LAURENTIANBAKERIESThedecision-makermustmakearecommendationonalargeexpansionproject.Discountedcashflowanalysisisrequired.InlateMay,1995,DanielleKnowles,vice-presidentofoperationsforLaurentianBakeriesInc.,waspreparingacapitalexpenditureproposaltoexpandthecompany’sfrozenpizzaplantinWinnipegManitoba.IftheopportunitytoexpandintotheU.S.frozenpizzamarketwastaken,thecompanywouldneedextracapacity.Adetailedanalysis,includinganetpresentvaluecalculation,wasrequiredbythecompany’sCapitalAllocationPolicyforallcapitalexpendituresinordertoensurethatprojectswerebothprofitableandconsistentwithcorporatestrategies.COMPANYBACKGROUHDEstablishedin1984,LaurentianBakeriesInc.(Laurentian)manufacturedavarietyoffrozenbakedfoodproductsatplantsinWinnipeg(pizzas),Toronto(cakes)andMontreal(pies).Whileeachplantoperatedasaprofitcenter,theysharedacommonsalesforcelocatedatthecompany’headofficeinMontreal.AlthoughtheTorontoplantwasresponsibleforover40%ofcorporaterevenuesinfiscal1994,andtheotherplantswasaccountedforabout30%each,allthreedivisionscontributedequallytoprofits.Thecompanyenjoyedstrongcompetitivepositionsinallthreemarketsanditwasthelowcostproducerinthepizzamarket.IncomeStatementsandBalanceSheetsforthe1993to1995fiscalyearsareinExhibits1and2,respectively.Laurentiansoldmostofitsproductstolargegrocerychains,andinfact,supplyingseveralCanadianchainswithprivatelabelbrandpizzasgeneratedmuchofthesalesgrowth.Othersalesweremadetoinstitutionalfoodservices.Thecompany’ssuccesswas,inpart,theproductofitsmanagement’sphilosophies.ThecornerstoneofLaurentian’soperationswasitsincludingacommitmenttoabusinessstrategypromotingcontinuousimprovement;forexampleallemployeeswereempoweredtothinkaboutandmakesuggestionsforwaysofreducingwaste.AsDanielleKnowlessawit:“ContinuousimprovementisawayoflifeatLauremtian.”Also,thecompanywasknownforitsabove–averageconsiderationforthehumanresourceandenvironmentalimpactofitsbusinessdecisions.Thesephilosophiesdroveallpolicy-making,includingthosepoliciesgoverningcapitalallocation.DanielleKnowlesDanielleKnowles’scareer,whichspanned13yearsinthefoodindustry,hadincludedpositionsinotherfunctionalareassuchasmarketingandfinance.ShehadreceivedanundergraduatedegreeinmechanicalengineeringfromQueen’sUniversityinKingston,Ontario,andamasterofbusinessadministrationfromtheWesternBusinessSchool.THEPIZZAINDUSTRYMajorsegmentsinthepizzamarketwerefrozenpizza,deli-freshchilledpizza,restaurantpizzaandtake-outpizza.Ofthesefour,restaurantandtake-outwerethelargest.Whilethesesegmentsconsistedofthousandsofsmall-ownedestablishments,afewlargeNorthAmericanchains,whichincludedDomino’s,PizzaHutandLittleCaesar’s,dominated.Although12firmsmanufacturedfrozenpizzasinCanada,thefivelargestfirms,includingLaurentian,accountedfor95%ofproduction.McCainFoodswasthemarketleaderwith44%marketshare,whileLaurentianhad21%.PercapitaconsumptionoffrozenproductsinCanadawasone-thirdofthelevelinU.S.whereretailpriceswerelower.ECONOMICCONDITIONSTheNorthAmericaneconomyhadenjoyedstronggrowthsince1993,afterhavingsufferedasevererecessionforthetwopreviousyears.Interestratesbottomed-outinmid-1994,afterwhichtheU.S.FederalReserveslowlyincreasedratesuntilearly1995inanattempttofightinflationarypressures.Nevertheless,NorthAmericaninflationwasexpectedtoaverage3%to5%annuallyfortheforeseeablefuture.TheBankofCanadafollowedtheU.S.FederalReserve’sleadandinc...
