Question

Polaski Company manufactures and sells a single product called a Ret. Operating at capacity, the company can produce and sell 30,000 Rets per year. Costs associated with this level of production and sales are given below:

	Unit				Total
Direct materials	$	25			$	750,000
Direct labor		10				300,000
Variable manufacturing overhead		3				90,000
Fixed manufacturing overhead		5				150,000
Variable selling expense		2				60,000
Fixed selling expense		6				180,000
Total cost	$	51			$	1,530,000

The Rets normally sell for $56 each. Fixed manufacturing overhead is $150,000 per year within the range of 23,000 through 30,000 Rets per year.

Required:

1. Assume that due to a recession, Polaski Company expects to sell only 23,000 Rets through regular channels next year. A large retail chain has offered to purchase 7,000 Rets if Polaski is willing to accept a 16% discount off the regular price. There would be no sales commissions on this order; thus, variable selling expenses would be slashed by 75%. However, Polaski Company would have to purchase a special machine to engrave the retail chain’s name on the 7,000 units. This machine would cost $14,000. Polaski Company has no assurance that the retail chain will purchase additional units in the future. What is the financial advantage (disadvantage) of accepting the special order? (Round your intermediate calculations to 2 decimal places.)

2. Refer to the original data. Assume again that Polaski Company expects to sell only 23,000 Rets through regular channels next year. The U.S. Army would like to make a one-time-only purchase of 7,000 Rets. The Army would pay a fixed fee of $2.00 per Ret, and it would reimburse Polaski Company for all costs of production (variable and fixed) associated with the units. Because the army would pick up the Rets with its own trucks, there would be no variable selling expenses associated with this order. What is the financial advantage (disadvantage) of accepting the U.S. Army's special order?

3. Assume the same situation as described in (2) above, except that the company expects to sell 30,000 Rets through regular channels next year. Thus, accepting the U.S. Army’s order would require giving up regular sales of 7,000 Rets. Given this new information, what is the financial advantage (disadvantage) of accepting the U.S. Army's special order?

Answer 1

1)	Financial Advantage	45780	(Note 1)
2)	Financial Advantage	49000	(Note 2)
3)	Financial Disadvantage	-63000	(Note 4)
	Note1:
	Revenue from special order	329280
	Less: Cost associated with special order
	Direct Material	175000
	Direct labor	70000
	Variable manufacturing overhead	21000
	Variable selling expense	3500
	Special new machine	14000
	Financial advantage	45780
	Note 2:
	Revenue from special order	315000	(Note 3)
	Less: Cost associated with special order
	Direct Material	175000
	Direct labor	70000
	Variable manufacturing overhead	21000
	Financial advantage	49000
	Note 3:
	Total revenue from special order
	Total unit cost	51
	Less: Selling expense	8
	Cost to be reimburse	43
	Add fixed fee per unit	2
	Total revenue per unit	45
	Total revenue	315000
	Note 4:
	Revenue from special order	315000
	Less: Cost associated with special order
	Direct Material	175000
	Direct labor	70000
	Variable manufacturing overhead	21000
	Loss of contribution margin	112000
	Financial Disadvantage	-63000