Contribution margin from Hudson Corporation:
Variable landscaping costs (including materials and labor), which vary
Contribution margin per hour of equipment time from Hudson Corporation
To maximize operating income, Rainier should allocate as much of its capacity to customers who
generate the most contribution margin per unit of the constraining resource (equipment). That is,
Rainier should first allocate equipment capacity to existing customers ($26 per hour) and only
Try It 11-4 Solution
1. Irving should close down the Oakland store (see Exhibit Try It 11-4, Column 1). Closing
down the store results in a loss of revenues of $1,700,000 but cost savings of $1,720,000 (from
cost of goods sold, rent, labor, utilities, and corporate costs). Note that by closing down the
2. Exhibit Try It 11-4, Column 2, presents the relevant revenues and relevant costs of
opening another store like the Oakland store and shows that it increases Irving’s operating
income by $15,000. Incremental revenues of $1,700,000 exceed the incremental costs of
The key reason that Irving’s operating income increases either if it closes down the
Oakland store or if it opens another store like it is the behavior of corporate overhead costs. By
closing down the Oakland store, Irving can significantly reduce corporate overhead costs
presumably by reducing the corporate staff that oversees the Oakland operation. On the other
11-?