...Fonderia DI Torino S.P.A. Teaching Note Synopsis and Objectives The managing director of this specialty foundry must decide whether to approve a major investment to automate part of her plant’s production process. The case presents information sufficient to build cash-flow forecasts of production costs incremental to this investment. Discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis reveals that this investment project is attractive but that the benefits hinge on important assumptions about the plant’s business volume, the manager’s ability to lay off workers over the objections of a labor union, and the hurdle rate. The case may be used for the following: • Introduce students to mechanics of DCF analysis of go/no-go capital-investment decisions. • Consider the principle of incremental analysis as the foundation for identifying relevant cash flows for a project. • Explore the classic tradeoffs in capital-for-labor investment. • Review the analytical adjustments that are required to compare projects of unequal lives. Suggested Questions for Advance Assignment to Students 1. Please assess the economic benefits of acquiring the Vulcan Mold-Maker machine. What is the initial outlay? What are the benefits over time? What is an appropriate discount rate? Does the net present value (NPV) warrant the investment in the machine? 2. What uncertainties or qualitative considerations might influence your recommendation? How, if at all, would...
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...Fonderia di Torino Case Introduction Fonderia di Torino was founded in 1912 by Benito Cerini. The company was created to produce castings for the armaments industry. In the 1920’s and 1930’s the company expanded into the automotive industry. Benito Cerini foresaw the future demand for precision metal casting and revamped the company to meet the demand. The company grew slowly but steadily. Fonderia di Torino’s specialization is the production of precision metal castings for the use in automotive, aerospace, and construction equipment. The company stood out because of its quality products. It was awarded for its quality parts. Its products included safety parts like crankshafts, transmissions, brake calipers, axles, wheels and various steering-assembly parts. The mainly European customers of Fonderia di Torino were original-equipment manufacturers (OEM). The OEMs insisted on quality products. The OEMs gave preferential treatment to Fonderia di Torino. The confidential market-demand information that Fonderia di Torino received helped increase the precision of production scheduling and the company received relatively long-term supply contracts from the OEMs. Francesca Cerini, the great-granddaughter of Benito Cerini, is the managing director of Fonderia di Torino. In November of 2000 she was faced with the decision of purchasing an automated molding machine called the Vulcan Mold-Maker. The machine would produce the sand molds into which molten iron was poured to...
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...CONTEXT Fonderia di Torino was founded in 1912 by Benito Cerini, the great-grandfather of the current managing director Francesca Cerini. The Cerini family owned 55% of the common shares of stock outstanding. The company specialized in the production of precision metal castings for use in automotive, aerospace and construction equipment. Products included crankshafts, transmissions, brake calipers, axles, wheels and various steering-assembly parts. Customers were essentially original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs), mainly in Europe, in which their working relationship reflects a high level of trust, such that confidential market-demand information were exchanged between companies. This allowed Fonderia di Torino to increase precision of production scheduling, thus enabling establishment of long-term supply contracts from OEMs. Current sales is about €280 million. The company utilized 6 semi-automated stamping machines that are expected to be serviceable for the next 6 years. These machines required 12 workers per shift, 3 maintenance workers and maintenance supplies. However, operating with these machines tended to produce inconsistencies in quality of output, low productivity and occupies 30% floor space due to the raw materials and in-process inventories placed near each machine to smooth the workflow. Due to these factors, Francesca Cerini is considering the purchase of a “Vulcan Mold-Maker” automated molding machine. This machine would replace the older machines and...
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...Memorandum: To: Maurry Tamarkin Oct. 2, 2002 Subject: Fonderia di Torino S.p.A. Analysis of the Vulcan Mold-Making machine has been valued as was requested by Fonderia di Tortina. In order to assess the economic benefits, we started by comparing the cash flows, specifically the outflows after taxes for both mold-making systems see (exhibit 1-1). We assumed that two machines produce the same quantities of products, despite the fact that they have different capacities. Relying on this assumption, we found the present values of costs associated with each machine using the discount rate 9.9% of Weighted Average Cost of Capital. Then in order to be able to compare each project on an annual basis, we determined the equivalent annual costs by using the annuity factor related with each machine and examined the outcomes to see which machine would be least expensive to acquire and operate. We can conclude from this analysis that the Vulcan Mold-Maker has lower annuity payments than the six current machines and therefore we might conclude that NPV analysis might warrant the investment into the new machine assuming that other related factors would be in favor of the new investment. However, when assessing the economic benefits there were many qualitative factors that needed to be considered. For example: • Cerini was unsure whether the tough collective bargaining agreement her company had with the employees’ union would allow her to lay...
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...Outline • • • • • • • • • • Fonderia di Torino Overview Problem Definition Financial Considerations Determination of Discount Rate Estimation of Cash Flows NPV Equivalent Annual Cost Qualitative Considerations Sensitivity Analysis Conclusions and Recommendations 10 March 2015 2 Overview of Fonderia di Torino ● Founded in 1912 by Benito Cerini, located in Milano ● Specialized in the production of precision metal castings (automotive, aerospace and construction equipment) ● Its well-known safety pieces made them conclude contracts with Peugeot, BWM, Ferrari Problem Definition ● Original equipment manufactures(OEMS) shared confidential market demand information, ● Provided cheap loans to support capital expansion ● Benito Cerini predicted a postwar demand, enabled to meet that demand ● From 1940’s to 2000’s, the pace of growth was stable ● In 1991, on the Milan stock exchange (55% of the shared in Cerini family’s hands) 10 March 2015 3 Problem Definition: Should we replace old equipment or not? Old Machines Vulcan Mold-Maker ● Semi-automated machines; ● Automated molding machine; ● Workers stamped impressions under heat and high pressure; ● Prepares sand molds to obtain iron castings; ● Labor intensive process → training/retraining to obtain consistency in mold quality; ● Replace old machines; ● Heavy lifting from workers → medical claims for back injuries doubled in the last 10 yrs due to production...
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...UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON Graduate School of Business Administration Finance 553 CAPITAL INVESTMENT PLANNING Winter 2003 Professor Robert C. (Rocky) Higgins 306 Mackenzie Hall Tel: 543-4379 E-mail: rhiggins@u.washington.edu Homepage: http://us.badm.washington.edu/higgins/ (From here you’re one click from the class page) Office Hours: M, W: 10:30 – 12:00 COURSE OBJECTIVE Capital Investment Planning is a case course examining corporate investment decisions and related issues in financial strategy. The course is intended as a continuation of Finance 552, Corporate Planning and Financing, and is suitable for generalists and finance specialists who seek a solid grounding in corporate financial management. Finance 555 may be substituted for Finance 552 as a prerequisite. Principal topics include: use of discounted cash flow analysis to evaluate investment opportunities, estimating capital costs, or discount rates, capital budgeting systems and their affect on resource allocation decisions, valuing a company or division, merger analysis, corporate restructuring including leveraged buyouts, and issues in financial strategy. When you complete this course, you should be able to: Estimate an investment’s relevant costs and benefits Estimate a company's weighted-average cost of capital and understand its role in investment decision making Use discounted cash flow techniques, decision trees, and simulation to analyze investment opportunities Value (i...
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