A.J. first canned tomatoes in his new cannery. They were grown locally and packed by hand. The cans were hand-soldered — one slow can at a time. In the early days they were taken by mule-drawn wagon to nearby Newport to be shipped. Over time plant machinery and processes were upgraded as steam-driven fillers and seamers replaced hand labor.

A.J. appointed brokers to sell the new company's products—in nearby Knoxville, Asheville and Greenville, South Carolina. By the late teens, A.J.'s ten-year-old canning venture was prosperous and growing.

World War I had a significant impact on Bush Brothers. Government need for food staples created a market for all that the company could produce. Fully 85% of its canned tomatoes were set aside for the war effort and the company ran non-stop—except for Sundays. But with the end of the war the tomato market collapsed. Many smaller canneries went out of business. Bush Brothers struggled as well.

In 1922, A.J. incorporated the business. He turned the management over to his sons and concentrated his attention on the General Store.

The company expanded its production to include items other than tomatoes. It started canning blackberries and green beans. Its Chestnut Hill, English Mountain, Clinch River and Clinton labels were sold in stores throughout the region. By the end of the 1920s Bush Brothers & Company was distributing a large variety of items in markets across the Southeast.

The Great Depression of the 1930s challenged Bush Brothers as the company sought ways to produce economical products in a difficult financial climate. Sauerkraut was one Depression era staple that could be produced cheaply and sold well. Another was hominy.

The company also developed Pork and Beans and Tony Dog Food in the early 1930s. Both would be important products for Bush Brothers for the next 60 years. By mid-decade the company was canning soups, spaghetti, corn and a wide variety of other items under its Bush's Best label.

As the war approached Bush Brothers increased production to meet war-time needs. However, the creation of Douglas Lake in response to the country's need for power flooded prime company farmlands as well as its Oak Grove plant and challenged the company's production efforts. And in 1946, the deaths of A. J. and Sally Bush dealt an additional emotional blow.

Company Directors evaluated the business situation and, in 1947, set out on a new course. They decided that Bush Brothers would sell under its Bush's BEST brand. The "Double B" logo that would become a familiar Southeastern icon for the next 50 years was created. A new office building was constructed and the company embarked on a creative period of new product experimentation and development.

The company's new Blytheville facility became a hub of development activity as the company began to experiment with dry bean products, particularly Blackeye Peas and other Southern Pea items. It also introduced the Showboat label, which became another well-known regional brand. Fiscally conservative, by the end of the decade the company was prosperous and growing rapidly in its markets.

The 1960s were a period of rapid geographical expansion of the company's production capabilities. Plants were bought in Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Louisiana. Bush Brothers even started its own trucking company! And as it increasingly looked to dry beans as a viable addition to its green beans and other fresh pack items, the company encouraged farmers in Minnesota and the Dakotas to grow more dry beans.

In 1969, the company introduced a small experimental item, created under duress, to better utilize its Augusta facility. Bush's BEST Baked Beans would become the company's flagship product, though it wasn't apparent at this time. But the way to the future was increasingly apparent, and that direction lay in developing new kinds of products.

The 1980s were difficult years for canners across the nation. Inflation was an issue. Regulatory requirements posed challenges. And food companies we starting to become seen as financial commodities by the nation's financial brokers. Bush Brothers pushed on and continued development of new product directions.

It created a Deluxe version of its popular Pork and Beans as well as two new flavors in its growing Baked Beans business—Baked Beans with Onions and Deluxe Vegetarian Beans. The company also created an enhanced version of its popular sauerkraut, sweeter, and with the addition of caraway seed.

Perhaps the most significant event of the decade was its increasing focus on producing food items that were "table-ready."

Bush Brothers literally re-invented itself in the 1990s. It transitioned from a small regional vegetable cannery to a consumer-focused marketer of bean-based products. "Roll that beautiful bean footage" became a national slogan as Jay Bush and his irrepressible Golden Retriever exchanged banter across American television screens. But Jay and Duke were merely the most visible evidence of the change.

It had begun with a challenge. The company would become the pre-eminent marketer of beans and bean-based products in the United States. It would move from selling directly to its traditional customers, its retail grocery stores, and would focus upon marketing directly to consumers. And it would develop new products. It was a tall order for a small, Southern cannery. The company built a professional marketing group. It involved its employees in a massive culture shift as it moved to a definitive team-based culture. Together they formulated strategic plans and set about their accomplishment.

New Baked Bean flavors were developed. New geographic markets were opened. A culture of team-based cooperation and inquiry was built…and this little Southern cannery was off and running.

The events of the 1990s represented a radical gamble with uncertain prospects. Bush Brothers was small.

It did not have a surplus of cash. And it was competing with significant national players. But it had a vision. And perhaps more importantly, it had a tenacity that had been fostered by its Appalachian heritage and cultured over decades of challenge.

It all worked together. During this decade Bush Brothers developed half a dozen new products and firmly established itself as a national presence.

Today Bush Brothers is the recognized brand leader in Baked Beans and other prepared bean items. Innovative new products such as Grillin' Beans and Homestyle Chili are expanding markets for bean-based items. The variety bean business, comprised of the company's traditional dried bean offerings, is growing rapidly with the pursuit of new consumer approaches such as Black Beans and Pinto Beans with Mild Sauce. What was begun in the 90s continues today as the company aggressively pursues its focus on being the expert on beans and bean-based products.