Bradley Metalworks was founded in 1950. This company produces a variet

Bradley Metalworks was founded in 1950. This company produces a variety of steel products for home and industrial use. Bradley buys raw iron from industries that extract iron from ore. Throughout its operation, Bradley has adjusted its prices to make, on average, about $500 of profit through every ton of raw iron it transforms into part of a finished steel product. Bradley Metalworks buys 6,000 tons of raw iron each year for each factory it has in existence. It started with one factory in 1950, and added a new factory at the beginning of each of the following years: 1962, 1972, 1979, 1985, 1989, 1992, 1995, and 1998. Starting in the year 2000, it opened a new factory at the beginning of every new year. Every year of its operation, Bradley Metalworks has been successful as a business, insofar as it has been able to use up all the raw iron it buys in steel products that it has been able to sell at its desired price.

Bradley Metalworks can buy raw iron from three manufacturers: Vulcan Incorporated, Ferric Industries, and Hematitic Suppliers. The first two were in existence from before the first year of Bradley Metalworks. Vulcan Incorporated closed in 1990, but the other two are still in operation. Hematitic Suppliers began business in 1965.

Prices of a ton of raw iron, by year. Increases and decreases in price were roughly linear in the years between those shown. Unless otherwise indicated, assume that the supply of raw iron at any of these three companies was more than ample to cover any demand from Bradley Metalworks.


*Vulcan Incorporated sold only 20,000 tons of raw iron in its last year, 1990.