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Minority Stock Positions Stock Portfolio

BYD Wins Bid to Bring Pure Electric Buses to Cape Town, South Africa

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

BYD Company – the Chinese battery and vehicle manufacturer – will supply a fleet of 11 battery electric buses to the city of Cape Town, South Africa.

The City of Cape Town has awarded the tender for the procurement of
battery-powered electric buses and ancillary equipment for the MyCiTi
service to BYD SA Company.

Cape Town aims to become the first city on the African continent to
use electric buses for public transport. The city’s transport
administration will initially use the easy access 12-metre-long buses
as an express service on a 35 to 40-kilometre route between the city’s
central business district and the Metro South East region.

The administration plans to subsequently reassign the buses to Cape
Town’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system following completion of
supporting infrastructure.

“Electric buses generate less noise than those with traditional diesel
engines and provide a smoother ride for passengers and bus drivers,”
said AD Huang, General Manager of BYD Middle East and Africa Auto
Sales Division. “These clean-running buses will help provide Cape
Town’s residents with a more sustainable public transport system while
assisting the country in achieving its environmental ideals.”

Huang added, “Cape Town’s deployment of electric buses is the first
showcase of a clean and sustainable transport system in Africa, the
success of this project will encourage other African cities to develop
their own green public transport projects.”

Cape Town aims to reduce carbon emissions through a range of policies
that affect households, businesses, the city’s transport system and
electricity generation. Its “Energy 2040 Strategy” outlines a plan to
increase transport efficiency so that carbon emissions targets are
reduced by 3.2 percent by 2020. Transport accounts for 34 percent of
carbon output in this city of 3.8 million people.

“BYD could potentially supply five more single deck electric buses and
five additional double decker electric buses, depending on the city
government’s approval,” AD Huang said. “We look forward to continuing
our contribution to the development of South Africa’s renewable energy
scene.”

BYD’s battery electric bus employs many advanced technologies
developed in-house by a staff of more than 16,000 R&D engineers,
including the BYD iron-phosphate battery that can sustain more than
80% of capacity even after 4,000 cycles. Combined with BYD’s
proprietary in-wheel hub motors and regenerative braking system, the
BYD “ebus” offers the lowest life cycle cost of ownership compared to
conventional diesel buses.

The BYD ebus delivers a host of operational and environmental benefits
for public transit riders, bus operators and residents of the
community, including a quiet and comfortable ride without vibrations,
jerks, or the noise associated with the conventional buses and
combustion engines. The bus can also drive for more than 250
kilometers – even in heavy city traffic – on a single charge.

As of July 2016, BYD bus fleets have completed more than 191 million
kilometers “in revenue service” and have been evaluated by more than
170 cities in 38 countries and regions around the world. To date, BYD
has built over 10,000 electric buses globally.

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.

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Acquisitions CTB

CTB Completes Purchase of Majority Share in Denmark-Based Cabinplant

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway’s CTB, Inc. has 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.

Cabinplant’s poultry processing equipment complements that made by CTB’s Meyn poultry processing subsidiary.

The acquisition agreement was originally announced on September 5, 2016. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The acquisition adds tailor-made processing solutions for fish and shellfish, fruit and vegetables, and convenience foods, as well as additional poultry processing equipment to CTB’s existing line of Meyn processing equipment for poultry. Cabinplant’s high-yield processing solutions broaden the range of processing options CTB can offer customers in the food industry.

About CTB

Acquired by Berkshire Hathaway in 2002 for $180 million, CTB is a leading global designer and maker of systems and solutions for storing, conveying and preserving grain; producing poultry, pigs and eggs; and processing poultry, fish, vegetables and other foods.

© 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 Energy

Money Flowing Into Solar Development to Benefit Berkshire Hathaway

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Money is flowing into the solar development and construction sector, and this could benefit Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio of utilities.

The money speeds the construction of utility-scale solar power projects that utilities then purchase to replace antiquated fossil-fuel powered generation plants.

One example is Origis Energy, a Miami based international solar development and construction firm with a photovoltaic portfolio of over 600 megawatts, and Baltisse, the European private investment firm of Mr. Filip Balcaen.

Baltisse has committed to provide up to a total of $100 million in growth capital for Origis. The capital comes as private investment money is ramping up investment in the U.S. solar market.

The funding empowers Origis to strengthen its offerings to utilities and large scale corporate energy buyers seeking solar as a clean energy alternative for their power generation needs.

Origis has already developed more than 100 projects worldwide totaling 600+ megawatts to date of solar capacity for utilities, including Berkshire Hathaway’s Pacific Corp.

“The strength of our balance sheet as an independent power producer in the U.S. is a critical consideration for utility and corporate procurement executives,” said Guy Vanderhaegen, Chief Executive Officer of Origis Energy. “We have crossed major milestones in our work for leading utilities in the U.S. This investment and the board guidance of Filip Balcaen makes Origis an even stronger partner to fulfill the solar objectives of large scale energy users in the U.S.”

Berkshire Hathaway Energy has been busy buying up renewable energy projects, including two portfolios of projects developed by Geronimo Energy, LLC. that were acquired in 2015 and 2016.

© 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
Berkadia

Berkadia Hits Overdrive as it Expands Operation in Houston

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

With its Houston-based team on target to reach $3.5 billion in debt production volume, Berkadia, Berkshire Hathaway’s joint venture with Leucadia, has expanded its Houston operations in order to accommodate the growing team of investment sales and commercial lending experts.

The Houston Berkadia team tripled its office space when it relocated from a 6,200 square foot space at 2200 Post Oak Boulevard to an 18,000-square-foot office at 2229 San Felipe Street.

At the same time, it noted that it its mortgage banking team had reached a milestone in its production volume, on target to hit $3.5 billion in debt production volume alone over the last 18 months.

To accommodate this massive growth in production, Berkadia’s Houston team has added approximately 30 new professionals over the past 18 months, warranting the more expansive office space for the larger team.

“We’re very bullish on the Houston market in the long-term and we are seeing tremendous demand for Berkadia’s expertise in commercial real estate and mortgage banking both locally and regionally,” said Tucker Knight, Berkadia Senior Managing Director. “Our business has expanded despite many in the market contracting.”

Added Berkadia Senior Managing Director Ryan Epstein, “Berkadia provides a combination of investment sales and mortgage banking expertise all under one roof, which has resonated wit’h clients across the spectrum. We anticipate a very strong pipeline of business in the months and years ahead.”

About Berkadia

Founded in 2009 as a 50/50 joint venture between Berkshire Hathaway and Leucadia National Corporation, Berkadia is a third-party commercial mortgage servicer, as well as an approved lender for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and HUD/FHA. The company was among the top Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae multifamily lenders for 2013.

Berkadia owes its origins to GMAC Commercial Mortgage Corporation, which was acquired in 2009 by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Five Mile Capital Partners LLC, and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners. Christened Capmark Financial, the company had $10 billion of originations in 2008 and a servicing portfolio of more than $360 billion before running into bankruptcy in October 2009.

In a deal approved by the bankruptcy court, Capmark sold its mortgage loan and servicing to the newly formed Berkadia in a deal worth $515 million.

The deal brought Berkshire into the heart of the commercial loan serving business, and the company has one of the largest commercial real estate servicing 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
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Insurance

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Rolls Out Civil Liability Insurance for Financial Institutions in Australia and New Zealand

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company (BHSI) has launched Professional First Financial Institutions Civil Liability Insurance in Australia and New Zealand.

“Many forces have shifted the risk landscape for financial institutions, from the lessons learned from the complex litigation of the global financial crisis, to the rise of new disruptive technologies and novel ways of conducting business,” said Vincent Barker, Manager, Financial Institutions, BHSI, Australia. “We’re pleased to offer a market-leading civil liability policy wording that keeps pace with these changes and provides clarity of coverage and flexibility for financial institutions.”

BHSI’s new policy expressly addresses the broad range of claims financial institutions can face as they provide diverse services to many different parties. It uses an expansive ‘professional services’ trigger not linked to a client, fee or specified service. The policy also covers bail bond costs, deprivation of assets expenses, court attendance and prosecution costs, providing peace of mind to insured professionals.

BHSI’s new Civil Liability policy also includes pre-investigation loss coverage. Contractual liability and mandatory contractual terms coverage is provided as well.

BHSI has a broad appetite for mid-size and large financial institutions of all types—from insurance companies and banks, to financial administrators, financial technology providers, and M&A/corporate advisory firms.

“Our new Civil Liability policy wording for financial institutions provides certainty for the often complex risks of the financial institutions space,” said Karen Poching, Senior Underwriter, Executive and Professional Lines, BHSI, New Zealand. “We are pleased to add this essential coverage to our growing suite of policies for financial institutions.”

© 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.

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Lubrizol

Lubrizol to Benefit From Robust Market for Medical Tubing

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Berkshire Hathaway’s Lubrizol will benefit from the robust growth projected to come from the medical tubing market over the next five years.

Analysts at Research and Markets are projecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.0% from 2016 to reach a total market size of USD $5.85 Billion, by 2021.

In 2014, Lubrizol acquired Vesta Inc., a maker of catheters and tubing based on silicone and thermoplastics.

According to Research and Markets, the market is mainly driven by minimally invasive surgery.

Another major factor that is expected to bring momentum to this market are increasing aging population, especially in developing countries, and the rising awareness about healthcare and the government initiatives to improve the quality of the healthcare infrastructure.

Silicone and TPE & TPE are expected to register high CAGRs between 2016 and 2021, in terms of volume. Silicone and other specialty polymers are replacing PVC due to their sterilization capabilities and microwave property, which PVC cannot sustain.

North America accounted for the largest share of the global medical tubing market and is projected to continue dominating the market during the forecast period while Asia-Pacific is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period due to the improving lifestyles of the population in the region. North America accounted for the largest share in 2015 in the medical tubing market due to focused interest of its government to provide quality healthcare facilities.

Bulk disposable tubing application is projected to account for highest market share during the forecast period. Medical tubing is widely used in the bulk disposable and dialysis applications. Bulk disposable tubing is used in blood bags used for blood transfusion, intravenous infusion tubing, drug delivery disposables, respiratory disposables, products for dialysis, laboratory disposables, wound management disposables, nonwoven medical disposables, sterilization supplies, waste disposable supplies, and others, such as diagnostic disposables. These disposable tubings are used mainly in hospitals.

Medical tubing manufactured from polymers is preferred because of their favorable properties such as resistance to sterilization condition, flexibility, inertness to body tissues & fluids.

Significant investment and the time required for product development act as a major restraint in the medical tubing market. In order to develop new and innovative products, technologies, and manufacturing processes, the market players collaborate with each other. These collaborations are expected to overcome this restraint during the forecast period.

At the time of the Vesta acquisition, Lubrizol’s Deb Langer stated that “the addition of Vesta significantly enhances our life science offerings through the combination of strong polymer technology, applications know-how and world class component manufacturing.”

© 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
Lubrizol

Lubrizol Announces Distribution Partnership with LEHVOSS

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

The Lubrizol Corporation’s` Advanced Materials business has announced a new distribution partnership with LEHVOSS Italia S.r.l. covering Italy, for Lubrizol`s PearlbondTM TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) for reactive hot melts (HMPUR or RHM) and shoe stiffeners, and PearlstickTM TPU for solvent-based adhesives.

LEHVOSS Italia S.r.l. is the affiliated company in Italy of Lehmann & Voss & Co., which has been selling chemical specialties for the industrial sector for more than 120 years.

LEHVOSS is a well-established distributor of chemical specialities for diverse industries, such as: plastics, adhesives, compounds and polyester resins, rubber, paints, coatings and polyurethane polymers.

Javier Tortosa, Lubrizol Engineered Polymers global adhesives business manager, comments, “With this agreement we are looking forward to expanding the growth of our specialty TPU solutions in the Italian adhesive market and delivering consistently excellent service to new customers. We expect to provide high-value, differentiated technology solutions through this partnership with LEHVOSS in Italy.”

Lubrizol`s Pearlstick and Pearlbond TPU product lines include TPU specialties used as additives to increase HMPUR crystallization speed and green strength, as well as improve adhesion to substrates, accelerate setting and open times, by applying them in the following industries and applications: transportation (component bonding), technical textiles and furniture (edge banding, profile wrapping).

© 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
NetJets

NetJets Gets Into Whole-Aircraft Brokerage With New Subsidiary

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

NetJets Inc. buys and sells more airplanes than any other private aviation company in the world, and now the fractional ownership pioneer is offering these capabilities to the entire private aviation community through a new, independent subsidiary: QS Partners, a whole-aircraft brokerage and dealership.

QS Partners is dedicated to delivering customized aircraft sales and acquisition services. QS Partners has a global network of resources and expertise that enables the delivery of creative solutions to all corners of the globe.

“By recognizing a growing need from our clients regarding whole-aircraft sales and trades and leveraging NetJets’ global network of resources, QS Partners allows us to offer a valuable service that goes beyond what is traditionally offered by aircraft brokerage services,” said Doug Henneberry, EVP of Aircraft Asset Management at NetJets. “This is a service our customers have asked for, and we’ll extend the uncompromising attention to detail they have come to expect from NetJets to this new venture.”

Whole-aircraft transactions are hardly new territory for NetJets–or for QS Partners. For years the company has assisted aircraft owners looking to transition into a NetJets Share™ or Marquis Jet Card®, or fractional owners looking to supplement with whole aircraft ownership. The company’s aircraft expertise also runs deep; it maintains a fleet of more than 700 jets globally that continuously require refreshing.

“Even though we are a new company, we have the resources, the expertise, the capital strength, and the global presence of NetJets,” said Brian Hirsh, President of QS Partners. “Those four elements set QS Partners apart from almost every other broker dealer.” QS Partners is now the exclusive authorized reseller of NetJets airplanes.

A long-term strategy for QS Partners is to focus on customer-centric service. Every transition is about more than buying or selling an airplane—it’s about developing a relationship and understanding the core of the customers’ objectives and where they want to be. This allows QS Partners to create the best solution, especially with the expertise of John Odegard and Seth Zlotkin, NetJets veterans and industry experts who bring a combined 25 years of aviation sales experience to the team.

In addition to being customer-centric, QS Partners is also a data-driven company with global reach. Fueled with decades of research provided by its parent company, QS Partners has more data, more details, more knowledge of the market, and more understanding of what’s happening in all corners of the world than other companies.

“Data allows us to better guide customers and provide valuable options,” said Hirsh. “We have the resources to facilitate a seamless transaction anywhere around the globe.”

© 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 Energy

Balancing Authority of Northern California and Sacramento Municipal Utility District Want In On Western Energy Imbalance Market

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

The California Independent System Operator (ISO) has announced that the Balancing Authority of Northern California (BANC) and Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) intend to join the ISO’s western Energy Imbalance Market (EIM).

The EIM is a real-time, wholesale power market managed by the ISO that enables participating utilities to buy low cost energy available across eight western states, including California, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada and Arizona. The efficiencies created by pooling resources across a wide geographic area provide cost savings and environmental benefits.

Berkshire Hathaway’s Oregon-based PacifiCorp was the first utility to join the EIM, beginning in November 2014, and Berkshire’s NV Energy of Las Vegas, entered the market in December 2015. Both have already achieved tens of millions in cost savings and environmental benefits.

After completing a study on the benefits of joining the EIM, BANC – a joint powers agency whose members include the Modesto Irrigation District, the City of Redding, the City of Roseville, SMUD, the City of Shasta Lake and Trinity Public Utilities District – announced their intent to begin negotiations with the ISO on behalf of their members. SMUD, the nation’s sixth largest municipal utility, has elected to be the first BANC member to participate.

“We are extremely pleased to see a major regional public power utility, like SMUD, step forward to engage in the EIM,” said Steve Berberich, ISO president and CEO. “We are confident we can create an agreement that provides efficiencies and savings to SMUD and other BANC members.”

The EIM uses state-of-the-art software to automatically analyze western grid needs and find low-cost generation to meet demand every five minutes. Participating utilities also can access low-cost renewable energy across state lines in real-time to offset power generated from local fossil-fueled plants.

The cost and environmental benefits produced by the EIM to date have been significant. Since it began operation in November 2014, the western EIM has realized more than $88 million in cost benefits and reduced carbon emissions by more than 126,000 metric tons by using excess renewable energy in place of fossil-fueled generation resources.

BANC, SMUD and the ISO will begin crafting an agreement that will recognize BANC’s unique circumstances as a public power entity and enable them to phase-in their EIM participation while continuing to meet their existing power supply arrangements.

Current EIM participants include Portland-based PacifiCorp, NV Energy of Las Vegas, Arizona Public Service, and Puget Sound Energy of Washington. Portland General Electric and Idaho Power have agreed to participate beginning in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

Last week, Mexican grid operator El Centro Nacional de Control de Energía (CENACE) announced that it is exploring participation in the EIM.

© 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 Richline Group

Richline Group Acquires Silpada Designs

(BRK.A), (BRK.B)

Richline Group, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, has acquired select assets of Silpada Designs, including the “Silpada” brand name, its jewelry designs and all sterling silver and fashion jewelry inventory.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

From its humble beginnings as a business founded by stay-at-home moms, Silpada saw stunning success, becoming the world’s largest home party seller of sterling silver jewelry. Over the past three years significant investments were made to keep Silpada operating as the company worked to enhance and evolve its business to remain relevant in an evolving market.

As it struggled, the company shut down its online business earlier this year.

Richline Group, a manufacturer and marketer of fine jewelry brands, will continue to produce and market the Silpada brand through new channels, focusing on Silpada’s sterling silver jewelry heritage.

While the Kelly and Walsh families will no longer be a part of Silpada moving forward, they are “extremely pleased that the Silpada brand will live on as a member of the Richline family of brands.”

“We see a tremendous opportunity to bring Silpada back to its creative roots. We plan to focus exclusively on these unique and accessible sterling silver designs that have clearly resonated with so many women across the world. We look forward to honoring the Silpada legacy while finding new ways to invigorate this unique and nationally-recognized brand”, said Richline Group CEO, Dennis Ulrich.

Going forward Richline plans to refocus the Silpada name around its sterling silver offerings. For the balance of 2016, Richline will continue serving Silpada’s loyal customer base with the core products Silpada is best known for, as well as a previously unreleased line of jewelry, as it refines a new direction forward for this national leader in silver jewelry.

In addition to ongoing retail sales for the brand, Richline will continue honoring the Silpada Lifetime Guarantee that was in place prior to June 1, 2016 for all qualified purchases until September 2017.

© 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.