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In an interview with Handelsblatt newspaper on
Wednesday, Buffett said that he liked German companies because
of the regulatory and legal protection for investors, as well as
the global reach of even smaller businesses, such as Detlev
Louis Motorrad-Vertriebs, the motorcycle apparel and accessories
retailer bought last week.
"We are definitely interested in buying more German companies,"
told the newspaper. "Germany is a great market: lots of people,
lots of purchasing power and Germans are productive. We also
like the regulatory and legal framework."
Buffett, who said he is ready to pay cash for good German
companies, said the euro's weakness was only one factor for the
decision to ramp up investments in Germany.
"The bottom line is that the weak euro is naturally good for
acquisitions," he said. "But the euro's exchange rate is not our
primary motivation. We simply want to own more good companies in
Germany - that's our goal."
Asked about past rumors that Berkshire Hathaway was interested
in buying German sweet maker Haribo and printing press
manufacturer Heidelberger Druckmaschinen , he said: "Sometimes
there are reports that we're interested even though it's not
true. But if you can arrange a transaction, I'd pay you a fee."
Berkshire Hathaway agreed to buy Detlev Louis for a little more
than 400 million euros ($456 million).
(Reporting by Erik Kirschbaum; Editing by David Goodman)
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