Gary Radio Corporation is a subsidiary of Salem Companies. Gary makes car radios that it sells to retail outlets. It purchases speakers for the radios from outside suppliers for $56 each. Recently, Salem acquired the Hyden Speaker Corporation, which makes car radio speakers that it sells to manufacturers. Hyden produces and sells approximately 200,000 speakers per year, which represents 70 percent of its operating capacity. At the present volume of activity, each speaker costs $48 to produce. This cost consists of a $32 variable cost component and an $16 fixed cost component. Hyden sells the speakers for $60 each. The managers of Gary and Hyden have been asked to consider using Hyden's excess capacity to supply Gary with some of the speakers that it currently purchases from unrelated companies. Both managers are evaluated based on return on investment. Hyden's manager suggests that the speakers be supplied at a transfer price of $60 each (the current selling price). On the other hand, Gary's manager suggests a $56 transfer price, noting that this amount covers total cost and provides Hyden a healthy contribution margin. a. What transfer price would you recommend?
b. Discuss the effect of the intercompany sales on each manager's return on investment.
c. Should Hyden be required to use more than excess capacity to provide speakers to Gary? In other words, should it sell to Gary some of the 200,000 units that it is currently selling to unrelated companies? Why or why not?