Which underwear brand's parent company did Berkshire Hathaway acquire in 2002?

Berkshire Hathaway acquired the parent company of the underwear brand Fruit of the Loom in 2002.

The transaction was completed on April 30, 2002, when Berkshire purchased substantially all of Fruit of the Loom’s basic apparel business. The company was emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and Berkshire’s purchase helped complete that reorganization. The announced cash purchase price was $835 million, subject to adjustments and certain liabilities.

Fruit of the Loom became an independent, wholly owned Berkshire subsidiary headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Its products included underwear, T-shirts, fleece, activewear, casualwear, and children’s clothing. The business sold products principally under the Fruit of the Loom and BVD brand names.

The wording matters: Berkshire bought the apparel business and operations, rather than simply buying one underwear label. Calvin Klein, Jockey, and Hanes are major apparel names, but none was the Berkshire acquisition described here.