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Kraft Heinz

Kraft Heinz Looks to Expand India Sales With New Indo Nissin Foods Partnership

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Just weeks since selling its Indian brands – Complan, Glucon-D, Nycil, and Sampriti – to Zydus Wellness, Kraft Heinz has entered a distribution partnership with Japanese food giant Indo Nissin Foods.

The company is best known as the manufacturer of Cup Noodles and Top Ramen instant noodles.

The partnership will include multiple channels such as retail, modern trade, government channels and e-commerce distribution avenues, ensuring consumers have seamless access to Heinz Tomato Ketchup, said Heinz.

The partnership will also aim to open up new markets and introduce additional Kraft Heinz products into the Indian market.

Sankalp Potbhare, MD of Kraft Heinz India, said: “We are looking to aggressively grow in India with the support of Indo Nissin Foods’ distribution channels.”

© 2019 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.

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Business Wire

Business Wire Announces Expansion Of Its Paris Office

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Berkshire Hathaway’s Business Wire, the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure, has announced that its Paris office has moved and is expanding.

Business Wire France was launched in October 2005 and is now relocating Place de la Madeleine in Paris with the ambition to add new staff and increase its market share in France and Southern Europe.

For Patrice le Tulle, Business Wire Regional Director France & Southern Europe, “moving in this new space in the heart of Paris gets us closer to our historical clients and for our clients abroad, the address reflects our international dimension. Besides, we will be able to organize workshops and seminars around PR, IR and other topics linked to our industry because we now have the capacity to host these types of events”.

Business Wire Paris office has its own newsroom with a team of professional editors. With 19 newsrooms and over 200 editors worldwide, Business Wire is the only newswire service to offer such a proximity relationship with its clients. Building local presence is key to Business Wire to better understand the communications needs of companies and industries in their local markets.

French companies will continue to benefit from the large distribution networks Business Wire provides as well as local assistance, two fundamentals of Business Wire to better serve its clients. From press releases distribution with photos and videos, disclosure, online newsrooms, interactive media, content marketing platforms to analytics and social media monitoring, Business Wire has a wide range of services to suits all communications needs.

“We are extremely proud to see our Paris office expands”, explains Geff Scott, Business Wire’s CEO. “After ten years of growth, this office has the ambition to further develop the Business Wire group’s clients base in Italy, Spain and Portugal, countries where the newswire culture is still not widespread. For PR and IR professionals, this announcement is a sign of the vitality of Business Wire and its industry.”

© 2019 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.

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GEICO Insurance

GEICO Adding Employees in Buffalo

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

The GEICO regional office in Buffalo, New York, is hiring.

Even in a tight labor market, GEICO’s Buffalo office has grown from 500 to more than 3,000 associates since first opening its doors in 2004. This immense growth led to the opening of a second building in 2017. To better serve GEICO’s growing customer base in New England, GEICO is seeking to add an estimated 200 more associates this year.

“The tremendous pool of talent in Western New York has helped this office prosper over the years,” Regional Vice President Jeremy Connor said. “We are excited to extend an invitation to others to join our GEICO family and help us continue to offer the top-notch customer experience that GEICO is known for.”

© 2019 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 Energy

Berkshire Hathaway’s Utilities Saved $26.63 Million in Q4 2018 Thanks to EIM

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Two of Berkshire Hathaway’s utilities, PacifiCorp and NV Energy, saved a combined $26.63 million so far this year through the western Energy Imbalance Market (EIM).

The California Independent System Operator (ISO) has released its western Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) 2018 first-quarter benefits report that shows total savings have reached $330.52 million since the market’s launch in November 2014.

The benefits for October, November and December reached $62.57 million for the eight participating members, and the gross benefits for Berkshire’s NV Energy was $4.95 million and PacifiCorp was $$21.68 million.

The western EIM platform automatically finds and delivers low-cost energy to serve consumers in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Optimizing diverse resources from a large geographic area enables more effective use of carbon-free generation besides reducing costs.

The Western EIM continued in the fourth quarter to help displace less clean energy supplies by using 23,425 megawatt-hours of surplus renewable energy that otherwise would have been curtailed.

Since the end of 2014, the effective use of carbon free generation from the market has amounted to reducing a gross of 324,284 metric tons of CO2, which is the equivalent of removing the emissions of 68,179 passenger cars driven for one year.

Looking forward, the market will continue to grow with the planned addition of six entities.

The Balancing Authority of Northern California/Sacramento Municipal Utility District is set to begin participation in April 2019. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Salt River Project, and Seattle City Light will follow in April 2020. The Public Service Company of New Mexico and NorthWestern Energy will participate in the market starting April 2021.

© 2019 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.of future results.

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Mouser Electronics

Mouser Electronics Inks Distribution Agreement with Monnit Corp.

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Berkshire Hathaway’s Mouser Electronics, Inc. has announced a global distribution agreement with Monnit Corp.

Mouser now stocks Monnit’s wireless sensors, gateways and Internet of Things (IoT).

“We are dedicated to enhancing product availability and support for our customers around the globe,” said Nick Mecham, VP of Business Development at Monnit. “Mouser has 23 locations around the world to provide best-in-class customer service. They ship to over 600,000 customers in 220 countries. We welcome them aboard.”

Monnit® ALTA® wireless sensors are an ecosystem of more than 60 sensor types that detect changes in a wide range of variables such as temperature, water presence, door position or electrical current. Monnit’s ALTA series devices offer an exceptional range of over 1,200 feet (non-line-of-sight) through more than 12 walls, plus Monnit Encrypt-RF® integrated security and onboard data memory. Extremely power efficient, ALTA sensors last over 12 years on 2 AA batteries.

Monnit Ethernet and cellular gateways allow Monnit wireless sensors to communicate with the iMonnit® cloud. The globally supported devices use an internet or cellular connection to connect with Monnit’s online servers, making deployment possible with or without an existing internet connection. Graphical iMonnit software streamlines network configuration, data viewing and alert configuration (SMS text, email or voice). iMonnit is available online or via free app.

Monnit Internet of Things Starter Kits feature enterprise-grade hardware and software to address the need for reliable IoT solutions. IoT Starter Kits include everything needed to begin monitoring for a variety of applications including facilities, agricultural areas, corporate properties, commercial refrigeration, HVAC systems and server rooms.

© 2019 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
Nebraska Furniture Mart

Hawksearch Powers Nebraska Furniture Mart’s Online Ecommerce

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Berkshire Hathaway’s furniture retail chain Nebraska Furniture Mart (NFM) is using Hawksearch, a site search platform that utilizes advanced machine learning and pattern analysis to deliver the best search experience for website visitors.

NFM needed a search and merchandising engine that could support their online ecommerce growth.

Choosing the platform-agnostic Hawksearch tool, the new NFM website includes:

• A powerful search tool that customizes the site search experience
• Large number of filters available for NFM’s wide assortment of products
• Ability to support region based pricing and availability for their stores
• Ability to build and merchandise product landing pages
• Specific SEO requirements in terms of filters and landing pages so they have the ability to rank their landing pages for long tail searches
• Ability to build dynamic widgets that are capable of returning:
o Top Brands
o Top Products
o Top Categories
• Sync functionality that allows merchandisers to preview and test their changes before publishing them to production
• Ability to leverage the search tool in each store on tablets that NFM sales representatives use

NFM utilizes Hawksearch in very unique ways. The entire content on their site, from the homepage to the product detail page, is driven using Hawksearch Merchandising features. Hawksearch allows NFM to tailor the content displayed on the website, depending on the region and other factors about their users. The new site has an extremely clean filter design and includes an intuitive website experience that allows visitors to easily find the products they’re interested in.

Hawksearch CTO Shreyas Kamath said, “We’re proud to provide the powerful Hawksearch tool to Nebraska Furniture Mart. We’re continuously looking to further streamline the site search experience for our customers in order to increase their conversions and sales, allowing for a truly remarkable and productive user experience.”

NFM is one of the largest home furnishing stores in North America selling furniture, flooring, appliances and electronics. They were founded in 1937 in Omaha, Nebraska and acquired by Berkshire Hathaway in 1983. Nebraska Furniture Mart has locations in Omaha, Kansas City, Des Moines, and Dallas.

© 2019 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
Kraft Heinz

Kraft Heinz Sells Off Indian Brands

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The Kraft Heinz Company completed the sale of Indian brands Complan, Glucon-D, Nycil and Sampriti to Zydus Wellness Limited and its affiliates.

“The sale of this niche business fits into our overall global growth strategy and our focus on investing in and growing brands within our core categories, and where we see a clear path to sustainable competitive advantage,” said Bernardo Hees, Chief Executive Officer of Kraft Heinz.

Under the terms of the agreement, Kraft Heinz sold to Zydus Wellness Limited and an affiliate 100% of its equity shares in Heinz India Private Limited, which is comprised of Complan, Glucon-D, Nycil and Sampriti brands, and two manufacturing facilities, with approximately 760 employees associated with these brands and operations.

© 2019 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 HomeServices

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Knight & Gardner Realty of Key West Acquires Market Leading Brokerage in Marathon & Lower Florida Keys

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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Knight & Gardner Realty has acquired a Middle Keys brokerage formerly operated as Christie’s-affiliated American Caribbean Real Estate of the Middle & Lower Keys.

The latter now operates as Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Keys Real Estate.

Through the union, Knight & Gardner Realty gains a market-leading brokerage, 24 seasoned agents and access to the vibrant Lower and Middle Keys markets. Ginger Henderson, 35-year owner of the brokerage operating as American Caribbean Real Estate of the Middle & Lower Keys, will remain with Keys Real Estate as an agent and mentor to the group.

“We are thrilled to join forces with one of the most respected brokerages in the Florida Keys,” said Will Langley, president of Knight & Gardner Realty and Keys Real Estate. “Ginger and her team are highly regarded in the region for their skill, integrity and expertise in resort and high-end property. We’re proud they will represent our growing brokerage family and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network.”

Henderson, who wanted to focus more on her sizeable book of business in the region, sought an acquisition that would bring her agents a respected brand and suite of tools and resources to help them grow their businesses.

“I spoke to many suitors,” she explained. “For me, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Knight & Gardner Realty was the obvious choice. The Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand carries the name of one of the world’s most trusted and respected corporations, and Knight & Gardner Realty is the top-rated brokerage in the Florida Keys. Together, we’ll sell a lot of real estate and satisfy many more clients.”

With their network membership, Keys Real Estate agents gain access to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ Global Network Platform, a powerful tool suite driving lead generation, marketing support, social media, video production/distribution and more. The network also provides global listing syndication, relocation referrals, professional education and the exclusive Luxury Collection marketing program for high-end listings.

Gino Blefari, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, applauded the merger. “The combination of Knight & Gardner Realty and Keys Real Estate will dominate the Florida Keys for years to come,” he said. “We’re eager to support this growing brokerage family every step of the way.”

© 2019 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
HomeServices of America

Intero Opens Office in Reno, Nevada

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Intero, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate and wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire’s HomeServices of America, Inc., has opened its newest location in Reno, Nevada.

Situated about five miles from Downtown, the new Reno office, located at 5470 Kietzke Lane, is owned and operated by the motivated and detail-oriented Denise Hallerbach.

This is Denise’s second stint with Intero, having had a franchise operation from 2014 to 2016.

Denise holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Stanford University, and a Master of Arts Degree in Communicative Disorders from University of the Pacific. Prior to her 9-year career in real estate, she treated stroke and head-injured patients as a medical Speech-Language Pathologist. While attending Stanford, she was a member of the Stanford Women’s Volleyball Team, winning 2 NCAA National Championships with her teammates.

“We are thrilled to be back,” said Denise Hallerbach, Intero Reno Broker & Owner. “Bringing Intero back to the Greater Reno area is not only exciting for us, but also benefits our community as they experience the highest level of service coupled with the exceptional brand Intero embodies.”

Joining Denise in the new Reno location is Robert Skinner, a 14-year veteran of the residential and commercial real industry. Robert has a wealth of knowledge and experience in sales, leasing and real estate development. He earned a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation in 2007 and is an expert in the commercial and the investment real estate industry.

“The entire Intero Family is excited to have Denise and Robert lay the foundation for the Intero Reno office,” said Tom Tognoli, Intero President & Chief Executive Officer. “We know with their work ethic, connections and drive, success will be a foregone conclusion.”

© 2019 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
Minority Stock Positions Stock Portfolio

BYD on a Roll with 50,000 Electric Buses

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

BYD (Build Your Dreams), a world leader and pioneer in battery and zero-emission vehicles, has hit a remarkable figure in its quest to get the world of buses to change from the soot-belching, diesel polluters of yore, to a vehicle that’s on the forefront of environmentally sound transportation.

BYD reached has a new milestone with the completion of its 50,000th battery-electric bus.

The company notes that according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s research, operating 50,000 electric buses is equivalent to taking 1.35 million cars off the road and eliminating 84.5 million tons of C02 over the vehicles’ 12-year lifespan.

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 has grown in value almost ten-fold, and is now worth roughly $1.96 billion.

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

© 2019 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.