For many years, Lawton Industries has manufactured prefabricated houses where the houses are constructed in sections to be assembled on customers lots. The company expanded into the precut housing market in 2006 when it acquired Presser Company, one of its suppliers. In this market, various types of lumber are precut into the appropriate lengths, banded into packages, and shipped to customers lots for assembly. Lawton decided to maintain Pressers separate identity and, thus, established the Presser Division as an investment center of Lawton.

Lawton uses return on average investment (ROI) as a performance measure the investment defined as operating assets employed. Management bonuses are based in part on ROI. All investments in operating assets are expected to earn a minimum return of 15% before income taxes. Pressers ROI has ranged from 19.3% to 22.1% since it was acquired in 2006. The division had an investment opportunity in the year just ended that had an estimated ROI of 18%, but Pressers management decided against the investment because it believed the investment would decrease the divisions overall ROI.

Pressers operating statement for the year just ended is presented next. The divisions operating assets employed were $12,600,000 at the end of the year, a 5% increase over the balance at the end of the previous year.

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Presser Division Operating Statement

For the year ended Dec. 31

($000 omitted)

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Sales Revenue $24,000

Cost of Goods Sold 15,800

Gross Profit $8,200

Operating Expenses

Administrative $2,140

Selling 3,600 5,740

Income from operations

Before income taxes $2,460

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Questions

1. Calculate these performance measures for the year just ended for the Presser Division of Lawton Industries:

1. Return on average investment in operating assets employed (ROI).
2. Residual income calculated on the basis of average operating assets employed.

2. Would the management of Presser Division have been more likely to accept the investment opportunity it had during the year if residual income were used as a performance measure instead of ROI? Explain your answer.

The Presser Division is a separate investment center with Lawton Industries. Identify and describe the items Presser must control if it is to be evaluated fairly by either the ROI or residual income performance measures