Nov. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. purchased a furniture-leasing unit from Aaron Rents Inc. for $72 million to expand business with corporate customers.

Berkshire's Cort unit, which completed the purchase today, now operates in more than 70 U.S. metropolitan areas, making it the only national furniture-rental company, according to a statement on Business Wire.

Buffett, 78, is increasing his company's pace of acquisitions amid a freeze in global credit markets that makes it more difficult for potential rivals to finance takeovers. Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire is spending on deals involving nuclear power plants, machine tools, rechargeable car batteries and investments in financial firms.

``At a time when many companies are delaying initiatives, Cort is following the strategies espoused by its parent company, Berkshire Hathaway: invest in what is best for the long term,'' Cort said in the statement.

Cort has done business with more than 80 percent of the Fortune 500 companies, the statement said. Berkshire's Wesco Financial Corp., an insurance and steel holding company, bought Cort in 2000 for $467 million in cash and assumed debt. Cort said in January it purchased closely held Roomservice Group to expand in the U.K.

To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Holm in New York at eholm2@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 6, 2008 12:43 EST