To know Jim Bushka is to know resilience, humor, and a deep love of family. Born on June 25, 1940, in Korça, Albania, Jim grew up on a 200-acre family farm with his parents, Haxhire and Halil, and his eight siblings. Life changed drastically when the Albanian Communist Party seized the farm and stripped the family of its livelihood. In 1950, with courage and determination, Jim’s eldest brother, Ed, a past Lumber Person of the Year, led the family on a daring escape over the mountains into Greece. They spent more than three years in a refugee camp before arriving in Waterbury, Conn., where the Bushka family began again with little more than grit and a willingness to work.
NRLA President Rita Ferris, Lumber Person of the Year Jim Bushka (H.J. Bushka), and LDAC President Sean Ryan.
Jim entered the trades alongside his father and brothers, remodeling homes, making cabinets in the family basement, and eventually helping to expand Bushka Lumber on Fairfield Avenue. Though he trained as an electrician at Kaynor Technical High School, Jim was quickly pulled into inside sales as the retail operation took off. He had a hand in just about every part of the business—from serving customers to unloading boxcars of lumber by hand at the Waterbury railyards. Jim likes to remind people, “We didn’t have forklifts back then—just strong backs and a lot of stubbornness.”
In 1994, Jim realized one of his proudest accomplishments: opening H.J. Bushka & Sons Lumber in Naugatuck with his wife, Drita, and their sons Eric and Randy. For Jim, business was never just business, it was about family, community, and building something lasting together. He’s often said that opening the yard with Drita and the boys was “a dream come true.” His daughter Jamie, a teacher in Waterbury, rounded out what he considered his greatest legacy: his family.
Jim Bushka with his family.
Jim is also known for his community spirit. He served as President of the Albanian American Community in Waterbury and was once honored as Waterbury’s Albanian American Mayor for the Day, a recognition that spoke to his love of both his heritage and his city.
Of course, Jim isn’t all work. He finds joy in owning horses—his barn reminding him of his childhood in Albania—and enjoys the occasional round of golf , measuring success not by the scorecard but by the laughs shared along the way.. And when it comes to industry friendships, he never forgets the legendary Andersen Window factory trips to Wisconsin with Dave Bitso. (As Jim would say, “Enough said!”)
Those who have had the honor of working alongside Jim know his steady words of encouragement: “This is a tough business but work hard and save your money.” Simple advice, but spoken by a man who lives it every day. Jim’s life is a remarkable journey—from a boy on a farm in Albania, to a refugee in Greece, to a business leader and family man in Connecticut. His story, filled with perseverance, humor, and heart, continues to inspire all who know him.