Wood Inc. manufactures wood poles. Wood has two responsibility centres, harvesting and sawing, which are both evaluated as profit centres. The harvesting division does all the harvesting operations and transfers logs to the sawing division, which converts the wood into poles for external clients. When operating at full capacity, the sawing division can convert 10,000 poles. Management is considering replacing this type of wood pole with another type of wood pole that can be sold at a lower price and could allow the firm to operate at full capacity all the time.
The director of the sawing division suggested that the maximum price the division can pay for each log from harvesting is $29.50. Following is the information that supports this suggestion:

The director of the harvesting division disagrees with selling the logs at a price of $29.50. The division is operating at full capacity and sells logs to external clients for $44.50. Moreover, the director says, "My direct labour costs are $22.50, my variable overhead costs are $4.50, and my fixed overhead costs are $9.00. I can't cut trees for $36.00 and sell them for $29.50."
Instructions
(a) Assuming production is at full capacity, determine whether Wood Inc., as a whole, would make a higher profit if logs were transferred to the sawing division for $29.50 per log. Show your calculations.
(b) Explain the effect of transferring the logs at $29.50 per log on each division's profit performance.
(c) Calculate the minimum and maximum transfer prices that could be used, and recommend an appropriate transfer price. Explain your answer.

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Price per pole that the client would pay Direct labour costs Variable overhead costs Fixed overhead costs Raw material costs (other than logs) $90.00 $35.00 4.50 8.50 2.50 50.50 10.00 Profit margin Total costs and profit margin Maximum price for a log 60.50 $29.50