Berkshire Hathaway among Top 10 on Fortune Survey of "World's Most Admired" Companies. Click here for details. Berkshire Hathaway is a holding company that owns subsidiaries engaged in a number of diverse business activities. The most important of these is the property and casualty insurance business, conducted by the likes of GEICO, the 6th largest auto insurer in the United States, General Re, one of the four largest re-insurers in the world, and the Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group. Included in the non-insurance subsidiaries are several large manufacturing businesses. Shaw Industries is the world's largest manufacturer of tufted broadloom carpet. Benjamin Moore is a formulator, manufacturer, and retailer of architectural and industrial coatings. Johns Manville is a leading manufacturer of insulation and building products. Acme Building Brands is a manufacturer of face brick and concrete masonry products. MiTek produces steel connector products for the building components market. The Scott Fetzer Company is a diversified manufacturer of commercial and industrial products; the principal products are sold under the Kirby and Campbell Hausfeld brands. Operating decisions for the various Berkshire subsidiaries are made by management at the business unit level. Investment and all other capital allocation decisions are made for Berkshire and its subsidiaries by Warren E. Buffet (Chairman), in consultation with Charles T. Munger (Vice Chairman).              Click here for more details.