Investment firm Berkshire Hathaway, Omaha, NE, will buy 60 percent of Marmon Holdings Inc., a private holding company with more than 125 manufacturing and service businesses that operate independently, for $4.5 billion. The sectors covered include: wire and cable, transportation services and engineered products (including rail), highway technologies, distribution of pipe and tubing, flow products, industrial products (including fasteners, safety products and metal fabrication), construction services, water treatment equipment, and retail services. Companies have collective revenues of $7 billion. Marmon was formed in 1953 when it was acquired as a small ailing manufacturer in Ohio by Jay and Robert Pritzker. Frank Ptak is currently CEO of Marmon. <a ...