Kiewit -- Buffett -- The Bakken -- Home Construction -- The Bakken, North Dakota, USA

Some dots to connect; random data points.

Kiewit Instructure Group is doing the earthwork of some of the residential subdivisions in Williston, including the largest subdivision, Harvest Hills, northwest of Williston; Kiewit is linked in with Granite Peak and Knife River (MDU subsidiary) on the projects (Granite Peak subdivision, Timbers subdivision, and Harvest Hills subdivision).

I was told by one of the construction foremen in Williston that Warren Buffett "owns" at least one of the construction companies building the houses which are brought to Williston, pre-assembled elsewhere, and then placed on basement foundations; the garages are built on site.

Today it is announced that Warren Buffett will be buying the Omaha World-Herald Company, publisher of Nebraska’s principal daily newspaper, The World-Herald, as well as six other daily papers.

In a statement, Mr. Kroeger said that Mr. Buffett’s offer to purchase the company “presented a unique opportunity to address our long-term capital needs and continue local ownership of the Omaha World-Herald, which is consistent with the legacy left to us by Mr. Kiewit.” Peter Kiewit, the owner of an Omaha-based construction and mining company, purchased the paper in 1962.

After Mr. Kiewit’s death in 1979, 80 percent of the paper became owned by employee shareholders and 20 percent by the Peter Kiewit Foundation. 

Warren Buffett, of course, owns the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad, which is the primary (only?) railroad serving the Bakken boom.