Which company did Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway acquire in 1965 and use as its corporate name?

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway acquired the textile company in 1965 and retained Berkshire Hathaway as its corporate name.

Berkshire Hathaway began as a group of New England textile businesses formed through the 1955 merger of Berkshire Fine Spinning Associates and Hathaway Manufacturing Company. Warren Buffett’s investment partnership acquired control in 1965. Although the textile operations later declined and were eventually closed, Buffett kept the name as the holding company expanded.

Berkshire then invested in insurance, railroads, utilities, manufacturing, retail, and publicly traded securities. Its insurance subsidiaries, including GEICO and General Re, provide capital that can be invested, while companies such as BNSF Railway operate as major wholly owned businesses.

Berkshire Hathaway is unusual among very large companies because it has historically avoided a stock split for its Class A shares. The Class A shares therefore have an exceptionally high per-share price, while Class B shares provide a more accessible ownership route.