Our Story

Our fourth-generation owned and operated family business began in 1956 when P.G. Johnson, an entrepreneur with a deep passion for beekeeping and the honey bees provided, turned a lifelong fascination into a thriving legacy. While operating several ventures, honey was always his true passion.​

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At its peak, his operation included 2,500 bee hives, a honey extraction and packaging facility, and a manufacturing arm for beekeeping equipment. He established the ‘Ozarka’ brand, which we continue to use in our product line today.​

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In 1972,  Ron (P.G. Johnson’s son) and Beverly Johnson took over leadership and continued the company’s growth trajectory. Eric Augspurger (P.G. Johnson’s grandson) acquired the business in 1999, focusing on scaling production and expanding the customer base. During this time, we became a reliable supplier for private label brands and other food manufacturing companies.​

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In 2002, we diversified our portfolio with the introduction of jam and jelly manufacturing. The strategic acquisition of the Bekemeier’s trademark in 2008 further enhanced our product range and market presence, adding original recipe fruit butters, fruit spreads, and sorghum molasses.​

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Today, we operate as a vertically integrated company with a commitment to quality, consistency, and brand integrity, built on decades of industry expertise and family-owned values.