Month: April 2017

Mouser Electronics Wins Top Global High Service Distributor, Again

Post author By David Mazor
Post date April 14, 2017

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway’s Mouser Electronics, Inc., has been honored with the prestigious Global High Service Distributor of the Year award for the fourth consecutive year by TE Connectivity (TE), a global leader in connectivity and sensors. Mouser also was recognized by TE as their top customer growth leader and top NPI distributor. The annual Electronic Distributor Awards were presented to Mouser executives at TE’s recent Global Distribution Summit.

The Electronic Distributor Awards recognize TE’s highest-performing distribution partners based on sales growth, market share growth, customer growth and business plan performance. Mouser successfully grew its TE business, outpacing overall company growth rates in key categories, including sales, customer count and pieces per customer, which ultimately increased their TE commercial connector market share. With continued strategic inventory investments and SKU count expansion, Mouser further improves its ability to support engineering needs.

“Mouser’s consistent performance and growth earned them TE’s Global High Service Distributor of the Year award for the fourth consecutive year,” said Joan Wainwright, President, Channel and Customer Experience, TE Connectivity. “Mouser continues to invest in new products, looking for solutions to help their customers grow. I am proud of the partnership TE has with Mouser and look forward to our future success as we bring innovative technology to our customers.”

“Receiving the Global High Service Distributor award is an incredible honor. We’d like to thank TE Connectivity for this important recognition. Our relationship continues to grow, and these awards are a tribute to our teams’ hard work,” said Glenn Smith, Mouser Electronics President and CEO. “TE is an industry leader and a valued business partner, and we look forward to continued success together.”
© 2017 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Tags Mouser Electronics

BYD Opens R$150 Million Solar Panel Factory in Brazil

Post author By David Mazor
Post date April 13, 2017

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

China’s BYD Company, the Shenzhen-based new energy technology company, has launched a solar panel factory in the southeastern Brazilian city of Campinas, the country’s first zero ecosystem project. With an initial investment of R$150 million, the plant will have a production capacity of 200 megawatts and generate 360 jobs.

BYD Brazil’s solar panels contain the exclusive state-of-the-art technology Double Glass. Double Glass increases energy production by 7 percent compared to previous modules extends durability to 50 years and offers a lower product degeneration rate of 0.3 percent. This is a significant reduction from the 0.7 percent experienced by solar panels with EVA.

“BYD is a global high tech company. As such our goal is to bring the world’s best technology to Brazil, creating new jobs and generating innovation in the country. With local production we will help consolidate the distribution and generation markets,” says Tyler Li, General Manager of BYD Brazil and President of BYD Energy do Brasil.

Additionally BYD Brazil also announced that they will be nationalizing their electric bus chassis production line. Located in the same complex as the photovoltaic solar modules, the installed capacity for the electric bus unit is 720 chassis per year.

BYD was the first factory to produce and sell 100% electric bus in Brazil. Its investment in Brazil extends to a wide variety of products including the world’s first electric garbage collector truck. Its electric cars are also used in corporate fleets, taxis, and the logistics industry. The company is aiming to invest in engineering localization and infrastructure construction in the near future. “The proportion of local technology used in the production will gradually increase over the years,” said local development manager Marcos Caderllini. “We aim to broaden this proportion from 20 to 70 percent by 2022,” he said.

BYD and Berkshire Hathaway

In 2008, Berkshire Hathaway bet on BYD’s potential, purchasing 225 million shares. It’s an investment that has paid off handsomely. Berkshire’s original investment of $230 million is now worth roughly $1.77 billion.

For More on BYD, read the Special Report: BYD, Berkshire’s Tesla.

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Tags BYD Co

MiTek

MiTek to Host Builder Technology Summit

Post author By David Mazor
Post date April 12, 2017

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

MiTek USA, a Berkshire Hathaway company, has announced the launch of the MiTek Builder Technology Summit. The event will be at the Naples Beach and Golf Hotel, in Naples Florida, September 19-22, 2017.

The 2017 MiTek Builder Technology Summit will showcase the very latest technology for home building design, estimating and workflow. The Summit will feature technology exhibits and demonstrations, as well as a wide range of educational/training sessions.

The technology Summit will feature MiTek’s builder-focused companies and software platforms including BuilderMT, Cubit, DIY Technologies, Sales Simplicity, SAPPHIRE Supply, SAPPHIRE® Build (KOVA), and Wrightsoft.

In addition, integration partner-companies that have linked to MiTek solutions will also be featured, including Avid Ratings, CG Visions, Build Intelligence (DOMO), Event 1 Software (Liberty Reports), LandDev,Punchlist Manager / Inspection Manager, Specitup, and Western Computer.

The three-day MiTek Builder Technology Summit is focused on information sharing. The Summit will kick off by hearing from current customers, presenting alongside their technology providers, to highlight their experiences and the impact these technologies have had on their businesses.

MiTek is urging attendance from senior home building managers, with a special focus on CEOs, COOs, CIOs, CTOs, as well as personnel from the sales, purchasing, scheduling, and quality-assurance departments.

“This Summit is designed as a technology exposition both in addition to a training/educational event.,” said MiTek’s Rob Hooker. “We intend to draw attendees from elite home building companies that want to see the latest technology designed to cut cycle-times, reduce the need for skilled labor, and drive higher profit margins. We’ll see you in Naples!”

Tags MiTek

Minority Stock Positions Stock Portfolio

BYD Cuts Ribbon on New Hungarian Electric Bus Plant

Post author By David Mazor
Post date April 11, 2017

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

China’s BYD Company, the Shenzhen-based new energy technology company, has opened its newest electric bus assembly plant in the Hungarian town of Komarom. The plant will officially be known as the BYD Electric Bus and Truck Hungary Kft.

The new plant sees an investment by BYD that will total some €20 million (or about HUF 6.2 billion) in the three years to 2018.

Currently, there are 32 employees of whom 68% are factory workers. Eventually it will employ some 300 people, the vast majority being locally recruited Hungarians with a technical background, who will assemble up to 400 electric buses a year on two shifts. Those buses will be exported to customers across continental Europe.

Initial output will be electric buses and coaches but other products will soon follow, including electric forklift trucks and then light commercial vehicles.

The plant consists of five buildings: a main office, a battery test and maintenance center, an inspection line and water leak test booth, a bus and truck assembly hall and a paint shop.

It is planned that the Hungary plant will produce the bus chassis for the UK (for assembly into complete vehicles under the BYD ADL partnership) and the newly announced BYD factory in France. There are plans to deliver up to 40 vehicles by the end of this year.

For BYD the more than 66,000 square meter complex is just the first of a series of European production facilities it is planning. The event today follows an announcement just two weeks ago of the acquisition of an 80,000 square meter site for bus making in Beauvais, to the north of Paris.

According to Isbrand Ho, Managing Director of BYD Europe, BYD is completely confident that it will need this extra bus making capacity. “The answer is simple – air quality – or, perhaps I should say, bad air quality, something which impacts the citizens of every major city worldwide. Not a week goes past without another report linking the serious detrimental health consequences of breathing polluted air and most of that pollution comes from road vehicles, largely diesel powered.

“City buses are not only a prime contributor to this but also, since they have totally predictable route patterns, are one of the easiest classes of vehicles to be electrified. Learning from the streets of major Chinese cities where poor air quality is not new, we are targeting our world leading battery technology on the city bus sector, although our ambitions stretch way beyond this humble type of vehicle.

“It is no coincidence therefore that BYD electric buses already make up the largest fleet of zero emission buses at a major international airport – Amsterdam’s Schiphol – and the largest fleet of electric city buses – in service on the streets of London”, Mr Ho said.

BYD and Berkshire Hathaway

For More on BYD, read the Special Report: BYD, Berkshire’s Tesla.

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Tags BYD Co

Berkshire Hathaway Energy

Rocky Mountain Power’s 20-Year Plan Boosts Solar and Wind

Post author By David Mazor
Post date April 10, 2017

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway’s Rocky Mountain Power has unveiled a 20-year plan to provide electricity to its customers that includes adding more solar and wind and making existing wind turbines more efficient.

The $3.5 billion plan also incorporates building a segment of the Gateway West transmission line to facilitate the wind expansion.

The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) was filed with utility regulators and is used as a road map to help the company provide reliable electric service to customers at the lowest cost. The 2017 IRP includes the following:

• Upgrading more than 900 megawatts of existing wind plants with larger blades and newer technology to generate 20 percent more energy in a wider range of wind conditions and capture federal production tax credit value for customers

• Beginning construction on a segment of the Gateway West 500-kilovolt transmission line between Medicine Bow, Wyoming, and the Jim Bridger power plant in the southwestern part of the state. The 140-mile line would enable additional wind generation, improve efficiency and relieve transmission congestion

• Facilitating construction of up to 1,100 megawatts of new wind projects, primarily in Wyoming, by the end of 2020, capturing federal production tax credit value for customers

• Adding up to another 859 megawatts of new wind – 85 megawatts in Wyoming and 774 megawatts in Idaho – between 2028 and 2036

• Building up to 1,040 megawatts of new solar between 2028 and 2036. Approximately 77 percent of the solar is assumed to be built in Utah and 23 percent to be built in states served by Pacific Power.

• Continuing a cost-conscious transition that adds more energy diversity, the plan incorporates the company’s environmental compliance obligations for its coal plants.

“This plan provides more diversity in the energy we use, which helps us keep electricity prices low for customers and improves the economies of our states,” said Cindy A. Crane, Rocky Mountain Power President and CEO. “The proposal is also a major investment that will produce more jobs, provide a stronger tax base and build transmission lines that will deliver reliable energy more efficiently for years to come.”

By moving to complete the wind upgrades and new wind developments by 2020, the company will be able to use federal production tax credits, which will help cover the costs of the investments and provide a net savings for customers over the life of the projects.

“This ambitious plan – a nearly $3 billion investment in Wyoming – diversifies Wyoming’s economy, expands markets, presents workforce training opportunities, adds jobs and strengthens the tax base in local communities,” said Wyoming Governor Matt Mead. “I look forward to working closely with Rocky Mountain Power. I see great potential for Wyoming workers and rate payers as this plan is implemented.”

Energy efficiency continues to play a key role in the company’s long term plans. The 2017 IRP anticipates energy efficiency will meet 88 percent of the energy growth needs during the next 10 years – up from 86 percent from the 2015 forecast.

A full IRP is developed every 2 years and an update is filed during off years.

Tags Berkshire Hathaway Energy

Acquisitions Marmon Group

Marmon Engineered Components Acquires PRISM Plastics, Inc.

Post author By David Mazor
Post date April 7, 2017

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

A subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway’s Marmon Engineered Components Company has acquired PRISM Plastics, Inc. headquartered in Chesterfield, Michigan.

PRISM Plastics is a manufacturer of high-precision injection molded plastic components with a focus on tight tolerance automotive parts used in safety critical, electronic components, fuel systems products, steering systems and drivetrain components. The company has manufacturing facilities in Chesterfield and Port Huron, Michigan, Meadville, Pennsylvania, and Harlingen, Texas.

The Harlingen, Texas facility is located near Reynosa, Mexico and supports customers with Mexico-based manufacturing.

The company manufactures more than a billion parts per year, and in 2016 PRISM doubled the size of its business through the acquisition of Tech Molded Plastics.

PRISM Plastics was acquired from investment firm Altus Capital Partners, which acquired the company in 2014.

Rod Bricker, President and CEO of PRISM Plastics, stated, “With the financial and strategic resources from Altus, we were able to accelerate growth and stay competitive in an increasingly complex and technology-driven industry. We look forward to our new partnership with Marmon and our continued success.”

Tags Marmon Group

McLane

McLane Company and Burger King Expand Service Agreement

Post author By David Mazor
Post date April 6, 2017

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway’s McLane Company, Inc., a leading supply chain services company providing grocery and foodservice supply chain solutions, has signed an expanded agreement between McLane Foodservice Inc., and BURGER KING.

Under the new agreement, McLane Foodservice, Inc., will provide support to an additional 600 BURGER KING restaurants located in Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.

This addition brings the total number of BURGER KING stores McLane services to 2,467 locations from eight distribution centers across the U.S.

Since 2000, BURGER KING has counted on McLane Foodservice as its primary distributor. The extended relationship ensures the restaurant chain will continue receiving McLane’s dependable service offerings and support as the business grows.

“In the highly competitive QSR industry, BURGER KING continues to up its game in terms of menu offerings and the locations served,” said President of McLane Foodservice, Inc. Tom Zatina. “We are honored the company has entrusted us with their foodservice supply chain needs over time and we look forward to further contributing to their success.”

Tags McLane Company

BNSF

BNSF Sees Light at End of Tunnel with Higher Shipping Volumes

Post author By David Mazor
Post date April 5, 2017

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Things are turning around at BNSF Railway now that higher carload numbers are continuing to remain strong.

Slumping volumes in 2016 saw the total intermodal and carload volumes down 4.94% from2015 levels, with coal shipments slumping 20.88% from 2015 levels.

This time, coal is leading the way in the recovery, with shipments up a robust 19.11% year-to-date over the same period in 2016.

Also up a solid 4.26% are intermodal shipments.

While petroleum shipments continue to slide, with year-to-date numbers down 10.14%, the combined intermodal and carloads numbers are up 6.15% in the aggregate.

Tags BNSF

McLane

25 More Years Together for McLane Company and Walmart

Post author By David Mazor
Post date April 4, 2017

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway’s McClane Company has inked a 25-year extension to its service agreement with long-time client Walmart.

As part of this extended agreement, McLane will continue to deliver to Walmart stores across the U.S., in addition to becoming the sole provider of candy and tobacco products to the vast majority of Walmart’s retail locations.

The contract is scheduled to renew in May 2017, and with it McLane will now become the exclusive provider of Walmart’s seasonal candy products to all locations nationwide.

“McLane’s ability to deliver temperature-sensitive products to all of our stores and manage our large volume of seasonal goods will ensure we have the best selection of high-quality products at the lowest cost for our customers,” said Vice President of Candy and Impulse Merchandising at Walmart, Joe Grady.

“McLane is proud to be a long-time partner of the world’s largest retailer. We are excited to expand our product mix with Walmart as we continue to serve all of Walmart’s U.S. locations,” said Tony Frankenberger, President of McLane Grocery.

Walmart has a long history with McLane. The company was originally acquired by Walmart in 1990, and later sold to Berkshire Hathaway in 2003.

Tags McLane Company

See's Candies

See’s Candies Manhattan Store Now Open

Post author By David Mazor
Post date April 3, 2017

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

See’s Candies lovers in New York City now have a permanent retail location to call their own.

The store is located at 60 West 8th Street in New York City’s Greenwich Village neighborhood, and serves more than 100 varieties of candy—all made from scratch with quality ingredients.

This is the first See’s location on the East Coast with a candy counter, which allows guests to build their own custom boxes of chocolates. And yes, the 625-square-foot shop features the iconic black-and-white checkered floor.

See’s partnered with Bill Rhodes, CEO of Travis Melbren Inc., to open its newest shop.

“What makes See’s Candies so special is the chocolate maker’s commitment to using only the finest and freshest ingredients, where employees are treated like family and customers are warmly greeted with a sample,” said Bill Rhodes. “I’m looking forward to providing this experience and iconic tradition to the residents of New York City.”

As a company, See’s Candies has over $400 million in annual revenues with just under a quarter of that as profit.

A Slow Move East

Currently there are more than 200 company-owned See’s Candies shops in the western half of the U.S., and limited distribution in department stores, along with a handful internationally in Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei, and Tokyo, and additional pop-up stores for the holidays all across the country.

However, until recently, you couldn’t find a full-fledged store east of the Mississippi River. That began to change in 2013 with See’s opening stores in Ohio (in Cincinnati and Columbus) and two stores in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

No word yet as to whether the new Manhattan store will mean we will find See’s Candies outlets sweetening up places like Boston, Philadelphia or Washington, DC.

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Tags See's Candies