Berkshire Hathaway 2013 Annual Report Download - page 24

The best reason to exit, of course, is to shop. We’ll assist you by filling the 194,300-square-foot hall that
adjoins the meeting area with products from dozens of Berkshire subsidiaries. Last year, you did your part, and
most locations racked up record sales. In a nine-hour period, we sold 1,062 pairs of Justin boots (that’s a pair every
32 seconds), 12,792 pounds of See’s candy, 11,162 Quikut knives (21 knives per minute) and 6,344 pairs of Wells
Lamont gloves, always a hot item. This year, Charlie and I will have competing ketchup bottles for sale. Naturally,
the one with Charlie’s picture will be heavily discounted. But, if you help, my bottle will outsell his. This is
important, so don’t let me down.
Brooks, our running-shoe company, will again have a special commemorative shoe to offer at the meeting.
After you purchase a pair, wear them the next day at our second annual “Berkshire 5K,” an 8 a.m. race starting at
the CenturyLink. Full details for participating will be included in the Visitor’s Guide that you will receive with
your tickets for the meeting. Entrants will find themselves running alongside many of Berkshire’s managers,
directors and associates.
GEICO will have a booth in the shopping area, staffed by a number of its top counselors from around the
country. Stop by for a quote. In most cases, GEICO will be able to give you a shareholder discount (usually 8%).
This special offer is permitted by 44 of the 51 jurisdictions in which we operate. (One supplemental point: The
discount is not additive if you qualify for another, such as that given certain groups.) Bring the details of your
existing insurance and check out whether we can save you money. For at least half of you, I believe we can.
Be sure to visit the Bookworm. It will carry about 35 books and DVDs, among them a couple of new
titles. One is Max Olson’s compilation of Berkshire letters going back to 1965. The book includes an index that I
find particularly useful, specifying page numbers for individuals, companies and subject matter. I also recommend
Forty Chances by my son, Howard. You’ll enjoy it.
If you are a big spender – or aspire to become one – visit Signature Flight Support on the east side of the
Omaha airport between noon and 5 p.m. on Saturday. There, we will have a fleet of NetJets aircraft sure to set your
pulse racing. Come by bus; leave by private jet. Live a little.
An attachment to the proxy material that is enclosed with this report explains how you can obtain the
credential you will need for admission to the meeting and other events. Airlines have sometimes jacked up prices
for the Berkshire weekend. If you are coming from far away, compare the cost of flying to Kansas City versus
Omaha. The drive between the two cities is about 2
1
⁄ 2 hours, and it may be that Kansas City can save you
significant money, particularly if you had planned to rent a car in Omaha. Spend the savings with us.
At Nebraska Furniture Mart, located on a 77-acre site on 72nd Street between Dodge and Pacific, we will
again be having “Berkshire Weekend” discount pricing. Last year in the week surrounding the meeting, the store
did $40.2 million of business, breaking its previous record by 12%. It also set a single day record of $8.2 million on
Saturday, selling nearly $1 million of mattresses alone.
To obtain the Berkshire discount at NFM, you must make your purchases between Tuesday, April 29th and
Monday, May 5th inclusive, and also present your meeting credential. The period’s special pricing will even apply
to the products of several prestigious manufacturers that normally have ironclad rules against discounting but
which, in the spirit of our shareholder weekend, have made an exception for you. We appreciate their cooperation.
NFM is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. On Saturday this
year, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., NFM is having a picnic to which you are all invited.
At Borsheims, we will again have two shareholder-only events. The first will be a cocktail reception from
6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, May 2nd. The second, the main gala, will be held on Sunday, May 4th, from 9 a.m. to 4
p.m. On Saturday, we will be open until 6 p.m. In recent years, our three-day volume has far exceeded sales in all
of December, normally a jeweler’s best month.
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