Berkshire Hathaway Inc

(NYSE: BRKB)

Industry: Reinsurance
On the web: http://www.berkshirehathaway.com
Employees: 246,000

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is domiciled in the state of Delaware. It is a holding company owning subsidiaries engaged in a number of diverse business activities, including property and casualty insurance and reinsurance, utilities and energy, finance, manufacturing, service and retailing. The Company's insurance and reinsurance business activities are conducted through over 60 domestic and foreign-based insurance entities. Its insurance businesses provide insurance and reinsurance of property and casualty risks world-wide and also reinsure life, accident and health risks world-wide. The Company's insurance underwriting operations are comprised of the following sub-groups: GEICO and its subsidiaries General Re and its subsidiaries Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group and Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group. General Re's property/casualty reinsurance business in North America is conducted through General Reinsurance Corporation, domiciled in Delaware and licensed in the District of Columbia and all states but Hawaii where it is an accredited reinsurer. Property/casualty operations in North America are headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, and are also conducted through 16 branch offices in the U.S. and Canada. Reinsurance activities are marketed directly to clients without involving a broker or intermediary. Through a subsidiary of Cologne Re, life, health, long-term care and disability reinsurance coverages are written on an individual and group basis. Most of this business is written on a proportional treaty basis, with the exception of the U.S. group health and disability business which is predominately written on an excess treaty basis. Lesser amounts of life and disability business are written on a facultative basis. The life/health business is marketed on a direct basis. The Company currently owns an 88.2% voting common stock interest in MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, an international energy company. The Company's apparel manufacturing businesses include manufacturers of a number of clothing and footwear. Businesses engaged in the manufacture and distribution of clothing products include Fruit of the Loom, Russell Corporation, Vanity Fair Brands, Garan and Fechheimer Brothers. Its footwear businesses include H.H. Brown Shoe Group and Justin Brands. Each of the Company's operating businesses faces intense competitive pressures within its respective markets. Such competition might come from domestic operators and international operators. Many factors, including market and technology changes, might erode competitive advantages or prevent their strengthening. The Company's businesses are subject to Federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations with regard to air and water quality, renewable portfolio standards, climate change, hazardous and solid waste disposal and other environmental matters.