The annual sales for Salco, Inc. were $4.43 million last year. The firm's end-of-year balance sheet was as follows: Current Assets: $502,000 Liabilities: $1,002,500
Net fixed Assets: $1,503,000 Owners' Equity: $1,002,500

Salco's income statement for the year was as follows:
Sales: $4,430,000
Less: COGS (3,506,000)
Gross Profit: 924,000
Less: Operating Expenses (497,000)
Net Operating Income: 427,000
Less: Interest Expense 92,000
Earnings Before Taxes: 335,000
Less: Taxes (35%) 117,250
Net Income: 217,750

a. Calculate Salco's total asset turnover, operating profit margin, and operating return on assets.
b.  Salco plans to renovate one of its plants and the renovation will require an added investment in plant and equipment of $1.03 million. The firm will maintain its present debt ratio of 50 percent when financing the new investment and expects sales to remain constant. The operating profit margin will rise to 13.5 percent. What will be the new operating return on assets ratio (i. e., net operating income / total assets) for Salco after the plant's renovation?
c.  Given that the plant renovation in part (b) occurs and Salco's interest expense rises by $55,000 per year, what will be the return earned on the common stockholders' investment? Compare this rate of return with that earned before the renovation. Based on this comparison, did the renovation have a favorable effect on the profitability of the firm?