VI BrandCo, LLC

Founded in 1940, International Dairy Queen Inc. is one of the largest chains of fast-food restaurant franchises. It operates more than 6,000 stores in over 20 countries worldwide. The chain s stores serve The MooLatte beverages in vanilla and caramel flavors. Its stores menus include heart-shaped cakes, truffle and cheeseburgers. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. Its stores serve signature soft-serve ice cream. Dairy Queen s stores offer a fast-food menu that features french fries and processed chicken products in addition to frozen treats and hot dogs.

Orange Julius of America is a subsidiary of International Dairy Queen. For more than 60 years, International Dairy Queen s recipe for success has been simple. It has been a combination of hard working people who own and operate restaurants that offer great-tasting food and treats served in the establishments. The founders of the Dairy Queen system were men and women who introduced a new kind of dessert treat and, in the process, developed the foundation of the franchising industry. The story began with a 10 cent sale of a then unnamed product on Aug. 4, 1938, in Kankakee, Ill. A father and son in the mix plant business had been experimenting with a soft frozen dairy product for some time. Within two hours, he dished out more than 1,600 servings of the new dessert. With only 100 Dairy Queen stores in 1947, it grew to 1,446 in 1950 and then to 2,600 in 1955. Today, the Dairy Queen system is one of the largest fast food systems in the world with more than 5,900 restaurants in the United States, Canada and 20 foreign countries. Over the years, Dairy Queen acquired Orange Julius of America and Karmelkorn Shoppes. In January 1998, International Dairy Queen and its subsidiary companies were purchased by Berkshire Hathaway. International Dairy Queen maintains a location in Minneapolis. Orange Julius of America maintains a location in Edina, Minn.

Carlson Companies is a privately held corporation headquartered in Minnetonka, Minn. It operates companies in the marketing, travel and hospitality industries. The Carlson brands include Regent International Hotels, Radisson Hotels and Resorts, Park Plaza Hotels and Resorts, Country Inns and Suites By Carlson, Park Inn Hotels, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, T.G.I. Friday s and Pick Up Stix restaurants, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Cruise Holidays, Results Travel, Carlson Destination Marketing Services, Carlson Leisure Travel Services, SeaMaster Cruises, SinglesCruise.com, CW Government Travel, Carlson Marketing Group, Peppers and Rogers Group and Gold Points Reward Network. Ranked by Forbes among the largest privately held corporations in the United States, Carlson Companies employs nearly 190,000 people in more than 145 countries.