In 2007, nearly 24 million tons of steel mill prod- ucts went to construction and contracting companies. Transco Steel, a hypothetical manufacturer specializing in the production of steel for this market, is faced with aging production facilities and is considering the possible renovation of its plant. The company has reduced its alternatives to just three: (1) no renovation at all, (2) minor renovation, and (3) major renovation. Whichever strategy it chooses, the company's profits will depend on the size of the construction and contracting industry in future years. Company executives have a sub- jective probability of 0.3 that the industry will not grow at all, a probability of 0.5 that it will grow moderately, and a probability of 0.2 that it will show a high rate of growth. The company's estimated profits (in millions of dollars) for each combination of renovation strategy and industry growth possibility are:
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States 2009, p. 630.
Industry Growth
|
|
None
|
Moderate
|
High
|
|
Level of Plant
|
None
|
$35
|
$38
|
$42
|
|
Renovation
|
Minor
|
$28
|
$45
|
$55
|
|
|
Major
|
$21
|
$40
|
$70
|
Given the executives' subjective probabilities for the three possible states of industry growth, what will be the company's expected profit if it chooses not to renovate the plant? If it chooses minor renovations to the plant? If it chooses major renovations to the plant? Based on these expected values, provide the company's management with a recommendation as to which level of renovation they should choose.