Bush Brothers builds for the future
by Wendy Kinderman
B
ush Brothers & Company knew designing a modern
canning facility on its 60-year-old site in Augusta,
Wisconsin, would be a challenge. But with planning,
planning, and then more planning, the company now is able
to produce, store, and ship tons of beans every week safer,
faster, and more efficiently than ever.
Bush Brothers, established in 1908, is an industry
leader in the production of canned beans. It has two
primary manufacturing plants: one in Dandridge,
Tennessee, near company headquarters in Knoxville,
and the other in Augusta (population 1,567) in western
Wisconsin. The recipe for one of its best-known products,
Bush’s Original Baked Beans, was developed in Augusta in
1969.
“Bush Brothers is a very forward-thinking, very
strategic company,” said Dan Tolan, plant engineering
manager at Augusta. “We are focused on brand recognition,
growing the brand, and optimizing processes for long-term
success.”
6│TRENDS
The latest food processing technology is hydrostatic
cooking, which allows more uniform cooking. The
Dandridge plant has converted to hydrostatic cookers, and
Augusta will have its first hydrostatic cooker in December
2013. Bush Brothers decided to make improvements not
only in production but also in storing and shipping its
product from Augusta. The company decided to build a new
warehouse that would be large enough to store all of its
product on site and also increase its ability to ship by rail.
But building a warehouse that large, not to mention adding
a new production facility, had ramifications throughout
the site – from relocating and upgrading city utilities and
vacating a city street to designing a regional stormwater
pond and outfall and building a new rail spur.
That’s where Ayres Associates came in. The company
designed the warehouse and all associated site work to
make the expansion possible.
“We really like the collaborative nature in which Ayres
works,” Tolan said. “We are very lean in our engineering