Berkshire Hathaway Inc's Business Segments

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is a holding company owning subsidiaries engaged in a number of diverse business activities. The most important of these are insurance businesses conducted on both a primary basis and a reinsurance basis. Berkshire also owns and operates a large number of other businesses engaged in a variety of activities, as identified herein. Berkshire is domiciled in the state of Delaware, and its corporate headquarters is located in Omaha, Nebraska.

Berkshire’s operating businesses are managed on an unusually decentralized basis. There are essentially no centralized or integrated business functions (such as sales, marketing, purchasing, legal or human resources) and there is minimal involvement by Berkshire’s corporate headquarters in the day-to-day business activities of the operating businesses. Berkshire’s corporate office management participates in and is ultimately responsible for significant capital allocation decisions, investment activities and the selection of the Chief Executive to head each of the operating businesses.

Insurance and Reinsurance Businesses

Berkshire’s insurance and reinsurance business activities are conducted through approximately 70 domestic and foreign-based insurance entities. Berkshire’s insurance businesses provide insurance and reinsurance of property and casualty risks world-wide and also reinsure life, accident and health risks world-wide.

In primary (or direct) insurance activities, the insurer assumes the risk of loss from persons or organizations that are directly subject to the risks. Such risks may relate to property, casualty (or liability), life, accident, health, financial or other perils that may arise from an insurable event. In reinsurance activities, the reinsurer assumes defined portions of risks that other primary insurers or reinsurers have assumed in their own insuring activities.

Reinsurance contracts are normally classified as treaty or facultative contracts. Treaty reinsurance refers to reinsurance coverage for all or a portion of a specified class of risks ceded by the primary insurer, while facultative reinsurance involves coverage of specific individual risks. Reinsurance contracts are further classified as quota-share or excess. Under quota-share (proportional or pro-rata) reinsurance, the reinsurer shares proportionally in the original premiums, losses and expenses of the primary insurer or reinsurer. Excess (or non-proportional) reinsurance provides for the indemnification of the primary insurer or reinsurer for all or a portion of the loss in excess of an agreed upon amount or “retention.” Both quota-share and excess reinsurance may provide for aggregate limits of indemnification.

Railroad Business

BNSF operates one of the largest railroad systems in North America with approximately 32,000 route miles of track, excluding multiple main tracks, yard tracks and sidings, approximately 23,000 miles of which are owned route miles, including easements, in 28 states and two Canadian provinces. Approximately 9,000 route miles of BNSF’s system consist of trackage rights that permit BNSF to operate its trains with its crews over other railroads’ tracks.

Utilities and Energy Businesses

Berkshire currently owns an 89.5% voting common stock interest in MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company (“MidAmerican”), an international energy company.

MidAmerican’s businesses are managed as separate operating units. MidAmerican’s domestic regulated energy interests are comprised of two regulated utility companies serving more than 3 million retail customers and two interstate natural gas pipeline companies with approximately 17,000 miles of pipeline and a design capacity of more than 7.0 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. Its United Kingdom electricity distribution subsidiaries serve about 3.8 million electricity end-users. In addition, MidAmerican’s interests include a diversified portfolio of domestic independent power projects, a hydroelectric facility in the Philippines and the second-largest residential real estate brokerage firm in the United States.

Marmon consists of approximately 130 manufacturing and service businesses that operate independently within eleven diverse business sectors. These sectors are Building Wire, providing copper electrical building wire for residential, commercial and industrial construction; Construction Services, providing the leasing and operation of mobile cranes primarily to the energy, mining and petrochemical markets; Distribution Services, supplying specialty metal pipe and tubing, bar and sheet products to markets including construction, industrial, aerospace and many others; Engineered Wire & Cable, providing electrical and electronic wire and cable for energy related markets and other industries; Flow Products, producing copper, aluminum and brass products and materials for the plumbing, heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, construction, automotive and industrial markets; Food Service Equipment, supplying commercial food preparation equipment for restaurants and shopping carts for retail stores; Highway Technologies, primarily serving the heavy-duty highway transportation industry with trailers, fifth wheel coupling devices and undercarriage products such as brake parts and suspension systems, and also serving the light vehicle and heavy-duty aftermarkets with clutches and related products; Industrial Products, consisting of metal fasteners for the building, furniture, cabinetry, industrial and other markets, safety products such as gloves for industrial markets, portable lighting equipment for mining and safety markets, and overhead electrification equipment for mass transit systems, and custom-machined brass, aluminum and copper forgings for the construction, valve and other industries; Retail Store Fixtures, providing shelving and other merchandising displays and related services for retail stores worldwide; Transportation Services & Engineered Products, including manufacturing, leasing and maintenance of railroad tank cars, leasing of intermodal tank containers, in-plant rail services, manufacturing of bi-modal railcar movers, wheel, axle and gear sets for light rail transit and gear products for locomotives, manufacturing of steel tank heads, and services, equipment and technology for processing and distributing sulfur; and Water Treatment equipment including residential water softening, purification and refrigeration filtration systems, treatment systems for industrial markets including power generation, oil and gas, chemical, and pulp and paper, gear drives for irrigation systems and cooling towers, and air-cooled heat exchangers.

McLane Company—McLane Company, Inc. (“McLane”) provides wholesale distribution and logistics services in all 50 states and internationally in Brazil to customers that include discount retailers, convenience stores, quick service restaurants, drug stores and movie theatre complexes. Prior to Berkshire’s acquisition in 2003, McLane was an integral part of the Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (“Wal-Mart”) distribution network. McLane continues to provide wholesale distribution services to Wal-Mart, which accounts for approximately one-third of McLane’s revenues. McLane’s business model is based on a high volume of sales, rapid inventory turnover and tight expense control. Operations are divided into two business units: grocery distribution and foodservice distribution.

Other Manufacturing, Service and Retailing Businesses

Apparel Manufacturing—Berkshire’s apparel manufacturing businesses include manufacturers of a variety of clothing and footwear. Businesses engaged in the manufacture and distribution of clothing products include Fruit of the Loom (“FOL”), Russell Corporation (“Russell”), Vanity Fair Brands (“VFB”), Garan and Fechheimer Brothers. Berkshire’s footwear businesses include H.H. Brown Shoe Group and Justin Brands.

Service Businesses

FlightSafety International Inc. (“FSI”), headquartered at LaGuardia Airport in Flushing, New York, is engaged primarily in the business of providing high technology training to operators of aircraft. FSI’s training activities include: advanced pilot training in the operation of aircraft and air traffic control procedures; aircrew training for military and other government personnel; aircraft maintenance technician training; and ab-initio (primary) pilot training to qualify individuals for private and commercial pilots’ licenses. FSI also develops classroom instructional systems and materials for use in its training business and for sale to others.

NetJets Inc. (“NJ”) is the world’s leading provider of fractional ownership programs for general aviation aircraft. NJ’s executive offices and U.S. operations are located in Columbus, Ohio, with most of its logistical and flight operations based at Port Columbus International Airport. NJ’s European operations are based in Lisbon, Portugal. The fractional aircraft ownership concept permits customers to acquire a specific percentage of a certain aircraft type and allows them to utilize the aircraft for a specified number of flight hours per annum. In addition, NJ provides management, ground support and flight operation services. NJ is subject to the rules and regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration, which address aircraft registration, maintenance requirements, pilot qualifications and airport operations, including flight planning and scheduling as well as security issues. NJ also maintains an “exclusive alliance” with an independent company, Marquis Jet Partners, Inc. (“Marquis”). Under this alliance, Marquis leases and purchases fractional interests and management services from NJ and resells them to its customers in the form of a prepaid Marquis Jet Card, which entitles the customer to 25 hours of flight time.

Berkshire acquired TTI, Inc. (“TTI”), an electronic component distributor headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. TTI is a global specialty distributor of passive, interconnect and discrete components, which are readily adaptable to a wide variety of end-users over a broad range of industries. TTI’s customer base includes original equipment manufacturers, electronic manufacturing services, contract manufacturers, military, industrial users and commercial customers. TTI’s business model is organized between its core business of supporting high volume production business and its catalog division which supports lower volume purchases with a broader customer base and higher margins. TTI operates distribution centers in North America, Europe and Asia. TTI operates from more than 80 locations throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

Business Wire provides electronic dissemination of full-text news releases daily to the media, the Internet, online services and databases and the global investment community in 150 countries and 45 languages. Roughly 90% of the company’s revenue comes from the core business of news distribution. The Pampered Chef, LTD (“TPC”) is the premier direct seller of high quality kitchen tools in the United States. Products are researched, designed and tested by TPC and manufactured by third-party suppliers. The Buffalo News publishes three editions on Saturday and Sunday and five editions each weekday from its headquarters in Buffalo, New York. International Dairy Queen services a system of about 5,800 stores operating under the names Dairy Queen®, Orange Julius® and Karmelkorn® that offer various dairy desserts, beverages, prepared foods, blended fruit drinks, popcorn and other snack foods.

Retailing Businesses—Berkshire’s retailing businesses principally consist of several independently managed home furnishings and jewelry operations.

Finance and Financial Products

Clayton Homes, Inc. (“Clayton”), headquartered near Knoxville, Tennessee, is a vertically integrated manufactured housing company. Financing is offered to purchasers of Clayton’s manufactured homes as well as those purchasing homes from selected independent retailers, through its finance subsidiaries. Clayton is also currently developing 24 housing subdivisions in eight states.

XTRA Corporation (“XTRA”), headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is a leading transportation equipment lessor operating under the XTRA Lease brand name. XTRA manages a diverse fleet of approximately 97,000 units located at 71 facilities throughout the United States and four facilities in Canada. The fleet includes over-the-road and storage trailers, chassis, temperature controlled vans and flatbed trailers. XTRA is one of the two largest lessors (in terms of units available) of over-the-road trailers in North America. Transportation equipment customers lease equipment to cover cyclical, seasonal and geographic needs and as a substitute for purchasing. Therefore, as a provider of marginal capacity of transportation equipment, XTRA’s utilization rates (the number of units on lease to total units available) and operating results tend to be cyclical. In addition, transportation providers often use leasing to maximize their asset utilization and reduce capital expenditures. By maintaining a large fleet, XTRA is able to provide customers with a broad selection of equipment and quick response times.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is a diversified multinational holding company, established by Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, known for its varied interests in numerous sectors, comprising insurance, manufacturing, retail, utilities, and finance. Below is an extensive overview of the segments, products, and services offered by Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

1. Insurance and Reinsurance Businesses

Berkshire Hathaway operates a broad spectrum of insurance and reinsurance services worldwide through various subsidiaries. This segment is foundational to the companys financial success and reputation.

Primary Insurance: The company provides direct insurance coverage across property, casualty, life, health, accident, and other lines of business globally. This includes tailored solutions for individuals and organizations against specific insurable risks.

Reinsurance: Berkshire Hathaways reinsurance activities involve taking on portions of risk from primary insurers. Contracts are classified into:
- Treaty Reinsurance: Covering specified classes of risks ceded by primary insurers.
- Facultative Reinsurance: Addressing specific risks individually.
- Quota-Share Reinsurance: Proportional sharing of premiums, losses, and expenses.
- Excess Reinsurance: Providing reimbursement beyond a certain limit.

The regulatory framework governing this sector aims to maintain insurer solvency and consumer protection, with a focus on ensuring that Berkshires entities are financially robust.

Key Subsidiaries:
- GEICO: Offers automobile insurance and additional coverage for motorcycles, recreational vehicles, and small commercial fleets, primarily through direct response sales.
- General Re: A major reinsurance entity providing extensive property/casualty and life/health coverages globally. Notable for underwriting management and risk management services in insurance.
- Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group (BHRG): Primarily provides excess and quota-share reinsurance.
- Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group (BH Primary): Comprises several independently managed primary insurance operations.

Manufacturing, Service, and Retailing Businesses

This segment encompasses a wide variety of subsidiary companies involved in manufacturing and retail across numerous sectors.

Key Subsidiaries:
- Marmon Holdings: Comprising diverse autonomous businesses across industrial components, natural resources, and retail technologies.
- McLane Company: A leading wholesale distributor serving convenience stores, drug stores, and restaurants, emphasizing rapid turnover and effective inventory management.
- Apparel Manufacturing: Includes brands like Fruit of the Loom, Russell Brands, and other fashion and footwear entities.

Manufactured Products:
- Building Products: Companies such as Acme Brick lead in manufacturing bricks, concrete blocks, and various construction materials.
- Carpet and Flooring: Shaw Industries is the worlds largest carpet manufacturer, producing an extensive range of flooring solutions.

Railroad Business

Berkshire Hathaway acquired Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (BNSF), managing one of North Americas largest railroad networks. BNSF operates a vast system of freight transportation across 28 states, handling diverse products including agricultural and industrial goods. The acquisition aids in significant revenue generation and infrastructure development.

Utilities and Energy Businesses

Through MidAmerican Energy Holdings, Berkshire Hathaway manages a substantial energy enterprise with various regulated utility companies. Services provided encompass:
- Electric and Natural Gas Utilities: Supply energy to approximately5 million retail customers.
- Energy Generation: Involves renewable energy projects and a broad portfolio of independent power generating facilities.
- International Engagement: MidAmerican also arms its interests with a global footprint in the energy sector.

Finance and Financial Products

This segment includes:
- Clayton Homes: A manufactured home company offering financing through its subsidiaries.
- XTRA Corporation: A leading transportation equipment lessor that serves various logistics needs of clients across the U.S.
- BH Finance: Engages in fixed-income investments and derivative contracts, seeking to provide superior investment returns.

Food and Consumer Products

Berkshire Hathaway owns iconic food brands such as Heinz, producing a wide array of products including sauces, meals, and snacks, emphasizing quality and convenience.

Other businesses under this segment include:
- Dairy Queen: A globally recognized fast-food franchise specializing in frozen treats and quick-service meals.
- See’s Candies: Renowned for its premium chocolates and confectionery, operating predominantly in California and other Western states.

Retail Businesses

Berkshire Hathaway has invested in various retail chains, such as:
- Nebraska Furniture Mart: A leading retailer of home furnishings offering a wide variety of products.
- Borsheims Jewelry and Helzberg: Retail chains providing fine jewelry and watches, among other luxury goods.

The overall array of services and products provided by Berkshire Hathaway signifies its commitment to diversification and growth across various industries, offering substantial contributions to its revenue streams and overall market influence.