Sweet Cocoa produces chocolate syrup used by candy companies. Recently, the company has had excess capacity due to a foreign supplier entering its market. Sweet Cocoa is currently bidding on a potential order from Kilwin's Candy for 5,000 cases of syrup. The estimated cost of each case is $27.50, as follows: direct material, $10; direct labor, $5; and manufacturing overhead, $12.50. The overhead rate of $2.50 per direct labor dollar is based on estimated annual overhead of $1,500,000 and estimated direct labor cost of $600,000, composed 40% of variable costs and 60% of fixed costs. The largest fixed cost relates to depreciation of plant and equipment. How much is the variable cost of producing a case of chocolate syrup?