“He was a dynamic person, and he was an especially good businessman.”

That’s how Dawson Metal President and CEO David Dawson fondly remembered Paul Bush.

Paul was the founder of Bush Industries, Inc., and a luminary in the American Ready- To-Assemble furniture business.

“Paul was a mover and a shaker,” said Stow resident Rolland Kidder.

In 1959, Paul joined his family’s business and laid the groundwork for what would become Bush Industries, Inc. Recognizing the untapped potential in the emerging electronics furniture sector during the mid-1970s, he steered the company towards this new frontier. His gamble paid off. By 1979, Bush Industries was pioneering solutions tailored for the American lifestyle, becoming the first RTA manufacturer to incorporate wood solids and veneers. The company grew to become one of the top 10 furniture manufacturers in the United States, leading the way in innovative solutions for work and home life.

“He started to put new life into Bush Industries,” Kidder added.

Dawson, former Chautauqua County IDA director, said when Paul was ready to move Bush Industries to Mason Industrial Park, the county IDA was right there to assist with Paul’s plans.

“Our IDA board, and my staff went to work on putting what we could put together for him, and included a rail line, and it included completing the access road, which hadn’t been completed, and, of course, all the financing for the operation at the time,” Dawson said.

Dawson and Kidder both agreed that Paul was a very generous person – especially to Western New York.

“Paul was such an impressive person,” Dawson related. “He gave to so many causes and situations – including the YMCA.”

Dawson said Paul created the Lakewood YMCA in 1991, and not only gave it debt free, but Paul endowed it with $500,000.

The YMCA, located 183 E. Fairmount Ave. in Lakewood, focuses on providing cost-attainable and effective programs for the community that focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The Lakewood YMCA Paul Bush branch works to assist its parent organization, the Jamestown Area YMCA.

Prior to the YMCA taking over in 1991, the building was owned by Paul. It required a lot of personal involvement from many different people to help make the transition from a indoor-tennis center to a full-service YMCA.

Paul also built a YMCA in Fort Myers, Fla, but closest to his heart was the project Mi Refugio, a school and social service center situated in one of Guatemala City’s largest garbage dumps. These projects were but a few examples of Paul’s commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

His most memorable trait, Dawson said, was being a great family man as well.

It was his wife and family that remained the cornerstone of Paul’s life. Paul met Diane, the love of his life, in his late 50s. Her love was the missing piece that helped Paul become the man he had always dreamed of being – a loving husband, a guiding father, an involved grandfather, and a caring sibling.