Meriam Instruments-A Scott Fetzer

From his Saratoga, Calif., base of operations, Anthony Thomas, the company's president and chief executive officer, founded U.S. Cotton in 1983. It manufactures private label and branded health, beauty aide, pharmaceutical and industrial cotton fiber products throughout the Americas. The company s products are sold by national and international retailers in the drug, mass merchandisers and food channels of trade, packaged under their corporate brand label. In addition to the company's existing facilities in Canada, New Mexico and North Carolina, the acquisition of Megas Beauty Care provided the company with plants in Canovanas, Puerto Rico; Ciudad Acuna, Mexico; Cleveland; Nogales, Mexico; Pomfret, Conn.; and Valley Park, Mo. U.S. Cotton is headquartered in Rio Rancho, N.M.

The Scott Fetzer Company is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. Berkshire Hathaway and its subsidiaries engage in a number of diverse business activities, specializing in property and casualty insurance business conducted on a direct and reinsurance basis. The company's business activities include underwriting of property and casualty insurance, candy production and sales at a retail level, newspaper publishing, retailing of home furnishings, sales of encyclopedias, sales of home cleaning units, manufacture and distribution of uniforms, retail jewelry, and the manufacture, import and distribution of footwear. In the last 25 years, Berkshire Hathaway s shareholders averaged a 25 percent annual return. The company owns more than 40 subsidiaries, including GEICO Auto Insurance, Helzberg Diamonds, Nebraska Furniture Mart and See s Candies. The Scott Fetzer Company maintains a location in Westlake, Ohio.

Nestle Prepared Foods Company offers meals, sandwiches, pasta dishes, sauces, and snacks under various brands, such as STOUFFER S, Spa Cuisine, Casual Eating Classics, One Dish Favorites and Dinnertime Selects. The company is a part of Nestl USA, which is one of the largest food companies in the United States. Its brands include NESTL TOLL HOUSE, NESTL NESQUIK, NESTL COFFEE-MATE, LEAN CUISINE, HOT POCKETS, LEAN POCKETS, NESCAF TASTER S CHOICE, NESTL JUICY JUICE and BUITONI. The parent company offers a selection of meals and beverage products. It has annual sales of more than $10 billion and is a part of Nestl S.A., which is one of the world s largest food companies with a focus on nutrition, health and wellness.