Buffett to Buy Huge Industrial Firm Marmon

Billionaire investor strikes $4.5B deal with Pritzker family

By John Johnson

Posted Dec 25, 2007 5:47 PM CST

Copied

Buffett to Buy Huge Industrial Firm Marmon — Berkshire Hathaway Chief Executive Officer Warren Buffett testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007, before the Senate Finance Committee hearing on the federal estate tax. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook) (Associated Press)

Warren Buffett will pay $4.5 billion to acquire a majority stake in Marmon Holdings, an industrial conglomerate owned by one of America's richest familes, the Wall Street Journal reports. Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway will buy 60% of the company now from the Pritzker family of Chicago, with plans to acquire the rest in stages by 2014.

"I liked them," said Buffett, who put together the deal in two weeks. "They were my kind of guys." Marmon has a variety of industrial businesses, including makers of plumbing and electrical products. Its biggest is Union Tank Car, which makes railroad cars. The deal is Berkshire's biggest acquisition outside the insurance industry.

Read These Next

Here's where things stand in the House ahead of shutdown vote.
The 8 Democrats who bucked party on shutdown have something in common.
Trump is responding to MTG's increasing criticism of GOP.
In GOP senators vs. Jack Smith, a new measure favors the senators.

Get breaking news in your inbox.

What you need to know, as soon as we know it.

Report an error