A business would want to concentrate its production facilities in a centralized location when:

• A. demand for the product is highly localized in many different regions
• B. government regulations require production to be spread across multiple locations
• C. transportation costs are extremely high for distributing goods
• D. economies of scale can be achieved by producing larger quantities in one place

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of economies of scale: This occurs when increasing the scale of production leads to a lower average cost per unit. Centralizing production can help achieve this by producing larger quantities in one location.
2. Analyze the impact of demand distribution: If demand is highly localized in many different regions, decentralizing production might reduce transportation costs and delivery times, which could argue against centralization.
3. Consider government regulations: If regulations require production to be spread across multiple locations, centralization is not feasible regardless of economies of scale.
4. Evaluate transportation costs: Extremely high transportation costs for distributing goods can make centralization less attractive because shipping from one central location to many regions becomes expensive.
5. Conclude that centralization is most beneficial when economies of scale from producing large quantities in one place outweigh the disadvantages of transportation costs and regulatory constraints.