Month: August 2025

Categories
Pilot Flying J

Pilot Company Expands with New Chicopee Travel Center

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway’s Pilot Company, North America’s largest operator of travel centers, has broken ground on a new Pilot Truck Stop and Travel Center in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Located just off the Massachusetts Turnpike, the facility will create 90 jobs—70 full-time and 20 part-time—and is expected to contribute roughly $1 million annually in local tax revenue.

The project is part of Pilot’s ongoing expansion and investment in its network. In recent months, the company has opened new locations in Louisiana, Colorado, Texas, British Columbia, California, and Wisconsin, while also completing renovations at 11 existing travel centers across the U.S.

Pilot is also advancing its infrastructure for the future of transportation, adding EV fast-charging stations at 36 locations since March. The new charging sites extend Pilot’s coast-to-coast EV network to major routes across 35 states.

© 2025 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.

Categories
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

BHSI Names Irfan Esa Head of National Business in the UK

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) has appointed Irfan Esa as Head of National Business in the UK.

Esa has played a key role in expanding BHSI’s National Property business since joining the company in 2020. With over 20 years of experience in the UK insurance market, including 12 years in senior roles at another insurer, he will now lead the growth of BHSI’s property, casualty, and specialty lines outside the London market.

“Irfan has been instrumental in building our National Property business,” said Nick Major, Country Manager, UK, BHSI. “His expertise, vision, and leadership make him the ideal choice to drive continued growth.”

Esa is based in Manchester.

© 2025 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.

Categories
Acquisitions

Berkshire Hathaway Acquires Global Rodent Control Leader Bell Laboratories

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway has completed its latest acquisition, adding Bell Laboratories of Windsor, Wisconsin, to its portfolio. The deal closed on July 31, bringing into the fold a company that fits Warren Buffett’s preference for businesses with stable, long-term revenue streams.

Founded in 1974 by Malcolm Stack, Bell Laboratories began with a single product, Rodent Cake, and has since grown into a global leader in rodent control. The company manufactures a wide range of products—including rodenticides, tamper-resistant bait stations, glue boards, traps, and attractants—sold across six continents to pest control and agricultural industries.

Bell has distinguished itself through continuous research and development, registering more rodenticide products with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency than any other American manufacturer. It is also unique in synthesizing its own anticoagulant and acute technical materials, ensuring full control over product quality.

With more than 600,000 square feet of facilities at its Windsor headquarters and a growing international presence, Bell Laboratories has firmly established itself as a global powerhouse in pest management—now under the Berkshire Hathaway umbrella.

© 2025 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.

Categories
Lessons From Warren Buffett

Lessons From Warren Buffett: Don’t Waste Time Predicting the Market

With countless opinions and forecasts swirling around the stock market’s future, it’s easy to feel compelled to form your own outlook—bullish or bearish—to guide your investment strategy. But legendary investor Warren Buffett advises against it.

At the 1994 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting, Buffett made it clear: trying to predict market movements is not just unhelpful—it can be distracting. “Charlie and I never have an opinion about the market because it wouldn’t be any good,” he said. Instead of speculating on what the market might do, Buffett focuses on what he can know: the quality of individual businesses.

He warns that basing investment decisions on market predictions means potentially ignoring solid opportunities simply because of fears about the broader market. “To give up something that you do know and that is profitable for something that you don’t know and won’t know… it just doesn’t make any sense to us,” Buffett explained.

In short, don’t get caught up in trying to guess the market’s next move. Focus instead on identifying great businesses—and let the rest take care of itself.

Hear Buffett’s full explanation

See the complete Lessons From Warren Buffett series

© 2025 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.

Categories
Brooks

Brooks Running Achieves Record Quarterly Revenue for Second Consecutive Quarter

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway’s Brooks Running posted its second straight all-time quarterly revenue record, with global sales up 19% year-over-year and double-digit growth across every region and channel. North America rose 13% on strong wholesale footwear demand, while Europe, the Middle East, and Africa surged 44% to their best quarter ever. Asia Pacific and Latin America climbed 55%, fueled by standout gains in China (+80%) and Korea (+218%).

Brooks outpaced industry growth in the U.S., securing three of the top six performance footwear styles at retail in Q2 and taking the No. 1 spot in Germany for adult performance running shoes priced €90 and above. CEO Dan Sheridan credited the brand’s “innovative product pipeline” and “authentic touchpoints with consumers” for sustaining momentum in a competitive market.

Product innovation was a key driver, with eight new footwear launches in Q2 contributing to 28% unit growth in fresh styles. The Glycerin super franchise led with a 27% global revenue jump, while Ghost Max sales soared 82%. In EMEA, core performance styles all saw double-digit gains, and in APLA, premium models — including a 150% lift in Hyperion sales — propelled growth.

A highlight of the quarter was Brooks’ debut of Disney-themed performance shoes through its new runDisney partnership. The Ghost Max 2 Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse editions sold out online within 12 hours, with restocks setting e-commerce revenue and conversion records.

© 2025 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.

Categories
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

BHSI Enters Canadian Programs Market, Appoints David Tran as Head of Programs

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) has expanded into the Programs market in Canada, naming David Tran as Head of Programs, Canada.

“BHSI continues to grow steadily across Canada, expanding our team, our geographic reach, and our product lines,” said Andrew Knight, Country Manager, Canada. “Our move into the Programs space is a natural evolution of our strategy to ‘go wide and go deep.’ I’m thrilled to welcome David, whose extensive expertise will be instrumental in driving this strategic initiative.”

Tran brings over 20 years of experience in underwriting and strategic relationship management, most recently serving as Vice President, National Strategic Relationships at another insurer. In his new role, he will lead program strategies and oversee the launch of a national platform delivering insurance solutions through partnerships with program administrators, MGAs, and brokers. He will be based in Toronto.

© 2025 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.

Categories
Lessons From Warren Buffett

Lessons From Warren Buffett: The Amazing Power of Share Buybacks

Warren Buffett has long championed simple, long-term investing strategies—and one of the simplest, in his view, is benefiting from share buybacks.

At the 2022 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting, Buffett explained how Berkshire’s stake in American Express grew dramatically over time without the company purchasing more shares. “We owned 150 million shares… and we then owned 11.2% of the American Express Company,” Buffett said. “And now we own 20%.” The reason? American Express has steadily repurchased its own shares, effectively increasing Berkshire’s ownership percentage—without Berkshire spending another dollar.

Buffett likened it to owning a farm that magically expands over time: “Imagine if you had 640 acres and, twenty years later, it had turned into 1,100 or 1,200 acres—without buying more land. That’s essentially what happens when a company buys back its own shares wisely.”

For investors, this means enjoying an ever-larger piece of a growing business, tax-free, and with no effort. Buffett calls it “the easiest investing there is.” His message: when done at the right price, share repurchases are one of the most powerful, yet misunderstood, tools for wealth creation.

Hear Buffett’s full explanation

See the complete Lessons From Warren Buffett series

© 2025 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.

Categories
BNSF Uncategorized

BNSF Opens New Intermodal Facility in Salt Lake City, Boosting Regional and National Supply Chains

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

BNSF Railway, in collaboration with Patriot Rail and the Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA), has officially opened a new intermodal facility in Salt Lake City. The milestone was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Utah Governor Spencer Cox, state leaders, and industry partners.

The 43-acre facility, located just five miles from Salt Lake City International Airport, will support BNSF’s newly launched intermodal service between California and Salt Lake City. Patriot Rail will manage terminal operations and infrastructure at the site.

“This new facility is an exciting opportunity to improve our capacity and efficiency,” said Tom Williams, BNSF’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “It strengthens supply chains from the West Coast to Utah and beyond.”

Patriot Rail CEO Brandy Christian highlighted the partnership’s focus on “smart, scalable infrastructure,” while UIPA board chair Abby Osborne called the project a “game changer” for Utah’s economy, enhancing competition and expanding opportunities for local manufacturers and shippers.

© 2025 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.

Categories
Lessons From Warren Buffett

Lessons From Warren Buffett: Why Reading Is the Ultimate Investment Tool

If there’s one piece of advice Warren Buffett consistently shares for those who want to become better investors, it’s this: read constantly.

At the 2005 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting, Buffett reflected on how reading shaped his early investing journey. “I just read a lot,” he said. “I probably took every book in the Omaha Public Library, every book they had on investing or the stock market, basically.”

That passion for reading started young. By age 11, he had read enough to feel ready to buy his first stock. When his father was elected to Congress, Buffett gained access to even more books through the libraries in Washington, D.C.—and he took full advantage.

He dived into charts, studied market history, and explored every investing resource he could find. The turning point came at age 19 when he discovered The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham while attending the University of Nebraska. “That just changed my whole framework,” Buffett said.

His enduring advice for anyone looking to improve their investment knowledge? “Read everything in sight.”

Hear Buffett’s full explanation


See the complete Lessons From Warren Buffett series

© 2025 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.