5 Family Generations
We are proud to be a family owned business, founded by a pair of brothers in 1935. Burrus Seed is still going strong 86 years later thanks to 5 family generations of dedicated, passionate seedsmen and the growers they serve!
The Founders: Roy and Wilbur
Roy Burrus and his brother Wilbur founded Burrus Seed in 1935. They worked closely with the University of Illinois Extension of County Farm Advisors in a series of meetings held throughout the area touting hybrid corn. The Burrus brothers were strong advocates of the Extension Service, including the 4-H program. During the meetings, the Extension Service sells the new hybrid seed corn so farmers can produce their own. This marks the beginning of the Burrus Hybrid corn business.
2nd Generation: Martin and Robert
Martin Burrus returns home from medical school at Johns Hopkins to run the family business after Wilbur Burrus dies at age 52. The company forms a three-way partnership between Martin, Roy, and Roy’s son, Robert (Rob) Burrus.
The company continues to grow and in 1971, Martin buys out Rob’s portion of the business and brings in his sons, Tom and Todd.
3rd Generation: Tom and Todd
Martin’s sons, Tom and Todd Burrus each returned to the family business following college. They mark the third pair of brothers dedicated to providing quality seed products to growers. Tom and Todd were grateful to welcome the fourth generation into ownership of Burrus Seed during their own tenure.
When Tom passed away in 2017, his son-in-law Tim Greene was named President of Burrus Seed.
4th Generation: Kevin Burrus, Tim Greene & Martha Krohe
Today, Tim Greene (Tom Burrus’ son-in-law) is President of Burrus Seed. In his time with the company, he has worked in each different aspect of the business. Todd’s children, Martha and Kevin also joined the family business. Today, Martha oversees many parts of the business and tackles the immense job of maintaining SeedWare, our ordering, inventory and invoicing program. Kevin heads up our Production Team, following in his father’s footsteps.
5th Generation: Griffin and Gannon Greene
The 5th generation joined the Burrus team in 2019 when Griffin Greene (Tim’s son, Tom’s grandson) became an Account Manager in East Central Illinois. Griffin’s younger brother Gannon joined the company earlier this year as our Financial Lead.
Griffin and Gannon mark yet another pair of Burrus family brothers committed to helping the American farmer succeed.
We are very proud of the work the past five generations of Burrus family have put into the Burrus Seed brand and their continued dedication to the seed industry and growers we serve. If you’d like to see what Burrus can bring to your farm, contact us today.
Continue learning about Burrus Seed with our 12 Days of Burrus!
