Clean-N-Brite is a multiproduct company with several manufacturing plants. The Cincinnati plant manufactures and distributes two household cleaning and polishing compounds, regular and heavy-duty, under the HouseSafe label. The forecasted operating results for the first six months of 2014, when 100,000 cases of each compound are expected to be manufactured and sold, are presented in the following statement:

The sales price per case for the regular compound will be $ 20 and for the heavy-duty will be $ 30 during the first six months of 2014. The manufacturing costs by case of product follow.

Each product is manufactured on a separate production line. Annual normal manufacturing capacity is 200,000 cases of each product. However, the plant is capable of producing 250,000 cases of regular compound and 350,000 cases of heavy-duty compound annually. The following schedule reflects top management consensus regarding the price/ volume alternatives for the HouseSafe products for the last six months of 2014, which are essentially the same as those during its first six months.

Top management believes the expected loss for the first six months reflects a tight profit margin caused by intense competition and that many competitors will be forced out of this market by next year, so the company€™s profits should improve.
a. What unit selling price should Clean-N-Brite select for each HouseSafe compound for the remaining six months of 2014? Support your answer with appropriate calculations.
b. Without prejudice to your answer for (a), assume that the optimum price/volume alternatives for the last six months will be a selling price of $ 23 and volume level of 50,000 cases for the regular compound and a selling price of $ 35 and volume of 35,000 cases for the heavy-duty compound.
1. Should Clean-N-Brite consider closing its Cincinnati operations until 2015 to minimize its losses? Support your answer with appropriate calculations.
2. Identify and discuss the qualitative factors that should be considered in deciding whether the Cincinnati plant should be closed during the last six months of2014.

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HouseSafe Compounds-Cincinnati Plant Forecasted Results of Operations For the Six-Month Period Ending June 30, 2014 (IN $000s) Regular Heavy-Duty Total $2,000 3,000 5,000 400 ,100 ζ 1,500 400 700 1,100 (640) $1.700 Sales Cost of sales Gross profit Selling and administrative expenses 1,600) 1.900)(3.500 Variable Fixed* Total selling and administrative expenses 240 360 Income (loss) before taxes S (240 40 (200 The fixed selling and adminis trative expenses are allocated between the two products on the basis of dollar sales volume on the internal reports COST PER CASE Regular 7.00 4.00 1.00 4.00 $16.00 Heavy-Duty Raw material Direct labor Variable manufacturing overheac Fixed manufacturing ovehead* Total manufacturing cost S 8.00 4.00 2.00 5.00 $19.00 Variable selling and administrative costs Depreciation charges are 50 percent of the fxed manufacturing overhead of each line REGULAR COMPOUND HEAVY-DUTY COMPOUND Prices (per case) S18 20 21 Sales Vole Alternative Prices Sales Volume per case) $25 27 30 32 35 in cases 120,000 100,000 (in cases) 175,000 140,000 100,000 55,000 35,000 23 50,000