My experiences with Paul Bush began in the late 1970’s when I was asked to advise on helping Paul put together a financial package to expand Bush Industries.

The company was located at the time in Little Valley, N.Y., where Paul lived. Right from the start I was inspired with his keen mind and endless drive to build Bush Industries into a world class company. He said his goals were to grow the business to where it had great facilities, great customers and a large family of great employees.

Eventually Paul moved to the Jamestown area and built an impressive facility in the area known as the South County Industrial park. Governor Mario Cuomo along with Lt. Governor Stan Lundine cut the ribbon on the new plant in 1984. Bush Industries continued to grow and also built an outstandingly large plant near Erie, Pa. Paul changed Chautauqua County for good by leveraging the deal negotiated with then PA Governor Tom Ridge to complete the Pennsylvania section of 1-86 as an inducement for Bush to select Erie for the new plant.

Paul was on track with his vision for a world class company as we all moved into the twenty-first century and by 2000 Bush Industries had successfully gone public on Wall St. Paul was also recognized for his leadership and humanity. He was an enormous help to countless local groups and charities; including the Lucy-Desi Center, The Reg Lenne Theater, the Boys Scouts of America, and he was the single person responsible for the Lakewood YMCA. Additionally, he also saved the YMCA in Fort Myers, Fla., when it was close to closing. These are but a few examples of his substantial philanthropy.

Unfortunately, all of the hard work and success came crashing down when Paul ended up in the hospital for open heart surgery with a planned long recovery period in 2002. Someone in the Jamestown plant was in contact with an east coast vulture capital firm who looked for targets to acquire, either with stock or through debt. The timing was such that Paul could not fight back against a hostile takeover while trying to survive his operations. With the help of the inside lackey, the vultures descended and took over the company. Bush Industries was never the same.

Over time the vulture firm sold to others who purchased the remaining Bush Company. The latest owner out of Canada had their own reasons to bankrupt Bush, reasons of which I have no knowledge. What I do know is that had those certain individuals not taken advantage of Paul Bush’s heart surgery in 2002, there would have been no hostile takeover and the company would have continued to grow and provide jobs for hundreds in the Jamestown area.

After recovery from surgery, Paul lived more than 20 years in Fort Myers, Fla., with his wife Diane and his five children. He passed away in January 2025. His final activity was watching his beloved Buffalo Bills win a playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens. He was a Western New Yorker through and through.

Paul, in my judgement, would be heartbroken with the decision to close the world class company he had built achieving his lifelong dream. But his legacy lives on through his previous charitable works and the hundreds of fellow Western New Yorkers he helped achieve their personal dreams as well. I still apply the lessons today that I learned from Paul; you make a company world class by how you treat the employees and your customers that help bring you success.

David Dawson is president of Dawson Metal Co. Inc/Dawson Doors/Spray Tech Finishing.