At a recent meeting, the president and the CEO of Production, Inc. got into a heated argument about whether or not to shut down the company’s plant in Flint, Michigan. The plant currently loses $50,000/month. The president of Production, Inc. argued that the plant should continue to operate until a buyer is found for the facility. This argument was based on the fact that the plant’s fixed costs are $61,000/month. The CEO disagreed over this point, arguing that fixed costs do not matter in making the shutdown decision.
1. Consider both sides of the argument and come to a decision of whether to close the plant or continue to operate it.
2. How would you explain to either the president or the CEO that he or she is wrong?