ABC, Inc. makes a line of bathroom accessories. Because of a decline in sales, the company has 10,000 machine hours of idle capacity available each year. This idle capacity could be used by the company to make, rather than buy, one of the components used in its production process. ABC needs 5,000 units of this component each year. At present, the component is being purchased from an outside supplier at $8.0 per unit. Variable production cost for the component would be $5.0 per unit, and additional supervisory costs would be $18,000 per year. Already existing fixed costs, which would be allocated to this part, amount to $300,000 per year.

What would be the change in the company's overall annual operating income that would result from making the component, rather than buying it?

a.

$3,000 increase.

b.

$1,000 decrease.

c.

$3,000 decrease.

d.

$1,000 increase.