Company: BRK-A
Filing Date: 2025-02-24
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000950170-25-025210
Chunk: 34

Company: BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC
Filing Date: 2025-02-24
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 34
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 retail customers and wholesale distributors.

Substantially all carpet manufactured by Shaw is tufted carpet made from nylon, polypropylene and polyester, as well as recycled materials. During 2024, Shaw processed approximately 95% of its requirements for carpet yarn in its own yarn processing facilities. The availability of raw materials is adequate, but costs are impacted by petro-chemical and natural gas price changes. A significant portion of Shaw’s soft-flooring raw materials derive from recycled sources. Raw material cost changes are periodically factored into selling prices to customers. 

The soft floor covering industry is highly competitive with only a handful of major competitors domestically. There are numerous manufacturers, domestically and internationally, that are engaged in the hard surfaces flooring sector. According to industry estimates published in 2024 for 2023, carpet accounts for approximately 44% of the total U.S. consumption of all flooring types. The principal competitive measures within the floor covering industry are quality, style, price and service. 

Johns Manville 

Johns Manville Corporation (“JM”), headquartered in Denver, Colorado, is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium-quality products for building insulation, mechanical and industrial insulation, commercial roofing and roof insulation, as well as reinforcement fiberglass and technical nonwovens. JM serves markets that include residential and nonresidential buildings, automotive and transportation, air handling, appliance, HVAC, pipe and equipment, air and liquid filtration, waterproofing, flooring, interiors, aerospace and wind energy. Fiberglass is the basic material in many of JM’s products, although JM also manufactures a significant portion of its products with other materials to satisfy the broader needs of its customers.

JM regards its patents and licenses as valuable; however, it does not consider any of its businesses to be materially dependent on any single patent or license. JM operates over 40 manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe and conducts research and development at its technical center in Littleton, Colorado and at other facilities in the U.S. and Europe.

Fiberglass is made from earthen raw materials and recycled glass. JM’s products also contain materials other than fiberglass, including chemical agents to bind many of its glass fibers and various chemical-based and petrochemical-based materials used in roofing and other specialized products. JM uses recycled material when available and suitable to satisfy the broader needs of its customers. The raw materials used in these various products are generally readily available in sufficient quantities from various sources to maintain and expand current production levels although the availability of recycled glass can fluctuate. 

JM’s operations