OMAHA, NE ¾ Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.A; BRK.B) announced today that the acquisitions of The Pampered Chef, Ltd. and CTB International Corp. have been completed. Berkshire had previously announced the agreement to acquire The Pampered Chef Ltd. on September 23, 2002 and announced the agreement to acquire CTB International Corp. on August 19, 2002.

The Pampered Chef is the largest branded kitchenware company and the largest direct seller of housewares in the U.S., with more than 67,000 "Kitchen Consultant" sales representatives.

CTB International Corp. is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of equipment and systems for the poultry, hog, egg production and grain industries. It has facilities throughout the U.S., Europe and Latin America and a worldwide distribution network.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is a holding company owning subsidiaries engaged in a number of diverse business activities. The most important of these is the property and casualty insurance business conducted on both a direct and reinsurance basis through a number of subsidiaries.

¾  END ¾