow, the original cannery in Chestnut Hill became insufficient to meet its needs. Bush Brothers constructed a new building nearby in 1929, which became the company's main canning facilities for many years. In 1933, Bush Brothers began offering
pork and beans Pork and beans is a culinary dish that uses pork and beans as its main ingredients. Numerous variations exist, usually with more specific names, such as '' fabada asturiana'', '' olla podrida'', or American canned pork and beans. American can ...
, canned under its Chestnut Hill label. The success of their product led to a contract with
Armour and Company Armour & Company was an American company and was one of the five leading firms in the meat packing industry. It was founded in Chicago, in 1863, by the Armour brothers led by Philip Danforth Armour. By 1880, the company had become Chicago's mos ...
and to a wide array of canned meats. The company also started up a canning line for Tony Dog and Cat Food, which it continued to sell until the 1980s. By 1935, Bush Brothers were seeing significant expansion and were highlighted in newspaper articles for canning ten million cans of vegetables a year, operating 2000 acres of company-owned farmland, and contracting with 500 farmers to supply vegetables.


Properties lost to Tennessee Valley Authority (1942–1948)

In 1942, the
Tennessee Valley Authority The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolin ...
(TVA) announced the closing of the
Douglas Dam Douglas Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the French Broad River in Sevier County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The dam is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which built the dam in record time in the early 1940s to mee ...
floodgates within the year. The end result would be the flooding of the
French Broad River The French Broad River is a river in the U.S. states of North Carolina and Tennessee. It flows from near the town of Rosman, North Carolina, Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into Tennessee, where its confluence with the Holston R ...
bottom, where Bush Brothers had a number of farms. After several months of negotiation, Bush Brothers & Company agreed to sell seven prime tracts of their farmland to the TVA, as well as the Oak Grove Canning Plant. In October 1944, Bush Brothers attempted to offset some of their farmland loss by purchasing the Blytheville Canning Company in
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
. However, the plant was in bad shape and struggled during its first four years of Bush ownership. Claude Bush moved to Arkansas in 1948 to oversee the facilities and eventually managed to turn it into a profitable business.


Expansion and change (1946–1965)

Following A.J. Bush's death in 1946, Bush Brothers & Company made the move from private label to branded presence. They began offering their goods under the newly developed Bush's Best logo and label. With the advents of
supermarket A supermarket is a self-service Retail#Types of outlets, shop offering a wide variety of food, Drink, beverages and Household goods, household products, organized into sections. Strictly speaking, a supermarket is larger and has a wider selecti ...
s and television advertising, the 1950s proved very profitable for the company. During this time, they continued to offer a variety of canned vegetables, particularly green beans. They also began offering the dry bean products for which they would eventually become known. In 1952, the company introduced their Great Northern Beans with Plain Sauce. This was followed in 1953 by Mexican Style Beans in Chili Gravy. Claude Bush became president of the company in 1959, following the death of his older brother Fred. Bush Brothers & Company had amassed a substantial amount of cash and accounts receivable under Fred, and Claude felt the money would best be put to use expanding the company's business into new areas. The 1960s saw the purchase of several canning plants, including Shiocton Kraut Company ( Shiocton, Wisconsin), Hyde Park Canning Company (
Muskogee, Oklahoma Muskogee () is the 13th-largest city in Oklahoma and is the county seat of Muskogee County, Oklahoma, Muskogee County. Home to Bacone College, it lies approximately southeast of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tulsa. The population of the city was 36,878 as of ...
), an unused canning plant in Augusta, Wisconsin, and Valley Canning Sweet Potato plants in Ville Platte and Cecilia, Louisiana. Bush Brothers & Company also created its own truck line, Tennessee Truck Lines, in 1962. In 1965, Claude became chairman of the board, and brother-in-law C.J. Ethier succeeded him as President.


Bush's Best Baked Beans (1969–1978)

The year 1969 proved to be a tough one for the canning industry due to overproduction and low prices. As the family stockholders considered their options and discussed strategies for riding out the tough times ahead, Claude's son Condon Bush hit on the idea of offering a new product that would appeal to a wide audience as well as keep his Augusta plant busy during the off season. Inspired by the company's earlier success with pork and beans, Condon decided to develop a baked bean product based on his mother Kathleen's secret recipe. The experiment proved far more successful than the Bush family had ever imagined. Sales of Bush's Best Baked Beans went from ten thousand cases in 1969 to a hundred thousand in 1970, eventually hitting close to a million cases in 1971. Baked beans became a very popular dish during the
United States Bicentennial The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic. It was a central event in the memo ...
, and so Bush Brothers decided to devote all of their resources to Bush's Best Baked Beans sales. Their campaign was a success, with sales increasing by 173% in 1976, and an additional 34% in 1977. In 1978, Claude stepped down as chairman of the board, and C.J. Ethier replaced him. Condon was elected as the new president of Bush Brothers & Company.


Acquisition of Dubon (1979–1993)

In 1979, Bush Brothers acquired the Dubon brand of canned foods when that company was sold, following bankruptcy. Canned vegetables, such as carrots, peas, and beets are sold primarily in the Louisiana and New Orleans areas as a regional brand. Throughout the 1980s, Bush Brothers continued to make its transition to a branded producer of table-ready products. However, the shift was slow and fraught with tension as the family had trouble agreeing on the best course of action. After the death of C.J. Ethier in 1989 and Claude Bush in 1990, Jim Ethier (C.J.'s son) convinced Condon (president and CEO) and Allen Bush (vice president of sales) to consult with Dr. Leon Danco of the Center for Family Business. Under Dr. Danco's guidance, Bush Brothers & Company reorganized its board of directors to include members from outside the family and the company. The restructured Board included Jay Carr (
The Hershey Company The Hershey Company, often called just Hershey or Hershey's, is an American multinational corporation, multinational confectionery company headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which is also home to Hersheypark and Hershey's Chocolate World. T ...
), Bob Johnston (
Gerber Products Company Gerber Products Company is an American purveyor of baby food and baby products headquartered in Fremont, Michigan. Gerber Products Company is a subsidiary of Nestlé. Other Gerber products include breastfeeding pumps and other supplies, baby bott ...
), Bill Trubeck (
White & Case White & Case LLP is a global white-shoe law firm based in New York City. Founded in 1901, the firm has 46 offices in 31 countries worldwide. History The firm was founded on May 1, 1901, when two Wall Street lawyers, Justin DuPratt White, 31, a ...
), and Clay Mathile ( The Iams Company). With the new board in place, the company turned to the task of hiring professional sales managers. Office space in Chestnut Hill was filled to capacity, and the prospect of recruiting young, urban managers to such a rural location seemed unlikely. In 1991, Bush Brothers & Company moved its company headquarters to
Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...
. In 1992, Jim Ethier was elected president and COO of Bush Brothers & Company. Condon Bush moved to the position of CEO and chairman of the board.


Jay Bush (and Duke) (1993–present)

In 1993, Bush Brothers & Company hired a small advertising company in
Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, called Cole, Henderson, Drake (CHD) to develop a new advertising campaign for their line of baked beans. The new ad focused on the " secret family recipe", and introduced Jay Bush (Condon's son) as the company's spokesperson. The ad performed well in test markets in 1993, and was released nationally in May 1994. In the summer 1995, a new ad paired Jay up with a mischievous, talking golden retriever named Duke. Modeled after Bush's real-life pet golden retriever of the same name at the time (the dog itself experienced stage fright and was not properly camera-trained), the campaign was created by CHD copywriter David Garzotto and was a huge hit for Bush Brothers, who saw a dramatic spike in baked bean sales. The popularity of the company's baked beans can be directly attributed to the success of the Jay Bush and Duke commercials; as well as its catchphrase "Roll that beautiful bean footage!" to market their products, which are made according to the secret family recipe with specially cured
bacon Bacon is a type of Curing (food preservation), salt-cured pork made from various cuts of meat, cuts, typically the pork belly, belly or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish (particularly in breakfasts), used as a central in ...
,
brown sugar Brown sugar is a sucrose sugar product with a distinctive brown color due to the presence of molasses. It is either an unrefined or partially refined soft sugar consisting of sugar crystals with some residual molasses content or produced by t ...
, and a secret blend of spices. All the while, Jay is able to keep Duke from selling the secret family recipe, another running gag in the ads. As a result of the ad campaign, the duo became celebrities, and sales of the company's beans increased from a 48% national market share to 80%. The popularity of the commercial inspired the company to publish a children's book, ''Duke Finds a Home'', published in 2006. In 2012, comedian
Julie Klausner Julie Klausner is an American writer, comedian, actress, and podcaster. She is best known for creating, writing, and starring in the Hulu sitcom '' Difficult People'' (2015–2017), which also starred comedian Billy Eichner. Early life Klaus ...
tweeted a suggestion that Bush Brothers offer a poetry contest, allowing the winner to pet Duke, who she had seen in a television commercial. The request was reiterated by numerous individuals on various social media sites and inspired an informal
online petition An online petition (or Internet petition, or e-petition) is a form of petition which is signed online, usually through a form on a website. Visitors to the online petition sign the petition by adding their details such as name and email address. T ...
to the company. On June 27, 2018, Sam, one of the dogs who played Duke on screen, was put to sleep after being diagnosed with cancer. The role had already been recast several years before his death.


Recent years

The new Bush Visitor Center is an expansion from founder A.J. Bush's original General Store in Chestnut Hill, Tennessee, and includes a museum, retail shop and café. It also houses the guarded display of the "Bush's Secret Family Recipe" book. Bush's Racing sponsor the
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States. The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, ...
#47 Chevy Camaro of
JTG Daugherty Racing Hyak Motorsports is an American stock car racing team that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team fields the No. 47 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 full-time for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and has a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports. History The ...
team, formerly driven by
Bobby Labonte Robert Allen Labonte (born May 8, 1964) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver and current analyst for ''NASCAR on Fox''. He also currently competes part-time in the SMART Modified Tour, driving the No. 18L for Hermie Sa ...
, and now driven by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Bush Brothers and Company also sponsors the annual Bean and Bacon Days festival in Augusta, Wisconsin, where the company acquired the old Augusta canning factory in 1961. On ''
Oprah Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954) is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', broadcast from Chic ...
'', in 2009,
Kristian Bush Kristian Merrill Bush (born March 14, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Bush is one half of the country music duo Sugarland with Jennifer Nettles, and was a member of the folk rock duo Billy Pilgrim (band), Billy Pi ...
, great-grandson of A.J. Bush and half of the band
Sugarland Sugarland is an American country music duo founded in Atlanta, Georgia. The duo consists of singer-songwriters Jennifer Nettles (lead vocals) and Kristian Bush (vocals, guitar, mandolin). They were founded in 2002, when Kristen Hall (vocals, gu ...
, mentioned that he no longer liked beans because he grew up on them.


Brands

*Bush's *Bush's Best *Bush's Showboat Pork and Beans *Blue Lake Cut Green Beans *Tony Dog Food *Tony Dog and Cat Food *Dubon Premier


See also

*
List of food companies This is a list of food companies, current and past businesses involved in food production or processing. Africa * All Joy Foods * Bakers (bakery), Bakers * BOS Ice Tea * Cevital * Choppies * Clover Industries, Clover * Colcom Foods * Distel ...
*
Baked beans Baked beans is a Dish (food), dish traditionally containing white Phaseolus vulgaris, common beans that are parboiling, parboiled and then baking, baked in sauce at low temperature for a lengthy period. Canned baked beans are not baked, but ar ...
*
Beans A bean is the seed of some plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are often preserved through drying (a ''pulse''), but fresh beans are also sold. Dried beans are tradition ...
*
Canning Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container (jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, although under ...
* Diarrhea Planet; drummer Ian Bush is a member of the Bush family * List of American advertising characters *
List of mascots A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
*
National Canners Association The Food Products Association (formerly the National Food Processors Association or NFPA) was the principal U.S. scientific and technical trade association representing the Food industry, food processing industry until 2007. FPA was headquartered ...


References


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bush Brothers And Company Food product brands Food and drink companies of the United States Food manufacturers of the United States Food and drink companies based in Tennessee Canned food Trade secrets Companies based in Knoxville, Tennessee American companies established in 1908 Food and drink companies established in 1908 1908 establishments in Tennessee Baked beans Family-owned companies of the United States Privately held companies based in Tennessee