William H. Franz

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was formed in 1997 as the William H. Gates Foundation. In 1999, the foundation was renamed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust was created in January 2000 through the merger of the Gates Learning Foundation, which worked to expand access to technology through public libraries and the William H. Gates Foundation, which focused on improving global health. The foundation participates in preventive approaches and collaborative endeavors with government, philanthropic and not-for-profit partners. Priority is given to grants that leverage additional support and serve as a catalyst for long-term, systemic change. The foundation also provides funds to promote greater equity in global health, education and public libraries. Through their partnerships in communities across the US, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is committed to raising the high school graduation rate and helping all students, regardless of race or family income. The foundation is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Columbia Insurance Co. provides Fire, marine and casualty insurance. It offers auto repair insurance, homeowners insurance costs, quotes for car insurance, homeowner flood insurance. The company is headquartered in Omaha, NE.

Berkshire Hathaway Life Insurance Co. of Nebraska provides life insurance services. It provides retirement planning products and personal quotes through its web site. The firm also offers excess personal umbrella insurance through a property and casualty affiliate. The company is headquartered in Omaha, NE.

General Reinsurance AG engages in providing reinsurance of all kinds to domestic and international customers. It also offers all kinds of reinsurance on a worldwide basis including life, health, motor, marine, property and general third party liability insurance. The company was founded in 1846 and is headquartered in Cologne, Germany.

Star Furniture Co. owns and operates furniture-retailing stores. It sells furniture for bedroom, dining room, living room, and home and office use. The company was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

West End Capital Management (Bermuda) Ltd. provides investment management services. The company was founded by Mark James Byrne in 1998 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. (Investment Management) (BHI-IM) is the asset management division of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. (NYSE: BRK), an American multi-national conglomerate headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. The firm was founded in 1955 and traces its roots to Valley Falls Company, a textile manufacturing company that was formed in 1839. In 1962, Warren Buffett started to acquire shares of the company until he had majority ownership of it. Berkshire Hathaway engages in insurance businesses conducted on both a primary basis and a reinsurance basis.

Justin Brands, Inc. manufactures western and work boots. Its brands include Justin, Nocona, Chippewa, and Tony Lama. The company was founded by H. J. Justin 1879 and is located in Fort Worth, TX.

The Urban Institute is a nonprofit organization that conducts research and offers evidence-based solutions to improve social and economic policies. The non-profit company is based in Washington and was founded in 1968 by Lyndon Baines Johnson. The American company's objective research helps expand opportunities for all, reduce hardship among the most vulnerable, and strengthen the effectiveness of the public sector. The company studies how family and individual well-being is shaped by economic, social, and demographic trends, and how policies and programs can improve economic security, human capital, family stability, and child development.

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences is an organization that honors excellence and brings together leaders. The non-profit company is based in Cambridge, MA.

Richline Group, Inc. provides integrated corporate branding, manufacturing, and distribution strategy services. The company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Tamarac, FL.

Berkshire Hathaway Assurance Corp. offers municipal and state bonds. The company was established in December, 2007 and is headquartered in Omaha, NE.

WP Co. LLC publishes newspapers. The company was founded by Stilson Hutchins on December 6, 1877 and is headquartered in Washington, DC.

Alberta Alpine operates as sports association. The company was founded in and is headquartered in Canmore, Canada.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe LLC engages in the provision of freight rail transportation services. The firm operates various facilities and equipment to support transportation system, including its infrastructure and locomotives and freight cars. It also offers support facilities for rail operations include yards and terminals throughout its rail network, system locomotive shops to perform locomotive servicing and maintenance, a centralized network operations center for train dispatching, and network operations for monitoring and management. The company was founded on December 16, 1994 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, TX.

Berkshire Hathaway Energy Co. engages in distribution of energy. It generates energy from coal, natural gas and steam, hydroelectric, wind, geothermal, nuclear, and black liquor resources. The firm also offers residential real estate brokerage; integrated real estate, including mortgage originations and mortgage banking; title and closing; property and casualty insurance; home warranties; relocation services; and other home-related services. The company was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Des Moines, IA.