Month: August 2026

Categories
Dairy Queen

Phil Crawford Named Chief Technology Officer at International Dairy Queen

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

International Dairy Queen (IDQ), a Berkshire Hathaway company, has appointed Phil Crawford as executive vice president and chief technology officer. Reporting to President and CEO Troy Bader, Crawford will oversee IT and retail technology for the company’s more than 7,800 Dairy Queen restaurants worldwide.

Bader said Crawford’s extensive experience in restaurant technology will help advance the company’s digital strategy and support continued growth. Crawford said he looks forward to building a unified, scalable commerce ecosystem that enhances customer experiences across drive-thru, delivery, in-store and digital channels.

Before joining IDQ, Crawford led global food, beverage and hospitality operations at Adyen and previously held CIO and CTO leadership roles at CKE Restaurants, Godiva Chocolatier, Shake Shack and Yard House Restaurants.

Crawford holds business degrees from Northern Arizona University and the University of Phoenix and completed the Harvard Business Analytics Program at Harvard University. He will be based at IDQ’s global franchisee support center in Minneapolis and succeeds Kevin Baartman, who is retiring later this year.

©2026 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
CORT

Berkshire’s CORT Acquires Dwellworks Living

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

CORT Business Services, a Berkshire Hathaway company, has completed its acquisition of Dwellworks Living, the temporary housing division of Dwellworks. The business will now operate as Dwellworks Living by CORT, combining Dwellworks Living’s temporary housing expertise with CORT’s nationwide scale, global supplier network, and mobility services.

The combined organization will continue serving clients with the existing Dwellworks Living team, technology platform, housing network, and supplier relationships while expanding access to CORT’s broader resources and global reach.

“Dwellworks Living by CORT reflects the next step in our commitment to helping organizations and their employees feel at home wherever work takes them,” said Mike Davis, CEO and president of CORT Business Services. “Together, we are building a stronger growth platform and delivering greater value to the clients we serve.”

As part of the integration, James Conigliaro has joined CORT as vice president of Dwellworks Living by CORT, where he will lead the business’s next phase of growth.

The transaction also allows Dwellworks to sharpen its focus on destination services and relocation support while maintaining a strategic relationship with Dwellworks Living by CORT. Bob Rosing, who resumes his role as CEO of Dwellworks, said the acquisition strengthens the temporary living business under CORT while enabling Dwellworks to concentrate on its core relocation services.

©2026 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
Real Estate

Berkshire Hathaway Completes $6.8 Billion Acquisition of Taylor Morrison

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway completed its acquisition of Taylor Morrison on July 24 in a deal valued at approximately $6.8 billion in equity, or $72.50 per share in cash, with a total enterprise value of about $8.5 billion.

Taylor Morrison will continue to operate under CEO Sheryl Palmer, who will lead the integration of the company’s brands—including Esplanade, Yardly and Taylor Morrison Home Funding—with Berkshire Hathaway’s Clayton Properties Group. The combined site-built homebuilding operation will serve a broad range of buyers, from renters and first-time homeowners to move-up and resort lifestyle customers.

Berkshire Hathaway CEO Greg Abel said the acquisition creates a unified national homebuilding platform that will expand homeownership opportunities. Palmer called the combination “transformative,” citing the expanded scale, market reach and ability to offer more housing choices while maintaining local expertise.

Together, Taylor Morrison and Clayton Properties Group closed nearly 23,000 site-built homes in 2025, operate across 21 states and 52 housing markets, and serve more than 700 communities, making the combined company the fourth-largest homebuilder in the United States.

©2026 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 Reality Behind Long-Term Growth Myths

Warren Buffett has long warned investors about the perils of unrealistic expectations—especially when it comes to projecting high growth rates over long periods of time. No matter how promising a company appears, assuming it will sustain rapid growth indefinitely can be a costly mistake.

At the 2004 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting, Buffett cautioned, “The idea of projecting out extremely high growth rates for very long periods of time has caused investors to lose, you know, very, very large sums of money.”

While some management teams may talk up their company’s limitless potential, Buffett remains skeptical. “There are a lot of managements around who like to think their stocks are worth infinity,” he said wryly. “But we haven’t found one yet.”

He pointed to historical data as a reality check. Few companies on the Fortune 500 have managed to consistently grow earnings above 10% for decades. And once you start projecting 15% or more, Buffett notes, “you’re in the rarified atmosphere.”

Buffett and his longtime partner Charlie Munger are famously conservative in their growth projections. Their approach is a reminder that long-term investing success comes not from bold assumptions, but from disciplined, realistic expectations.

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.