Who bought Johns Manville?

Johns Manville was bought by Berkshire Hathaway, the investment company led by Warren Buffett. Berkshire Hathaway acquired Johns Manville in 2001 for approximately $1.7 billion. Prior to that, Johns Manville was an independent public company that had a long and troubled history. Founded in 1858 as the H.W. Johns Manufacturing Company and later merged with Manville Coverings, it became the world's largest manufacturer of asbestos-containing products in the mid-20th century. After facing over 20,000 lawsuits related to asbestos exposure, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1982, one of the largest corporate bankruptcies at the time due to product liability. It reorganized in 1988 by creating the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust to compensate victims, which still operates today. After emerging from bankruptcy, Johns Manville focused entirely on fiberglass, mineral wool, and other non-asbestos insulation and roofing products. Berkshire Hathaway purchased it as part of its strategy of buying well-established manufacturing companies with strong brand names. Since the acquisition, Berkshire has invested heavily in modernizing Johns Manville's plants in McPherson, Kansas, Defiance, Ohio, and Winder, Georgia, and expanded its product lines into formaldehyde-free fiberglass and polyiso foam boards. Today it operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.