Shelbyville, Kentucky · Since 1975
Our history
Four generations of the same family, still stocking the same shelf.
In Andy Crush’s own words
Albert L. Crush Company was started in 1975 in the basement of my father’s house on Guist Creek Lake in Shelbyville, Kentucky in order to serve the agricultural and industrial needs for the six counties surrounding Shelby County. In 1986, we moved to the heart of the industrial park and now have a 10,000 square foot building in which to house our inventory.
Albert L. Crush (1924–2005) was the oldest son of Albert B. Crush (1893–1976) and they started this “family business” back in 1933. Albert L. Crush had seven children and his youngest, Andy Crush, has worked for the company since its inception. It is the belief of this company that “you cannot sell something if you don’t have it on the shelf,” and in this day and time, everyone needs their parts now. Because of that, we have continually increased our inventory by adding new distributors and product lines so that the everyday, basic power transmission and industrial supplies are readily available.
— Andy Crush
Milestones
A concise timeline
1933
Family business begins
Albert B. Crush and his oldest son, Albert L. Crush, start the family business.
1975
Albert L. Crush Co. founded
Started in the basement of Albert L. Crush’s house on Guist Creek Lake, to serve the farms and shops of the six counties around Shelby County.
1986
Move to the industrial park
The company moves into the building it still occupies today.
Four generations
The same family, the whole way
Albert B. Crush
1893–1976
Albert L. Crush
1924–2005
Andy Crush
Brooks Crush
Into the next generation
Andy, and now Brooks
Andy Crush has been part of Albert L. Crush Co. since the day it started in 1975. When he retired in 2025, his youngest son, Brooks, took on the day-to-day business. For a company that has been in the family for four generations, that handoff mattered — and for Andy, seeing Brooks take it on has been a source of real pride.
Brooks now leads day-to-day operations, carrying forward the relationships, product knowledge and personal service the company has always run on, while keeping it moving toward what customers need today.
The phoenix and the motto
The red phoenix in our logo comes from the Crush family crest. It stands for endurance and renewal — a family business that has kept going across four generations without giving up what it was built on: knowing the products, knowing the customers, and being the place people can actually get help. The family motto, Dum Spiro, Spero — “While I breathe, I hope” — is the plainest statement of that we have.
Today
Still one location, still on the shelf
Fifty years on, Albert L. Crush Co. is still the same idea Albert L. Crush started in 1975: keep the parts industrial and agricultural customers actually need in stock, and have someone at the counter who knows what they are.