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Richline Group

After Berkshire Acquisition, Silpada Launches Revamped E-commerce Site

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway’s Richline Group’s acquisition of the assets of jewelry designer Silpada has brought a new launch of the Silpada e-commerce site will come in time for Black Friday.

Richline Group announced the purchase of Silpada’s assets in late October.

The new website focuses on Silpada’s sterling silver jewelry, including never-before-seen pieces and best-selling legacy styles, in a direct-to-consumer model.

“We could not be more excited about this launch,” said Matt Nichols, Senior Vice President of Richline’s Digital division. “We’ve worked hard to craft a digital shopping experience that is worthy of Silpada’s dedicated fanbase and its beloved sterling silver designs. These fresh styles, as well as a new digital presence for Silpada are just the beginning. We look forward to building upon the extraordinary brand that the Kelly and Walsh families created.”

At launch, Silpada will unveil 40 entirely new designs. In addition to these new styles, silpada.com will bring back hundreds of customer favorites at permanently reduced prices. As the team at Richline Group develops the next line of Silpada jewelry, the site will host “The Sale Shop”, which offers exceptional last-chance values on legacy designs.

“Since acquiring Silpada in October, we’ve spent considerable time taking in feedback from passionate customers and representatives. Their insights have been invaluable as we work towards a new and inclusive direction for Silpada. We believe the new silpada.com is the right first step forward,” said Richline Group Chief Marketing Officer, Mark Hanna.

© 2016 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

Categories
Minority Stock Positions Stock Portfolio

BYD’s SkyRail Monorail Coming to S. Korea

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

BYD Company is ready to spread its SkyRail monorail system across the globe, and S. Korea looks like the first market for its new mass transportation system.

Things are happening quickly. On October 13, 2016, debuted its SkyRail monorail system in Shenzhen, China. The monorail was developed out of BYD’s five-year RMB 5 billion R&D project.

BYD’s initial 4.4 kilometer monorail line runs to its Shenzhen Headquarters, alleviates the traffic problems of 50,000 factory and management employees.

Strategically, SkyRail marks the company’s entry into the multi-trillion yuan mass transit market. BYD believes its monorails can counter traffic congestion in cities around the world while also offering more convenient mobility to urban residents.

Now, it looks like BYD’s SkyRail will be heading to S. Korea.

While commenting on the sale of 21 units of BYD’s 7m pure electric buses to Jeju Island, a popular South Korean vacation spot, Liu Xueliang, General Manager of BYD’s Asia Pacific Auto Sales Division, also mentioned SkyRail.

“We are honored to introduce BYD electric vehicles to South Korean market along with the BYD SkyRail, our straddle monorail. These will enable residents of both Jeju Island and the rest of South Korea to reap the benefits of new energy products.”

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.

© 2016 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

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Offers Employment Practices Liability Insurance

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) is now offering Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI), the latest addition to its Executive First suite of policies.

This new policy provides broad, modern coverage for companies facing harassment, discrimination and other claims initiated by employees, regulators, customers, and others.

“Our EPLI policy is a clear and concise solution for complex risks,” said Dan Fortin, SVP, Head of Executive & Professional Lines, BHSI. “It comes with BHSI’s trusted underwriting and claims expertise and proven services to help our customers instill employment best practices and ensure regulatory compliance.”

The policy is designed to protect companies and executives in the full spectrum of claims that arise in today’s employment terrain, including wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and failure to employ or promote.

The policy clearly articulates coverage for contemporary exposures, including those arising from genetic information, military status, sexual orientation or preference, and improper internet activity. Harassment is broadly stated as sexual or workplace harassment of any kind. Coverage extends to allegations brought by employees as well as third parties, such as customers. Limits of up to $25 million are available.

BHSI’s EPLI policyholders have access to EPL First, an online repository of HR training and compliance resources as well as attorney-client privileged “help line” services from an employment attorney. These services are provided by Littler Mendelson, the world’s largest employment and labor law firm.

EPLI is the newest addition to BHSI’s Executive First suite of products, all of which provide clear, current and customizable executive liability coverage for commercial and financial firms, including those with the most complex risk-transfer needs. Along with EPLI, the suite includes D&O Liability Insurance, Side A DIC Liability Insurance, Fiduciary Liability Insurance, and Private and Nonprofit Organization Portfolios.

© 2016 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

Illinois Sugar Storage Facility a Sweet Opportunity for BNSF

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

American Crystal Sugar’s new bulk-sugar storage facility will mean plenty of business for BNSF Railway.

The $40 million facility in Montgomery, Illinois features a 26,000-square-foot storage dome and a 17,000 square-foot transfer facility.

Key to the facility is 5,500 feet of track space for BNSF trains hauling sugar to and from the facility.

The new facility enables American Crystal Sugar to store product closer to its customers in the Midwest, and according to BNSF, has the capacity to store 60,000 metric tons of sugar, and nearly twice that much will be transferred to customers each year.

© 2016 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

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection Joins InsureMyTrip

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, which offers its AirCare and ExactCare travel insurance coverage to travelers, will now be available through the InsureMyTrip website and mobile platform.

Founded in 2000, InIsureMyTrip.com was the world’s first major travel insurance comparison website, and today enables consumers the ability compare and buy plans from 29 top travel insurance providers; the largest network of travel insurance plans and providers in the U.S. marketplace.

When Berkshire Hathaway purchased AirCare insurance in 2014, it immediately jumped to the head of the pack in the ability to offer travel insurance that can be purchased with your smartphone or mobile device at a moment’s notice.

It is coverage that brings strong profits to Berkshire, and there are times when it has paid off big for travelers.

For example, an August 8, 2016 Delta Airlines system-wide computer failure had AirCare purchasers feeling like they had won the lottery. As flights were grounded for hours, delayed travelers that had AirCare had $1,000 claims automatically credited to their bank accounts.

There is no telling how many travelers spent the money at airport retailers and lounges, but it was probably easy to tell who they were, as they must have been the ones with smiles on their faces as others fumed.

“Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection is redefining the way claims are processed and paid,” stated Jim Grace, CEO of InsureMyTrip. “Their innovative real-time claims settlement capabilities combined with their robust suite of products offer great flexibility and value for our customers. We are very pleased and excited to be working with them.”

BHTP offers advanced mobile claims processing services for travelers, enabling “pic and a click” filing for many claims with speedy payments. Emergency medical coverage is also available with coverage for many pre-existing medical conditions (if eligible) and options for trip cancellation and interruption protection. Customers will also have access to BHTP’s Emergency Assistance service.

“InsureMyTrip shares our passion for bringing innovation to traveler insurance,” said Dean Sivley, President of Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection. “We’re looking forward to bringing our advanced claim processing platform and real-time claim payments solutions to InsureMyTrip customers.”

© 2016 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
Dairy Queen

Dairy Queen Has Big Plans For Riverside County, California

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Dairy Queen has big plans for Riverside County, California. Fourteen new Dairy Queen “Grill & Chill” restaurants will be developed in the area over the next five to ten years.

Currently, Blizzard lovers have to be satisfied with a tiny walk-up only stand that dates from the 1950s. While it’s charming, it doesn’t showcase the DQ experience that has greatly boosted the companies sit-down business.

Dairy Queen is aggressively looking for franchisees for underserved areas, and the Riverside area is one of its top priorities.

The first of the new DQ Grill and Chills was opened in Cathedral City in September 2015, and a lot more will be coming.

Major California Expansion

Dairy Queen is also planning to triple its northern California locations, adding another 200 locations to its existing 98 locations, as Dairy Queen hasn’t been a common sight in the Bay area, with only 12 locations currently open.

In all, Dairy Queen, which has moved from a summer treats business to a year-round food and ice cream business model, plans to add 400 locations in California.

For more information read a Mazor’sEdge special report on Dairy Queen.

© 2016 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
Commentary MiTek

Commentary: Legalization of Marijuana Means “Gold Rush” for Berkshire Hathaway

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Marijuana may make its users relaxed and sluggish, but it will be a booming high time for one of Berkshire Hathaway’s companies.

Based in New Berlin, Wisconsin, Cubic Designs builds prefabricated custom mezzanine systems, standard steel platforms, pipe racks and canopies that add space to facilities.

It’s the kind of space that is needed for marijuana growing operations.

With California, Nevada, Arizona, Massachusetts and Maine all having just legalized the growing and sale of pot within their borders, Berkshire Hathaway’s Cubic Designs, a unit of MiTek, now has plenty of opportunities to market its wide variety of special platforms that maximize floor space in warehouses.

In addition, Arkansas, Florida, Montana, and North Dakota all just legalized the medical use of marijuana, which means that growing and distribution operations will begin in those states, as well.

For Cubic Designs, the marketing plan is ready and tested. When marijuana was legalized in Colorado, the company mailed fliers to marijuana dispensaries touting that they could double their growing space and improve their profits using Cubic Designs’ systems.

With the U.S. Cannabis Spot Index price currently at $1,393 per pound, as of November 4, 2016, maximizing growing and storage space can make millions of dollars of difference for a grower.

The New Gold Rush

Unlike most commodities that get grown in one region and shipped for sale in another, there is inherent duplication within the marijuana industry that benefits equipment suppliers. With marijuana still illegal on the Federal level, the harvested plants can’t cross interstate lines, so all the growing, processing and distribution operations need to be established separately in each state. These redundant operations offer business opportunities for establishing every phase of the infrastructure needed to support.

Much like the California Gold Rush in 1849 made big money for people supplying the panning equipment, this new “Marijuana Gold Rush” means lots of money to be made for equipment suppliers for growers and retailers.

With twenty-five percent of the U.S. population suddenly having access to legal marijuana, the growth opportunities for Cubic Designs will have a lot of upside ahead of it.

© 2016 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’s Pure Electric Buses to Hit the Streets in Macau

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

BYD Company – the Chinese battery and vehicle manufacturer – has signed an agreement to introduce Macao’s first pure electric buses through local tourism operator Ocean View Tour and Travel Agency.

Motor vehicle carbon emission is a major source of air pollution in Macao, a tiny city that experienced a 73 percent increase in the number of motor vehicles between 1999 and 2010.

According to figures by the Macao Special Administrative Region government, electric buses will produce 56 percent less carbon dioxide and 60 percent less nitrogen oxide for every hundred kilometers traveled compared to diesel buses.

The Macao SAR government has taken measures to improve the local living environment since 2011.

“Macao is a tourist destination with millions of visitors every year. Our electric buses are well built to navigate the city’s meandering roads and steep slopes,” said Liu Xueliang, General Manager of BYD’s Asia Pacific Sales Division. “The introduction of pure electric vehicles demonstrates our joint commitment to environmental protection while boosting the image of Macao as an international city.”

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.

© 2016 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
Marmon Group

Cornelius Says “Concentrate”…Beer That Is

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Cornelius, Inc., a Marmon/Berkshire Hathaway company, and the leading global producer of beverage dispensing systems, is partnering with Sustainable Beverage Technologies, a Colorado based developer of high density beer technologies, to showcase new craft beer formulas to beverage brands and foodservice retailers worldwide at BrauBeviale 2016 located in Nuremburg, Germany.

Sustainable Beverage Technologies (SBT) has partnered with four major breweries: New Belgium, Crazy Mountain, Denali and Flat12 Bierwerks to produce craft beer using high density technology. High density craft beer is a 6:1 concentrate made with traditional ingredients (water, malt, hops, and yeast) that is blended with carbonated water and baseline alcohol. The result, the company claims, is a taste profile that matches the premium beer produced by each brewery.

“These beers taste as good as any other craft beer being served from draft. I wouldn’t know they were produced any differently.” – Grandy Hull, Lead Brewer at New Belgium Brewing.

By creating high density beer using the patented SBT BrewVo® technology, craft brewers benefit from increased production and supply chain efficiencies, allowing their brands to become more accessible to consumers. Delivering high density craft beer through an innovative draft format, this technology will allow draft beer entry into previously inaccessible outlets lacking space for conventional kegs.

Kevin Selvy, Founder and CEO of Crazy Mountain Brewing Company, explained: “We’re excited to be involved with this technology. It is going to fundamentally change the landscape of how the beer industry functions.” Sassan Mossanen, President of Denali Brewing Co., said: “With this approach, we will be able to grow our brand into new markets we couldn’t previously serve [profitably].”

Cornelius touts as revolutionary its next generation tap system that is exclusive to the high density craft beer made by SBT.

The next generation system will support bars and restaurants with a cost effective increase in brand offerings. Jeff Garascia, Senior Vice-President of Growth & Innovation at Cornelius, had this to say,

“Cornelius has partnered with SBT to create a new draft beer platform that provides craft breweries with an opportunity to enter thousands of new locations. The Cornelius Four Paq and Six Paq craft beer dispensers can dispense up to six draft beers in the space used by one today. The use of high density beer dispenser will expand the market for craft beers on draft while providing economic and sustainability benefits across the supply chain. We expect to see high density beer make an impact in the market in 2017 and beyond.”

© 2016 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 CTB

CTB Acquires Volito Group B.V.

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Do you want chicken or fish? Whether you are picking an airline meal, or the entrée at your favorite restaurant, Berkshire Hathaway is very likely to be involved in bringing it to you.

Just days after Berkshire Hathaway’s CTB, Inc. finalized the purchase of a majority share in Cabinplant A/S, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of processing equipment for vegetables and fish, CTB has announced that it has acquired the Volito Group B.V., a designer and manufacturer of cage-free layer housing systems.

Volito has three locations in the Netherlands, including its headquarters in Veenendaal and manufacturing plants in Dodewaard and Amersfoort, all southeast of Amsterdam, and works through a global partner network.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Volito’s core products include aviary and nest systems for commercial layers (hens which lay eggs for consumption), nest systems for layer breeders (hens which lay hatching eggs) and rearing systems, as well as egg collection equipment, slats and perches. One of the earliest manufacturers of aviary systems, Volito’s cage-free hen housing complements the laying system offerings of CTB’s Chore-Time business unit, which include Chore-Time’s cage and colony systems, its widely used Ultraflo® feeding system, and drinkers, egg collectors and ventilation equipment.

“An early pioneer of aviary systems, Volito brings a long legacy and knowledge base of cage-free systems,” said CTB’s chairman and chief executive officer Victor A. Mancinelli. “Their first designs were installed in Switzerland more than 25 years ago, and their installed base now covers many other European countries as well,” Mancinelli went on to say. “Volito’s products will provide our customers with a complete line of aviary and nest systems through our worldwide Chore-Time distribution network.”

Volito was founded in 1989 based on the vision that aviary systems were the future, even outside Switzerland. Since then, the company has successfully installed and is servicing thousands of poultry houses with aviary systems and/or nest systems. In recent years, the company added new ranges of aviary systems, including Valego, an advanced and patented nest system for layers and breeders.

Commenting on the acquisition, Hans Donker, general manager of Volito, stated, “We are pleased that Volito will now have the resources and backing of CTB to extend its reach into additional market areas. CTB is a strong partner and will also benefit from Volito’s expertise. Our long history with cage-free technology should be welcomed by Chore-Time’s customers seeking cage-free options.”

© 2016 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.