Wisconsin Snowmobile Corp. is considering a switch to level production. Cost efficiencies would occur under level production, and aftertax costs would decline by $30,000, but inventory would increase by $250,000. Wisconsin Snowmobile would have to finance the extra inventory at a cost of 13.5 percent.

a. Should the company go ahead and switch to level production?
b. How low would interest rates need to fall before level production would be feasible?