HAYNES INTERNATIONAL INC - Annual Report: 2011 (Form 10-K)

Table of Contents

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

Commission file number 001-33288

HAYNES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

         Registrant's telephone number, including area code (765) 456-6000

         Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

         Securities registered pursuant to section 12(g) of the Act: None.

         Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
o Yes        ý No

         Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. o Yes        ý No

         Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. ý Yes        o No

         Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). ý

         Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ý

         Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. (See definition of "accelerated filer and large accelerated filer" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). (Check one):

         Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). o Yes ý No

         As of March 31, 2011, the aggregate market value of the registrant's common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $463,125,664 based on the closing sale price as reported on the NASDAQ Global Market. Shares of common stock held by each executive officer and director and by each person who owns 5% or more of the outstanding common stock have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes.

         12,204,179 shares of Haynes International, Inc. common stock were outstanding as of November 17, 2011.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

         Portions of the registrant's Proxy Statement to be delivered to stockholders in connection with the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held February 27, 2012 have been incorporated by reference into Part III of this report.

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents

        This Form 10-K contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding industry prospects and future results of operations or financial position, made in this Form 10-K are forward-looking. In many cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology, such as "may", "should", "expects", "intends", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "predicts", "potential" or "continue" or the negative of such terms and other comparable terminology. The forward-looking information may include, among other information, statements concerning the Company's outlook for fiscal year 2012 and beyond, overall volume and pricing trends, cost reduction strategies and their anticipated results, capital expenditures and dividends. There may also be other statements of expectations, beliefs, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends, and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control.

        The Company has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations and projections about future events. Although the Company believes that the assumptions on which the forward-looking statements contained herein are based are reasonable, any of those assumptions could prove to be inaccurate. As a result, the forward-looking statements based upon those assumptions also could be incorrect. Risks and uncertainties may affect the accuracy of forward-looking statements.

        The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Part I

Item 1.    Business

Overview

        Haynes International, Inc. ("Haynes" or "the Company") is one of the world's largest producers of high-performance nickel- and cobalt-based alloys in sheet, coil and plate forms. The Company is focused on developing, manufacturing, marketing and distributing technologically advanced, high-performance alloys, which are sold primarily in the aerospace, chemical processing and land-based gas turbine industries. The Company's products consist of high-temperature resistant alloys, or HTA products, and corrosion-resistant alloys, or CRA products. HTA products are used by manufacturers of equipment that is subjected to extremely high temperatures, such as jet engines for the aerospace market, gas turbine engines used for power generation and waste incineration, and industrial heating equipment. CRA products are used in applications that require resistance to very corrosive media found in chemical processing, power plant emissions control and hazardous waste treatment. Management believes Haynes is one of four principal producers of high-performance alloy products in sheet, coil and plate forms, and sales of these forms, in the aggregate, represented approximately 63% of net product revenues in fiscal 2011. The Company also produces its products as seamless and welded tubulars, and in slab, bar, billet and wire forms.

        The Company has manufacturing facilities in Kokomo, Indiana; Arcadia, Louisiana; and Mountain Home, North Carolina. The Kokomo facility specializes in flat products, the Arcadia facility specializes in tubular products, and the Mountain Home facility specializes in wire products. The Company's products are sold primarily through its direct sales organization, which includes 11 service and/or sales centers in the United States, Europe and Asia. All of these centers are company-operated. In fiscal 2011, approximately 78% of the Company's net revenues was generated by its direct sales organization, and the remaining 22% was generated by a network of independent distributors and sales agents who supplement its direct sales efforts primarily in the United States, Europe and Asia, some of whom have been associated with the Company for over 30 years.

3

Table of Contents

Available Information

        The address of the Company's website is www.haynesintl.com. The Company provides a link to its reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on its website as soon as reasonably practicable after filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The filings available on the Company's website date back to November 18, 2010. For all filings made prior to that date, the Company's website includes a link to the website of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where such filings are available. Information contained or referenced on the Company's website is not incorporated by reference and does not form a part of this Form 10-K. For a statement of the Company's profits and losses and total assets, please see the financial statements of the Company included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

Significant Events of Fiscal 2011

        The information under the caption "Significant Events of Fiscal 2011" in Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contained elsewhere in this Form 10-K is incorporated herein by reference.

Business Strategy

        The Company's goal is to grow its business and increase revenues and profitability while continuing to be its customers' provider of choice for high-performance alloys. The Company pursues this goal by taking advantage of its diverse product offerings and service capabilities to penetrate end markets, and lowering costs through strategic investment in manufacturing facilities.

•

Increase revenues by providing value-added processing services.  The Company believes that its network of service and sales centers throughout North America, Europe and Asia distinguishes it from its competitors, many of whom operate only mills. The Company's service and sales centers enable it to develop close customer relationships through direct interaction with customers and to respond to customer orders quickly, while providing value-added services such as laser and water jet processing. These services allow the Company's customers to minimize their processing costs and outsource non-core activities. In addition, the Company's rapid response time and enhanced processing services for products shipped from its service and sales centers often enable the Company to obtain a selling price advantage. As discussed below, the Company is planning to spend approximately $10.0 million over the course of fiscal 2012 and 2013 to enhance and restructure its service center operations.



•

Increase revenue by developing new products and new applications for existing alloys, and expanding into new markets.  The Company believes that it is the industry leader in developing new alloys designed to meet its customers' specialized and demanding requirements. The Company continues to work closely with customers and end users of its products to identify, develop, manufacture and test new high-performance alloys. Since fiscal 2000, the Company's technical programs have yielded seven new proprietary alloys; an accomplishment that the Company believes distinguishes it from its competitors. The Company expects continued emphasis on product innovation to yield similar future results.

In recent years the Company's revenues have been derived primarily from the aerospace, chemical processing and land-based gas turbine industries. Through development of new alloys and new applications for existing alloys, the Company is looking to develop additional markets which will generate new revenue streams. The Company believes that the oil and gas, solar, flue-gas desulphurization, automotive, heat treatment and nuclear industries all present opportunities for its products.

4

Table of Contents

•

Continue to expand the maintenance, repair and overhaul business.  The Company believes that its maintenance, repair and overhaul, or MRO, business serves a growing market and represents both an expanding and recurring revenue stream. Products used in the Company's end markets require periodic replacement due to the extreme environments in which they are used, which drives demand for recurring MRO work. The Company intends to continue to leverage the capabilities of its service and sales centers to respond quickly to its customers' time-sensitive MRO needs to develop new and retain existing business opportunities.



•

Capitalize on strategic equipment investment.  The Company expects to continue to improve operations through ongoing capital investment in manufacturing facilities and equipment. Ongoing investment in equipment has significantly improved the Company's operations by increasing capacity, reducing unplanned downtime and manufacturing costs, and improving product quality and working capital management. Management believes that the Company's capital investments will enable it to continue to satisfy long-term customer demand for value-added products that meet increasingly precise specifications. For additional discussion of actual capital spending, see "Significant Events of Fiscal 2011, Capital Spending" in Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations contained elsewhere in this Form 10-K.



•

Expand product capability through strategic acquisitions and alliances.  The Company will continue to examine opportunities that enable it to offer customers an enhanced and more competitive product line to complement its core flat products. These opportunities may include product line enhancement and market expansion opportunities. The Company will also continue to evaluate strategic relationships with third parties in the industry in order to enhance its competitive position and relationships with customers.

5

Table of Contents

Company History

        The Company began operations in 1912 as the Haynes Stellite Works, which was purchased by Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation in 1920. In 1972, the operations were sold to Cabot Corporation. In 1987, Haynes was incorporated as a stand-alone corporation in Delaware, and in 1989 Haynes was sold by Cabot Corporation to Morgan Lewis Githens & Ahn Inc., a private investment firm. The Blackstone Group, a private investment firm, purchased Haynes from Morgan Lewis Githens & Ahn Inc. in 1997. Haynes encountered liquidity difficulties throughout fiscal 2003 and the first half of fiscal 2004. Due to concurrent downcycles in its largest markets, and rising raw material and energy costs, the Company could not generate sufficient cash to both satisfy its debt service obligations and fund operations. On March 29, 2004, Haynes and its U.S. subsidiaries and affiliates as of that date filed voluntary petitions for reorganization relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. On August 31, 2004, Haynes emerged from bankruptcy pursuant to a court-approved plan of reorganization.

        In November 2005, Haynes acquired certain assets of the Branford Wire Company, including a facility that manufactured both stainless steel wire and high-performance alloy wire. The Company primarily produces high-performance alloy wire, but continues to produce stainless steel wire on a limited basis at the Haynes Wire Company, in Mountain Home, North Carolina.

        On March 23, 2007, the Company completed an equity offering, which resulted in the issuance of 1,200,000 shares of its common stock. Simultaneously the Company listed its common stock on The NASDAQ Global Market.

Products

        The global specialty alloy market consists of three primary sectors: stainless steel, general purpose nickel alloys and high-performance nickel- and cobalt-based alloys. The Company believes that the high-performance alloy sector represents less than 10% of the total alloy market. The Company competes primarily in the high-performance nickel- and cobalt-based alloy sectors, which includes HTA products and CRA products. In fiscal 2009, 2010 and 2011, HTA products accounted for approximately 74%, 75% and 76% of the Company's net revenues, respectively; and sales of the Company's CRA products accounted for approximately 26%, 25% and 24% of the Company's net revenues, respectively. These percentages are based on data which include revenue associated with sales by the Company to its foreign subsidiaries, but exclude revenue associated with sales by foreign subsidiaries to their customers. Management believes, however, that the effect of including revenue data associated with sales by its foreign subsidiaries would not materially change the percentages presented in this section.

        High-temperature Resistant Alloys.    HTA products are used primarily in manufacturing components for the hot sections of gas turbine engines. Stringent safety and performance standards in the aerospace industry result in development lead times typically as long as eight to ten years in the introduction of new aerospace-related market applications for HTA products. However, once a particular new alloy is shown to possess the properties required for a specific application in the aerospace market, it tends to remain in use for extended periods. HTA products are also used in gas turbine engines produced for use in applications such as naval and commercial vessels, electric power generation, power sources for offshore drilling platforms, gas pipeline booster stations and emergency standby power stations. The following table sets

6

Table of Contents

forth information with respect to the Company's significant high-temperature resistant alloys, applications and features (new HTA development is discussed below under "Patents and Trademarks"):

        Corrosion-resistant Alloys.    CRA products are used in a variety of applications, such as chemical processing, power plant emissions control, hazardous waste treatment, sour gas production and pharmaceutical vessels. Historically, the chemical processing market has represented the largest end-user sector for CRA products. Due to maintenance, safety and environmental considerations, the Company believes this market continues to represent an area of potential long-term growth. Unlike aerospace applications within the HTA product market, the development of new market applications for CRA products generally does not require long lead times. The following table sets forth information with respect

7

Table of Contents

to certain of the Company's significant corrosion-resistant alloys, applications and features (new CRA development is discussed below under "Patents and Trademarks"):

Patents and Trademarks

        The Company currently maintains a total of approximately 15 U.S. patents and applications and approximately 189 foreign counterpart patents and applications targeted at countries with significant or potential markets for the patented products and continues to develop, manufacture and test high-performance nickel- and cobalt-based alloys. Since fiscal 2000, the Company's technical programs have yielded seven new proprietary alloys, four of which are currently commercially available and three of which are being scaled-up to be brought to market. Of the alloys which are being commercialized, two alloys saw further advancement in the process during fiscal 2011. First, HAYNES® 282® alloy, which management believes will have significant commercial potential for the Company in the long term, is the subject of a patent application filed in fiscal 2004. HAYNES 282 alloy has excellent formability, fabricability and forgeability. The commercial launch of HAYNES 282 alloy occurred in October 2005 and, since that time, there have been a significant number of customer tests and evaluations of this product for the hot sections of gas turbines in the aerospace and land-based gas turbine markets, as well as for automotive and other high-temperature applications. The alloy has also been specified into a major aerospace engine component. The Company will continue to actively promote HAYNES 282 alloy through customer engineering visits and technical presentations and papers.

        For the chemical processing industry, HASTELLOY® G-35® alloy has found extensive applications, particularly in wet phosphoric acid production. Management expects demand for this alloy will continue to

8

Table of Contents

grow. Commercialization of HASTELLOY® C-22HS® alloy also continued in fiscal 2011. The Company has been providing customers with samples of this alloy and making technical presentations since 2004. Testing and evaluation of the alloy is ongoing with special emphasis on applications for the oil and gas market. Two major orders were received for HASTELLOY C-22HS alloy for oil and gas applications. One of those orders was shipped in fiscal 2011, and the second is scheduled for shipment in fiscal 2012. The Company believes that the alloys (particularly HAYNES 282 alloy) are being commercialized rapidly when compared to historical trends for other proprietary alloys introduced by the Company. In addition to HAYNES 282 alloy, HASTELLOY G-35 alloy and HASTELLOY C-22HS alloy, commercialization is also ongoing for HASTELLOY® HYBRID-BC1® alloy. HASTELLOY HYBRID-BC1 alloy, a CRA product with potential applications in the chemical processing industry, has demonstrated resistance to hydrochloric and sulfuric acid.

        In addition to the commercialization of the above alloys, the Company continues to scale-up new alloys not yet ready to begin the commercialization process. U.S. patent applications were filed in fiscal 2006 and 2008 for the HAYNES® NS-163® alloy and HAYNES® HR-224® alloy, respectively. Both of these new materials are believed to have significant, medium to long-term commercial potential. HAYNES NS-163 alloy is a new alloy with extraordinary high-temperature strength in sheet form, which has applications in the aerospace, land-based gas turbine and automotive markets. Data generation and fabrication trials continued through 2011, with test marketing initiated in early 2009. HAYNES HR-224 alloy is an HTA product with superior resistance to oxidation. Scale up of this alloy is continuing and test marketing was initiated in fiscal 2010. A provisional patent application was filed in fiscal 2011 for HAYNES® HR-244^TM alloy. This alloy has potential in aerospace and land-based gas turbines. It combines high strength to 1400 degrees Fahrenheit with a low coefficient of thermal expansion. Scale-up of this alloy began in fiscal 2011 and is ongoing.

        Patents or other proprietary rights are an important element of the Company's business. The Company's strategy is to file patent applications in the U.S. and any other country that represents an important potential commercial market to the Company. In addition, the Company seeks to protect technology which is important to the development of the Company's business. The Company also relies upon trade secret rights to protect its technologies and its development of new applications and alloys. The Company protects its trade secrets in part through confidentiality and proprietary information agreements with its customers. Trademarks on the names of many of the Company's alloys have also been applied for or granted in the U.S. and certain foreign countries.

        While the Company believes its patents are important to its competitive position, significant barriers to entry continue to exist beyond the expiration of any patent period. These barriers to entry include the unique equipment required to produce this material and the exacting process required to achieve the desired metallurgical properties. These processing requirements include such items as specific annealing temperature, processing speeds and reduction per rolling pass. Management believes that the current alloy development program and these barriers to entry reduce the impact of patent expirations on the Company.

End Markets

        The Company estimates that the global specialty alloy market, including stainless steels, general purpose nickel alloys and high-performance nickel- and cobalt-based alloys, represents total production volume of approximately 37.0 billion pounds per annum. Of this total market, the Company competes in the high-performance nickel- and cobalt-based alloy sector, which is estimated to represent approximately 600 million pounds of production per annum, of which approximately 200 million pounds is flat product. The high-performance alloy market demands diverse, specialty alloys suitable for use in precision manufacturing. Given the technologically advanced nature of the products, strict requirements of the end users and higher-growth end markets, the Company believes the high-performance alloy sector provides greater growth potential, higher profit margins and greater opportunities for service, product and price differentiation than stainless steels and general purpose nickel alloys. While stainless steel and general

9

Table of Contents

purpose nickel alloy is generally sold in bulk through third-party distributors, the Company's products are sold in smaller-sized orders which are customized and typically handled on a direct-to-customer basis.

        Aerospace.    The Company has manufactured HTA products for the aerospace market since the late 1930s, and has developed numerous proprietary alloys for this market. Customers in the aerospace market tend to be the most demanding with respect to meeting specifications within very low tolerances and achieving new product performance standards. Stringent safety standards and continuous efforts to reduce equipment weight require close coordination between the Company and its customers in the selection and development of HTA products. As a result, sales to aerospace customers tend to be made through the Company's direct sales force. Demand for the Company's products in the aerospace market is based on the new and replacement market for jet engines and the maintenance needs of operators of commercial and military aircraft. The hot sections of jet engines are subjected to substantial wear and tear and accordingly require periodic maintenance, repair and overhaul. The Company views the maintenance, repair and overhaul business as an area of continuing long-term growth.

        Chemical Processing.    The chemical processing market represents a large base of customers with diverse CRA applications driven by demand for key end use markets such as automobiles, housing, health care, agriculture and metals production. CRA products supplied by the Company have been used in the chemical processing market since the early 1930s. Demand for the Company's products in this market is driven by the level of maintenance, repair and expansion requirements of existing chemical processing facilities, as well as the construction of new facilities. The Company believes the extensive worldwide network of Company-owned service and sales centers, as well as its network of independent distributors and sales agents who supplement the Company's direct sales efforts outside of the U.S., provide a competitive advantage in marketing its CRA products in the chemical processing market.

        Land-based Gas Turbines.    Demand for the Company's products in this market is driven by the construction of cogeneration facilities such as base load for electric utilities or as backup sources to fossil fuel-fired utilities during times of peak demand. Demand for the Company's alloys in the land-based gas turbine markets has also been driven by concerns regarding lowering emissions from generating facilities powered by fossil fuels. Land-based gas turbine generating facilities have gained acceptance as clean, low-cost alternatives to fossil fuel-fired electric generating facilities. Land-based gas turbines are also used in power barges with mobility and as temporary base-load-generating units for countries that have numerous islands and a large coastline. Demand is also generated by mechanical drive units used for oil and gas production and pipeline transportation, as well as microturbines that are used as back up sources of power generation for hospitals and shopping malls. With a service and sales center in China and sales centers in India and Singapore, the Company is well positioned to take advantage of the long-term growth potential in demand for power generation in those areas.

        Other Markets.    Other markets to which the Company sells its HTA products and CRA products include flue-gas desulphurization (or FGD), oil and gas, waste incineration, industrial heat treating, automotive, instrumentation, biopharmaceuticals, solar and nuclear fuel. The FGD market has been driven by both legislated and self-imposed standards for lowering emissions from fossil fuel-fired electric generating facilities. With the completion of the Company's recent capital projects, the Company anticipates increasing its participation in the FGD market due to the increased production capacity and the improved cost structure which resulted from the completion of the capital projects. The Company also sells its products for use in the oil and gas market, primarily in connection with sour gas production. In addition, incineration of municipal, biological, industrial and hazardous waste products typically produces very corrosive conditions that demand high-performance alloys. The Company continues to look for opportunities to introduce and expand the use of its alloys in emerging technologies such as solar and nuclear fuel applications. Markets capable of providing growth are being driven by increasing performance, reliability and service life requirements for products used in these markets which could provide further applications for the Company's products.

10

Table of Contents

Sales and Marketing and Distribution

        The Company sells its products primarily through its direct sales organization, which operates from 14 total locations in the U.S., Europe and Asia, 11 of which are service and/or sales centers. All of the Company's service and/or sales centers are operated either directly by the Company or through its wholly-owned subsidiaries. Approximately 78% of the Company's net revenues in fiscal 2011 were generated by the Company's direct sales organization. The remaining 22% of the Company's fiscal 2011 net revenues was generated by a network of independent distributors and sales agents who supplement the Company's direct sales in the U.S., Europe and Asia, some of whom have been associated with the Company for over 30 years. Going forward, the Company expects its direct sales force to continue to generate approximately 80% of its total net revenues.

        Providing technical assistance to customers is an important part of the Company's marketing strategy. The Company provides performance analyses of its products and those of its competitors for its customers. These analyses enable the Company to evaluate the performance of its products and to make recommendations as to the use of those products in appropriate applications, enabling the products to be included as part of the technical specifications used in the production of customers' products. The Company's market development professionals are assisted by its engineering and technology staff in directing the sales force to new opportunities. Management believes the Company's combination of direct sales, technical marketing, engineering and customer support provides an advantage over other manufacturers in the high-performance alloy industry. This activity allows the Company to obtain direct insight into customers' alloy needs and to develop proprietary alloys that provide solutions to customers' problems.

        The Company continues to focus on growing its business in foreign markets. In recent years, the Company opened a service and sales center in China and sales centers in Singapore, India and Italy. Sales to China in fiscal 2011 were approximately $40.9 million, compared to $33.4 million in fiscal 2010.

        While the Company is making concentrated efforts to expand foreign sales, the majority of its revenue continues to be provided by sales to U.S. customers. The Company's domestic expansion effort includes, but is not limited to, the continued expansion of ancillary product forms, the continued development of new high-performance alloys, the utilization of external conversion resources to expand and improve the quality of mill-produced product, the addition of equipment in U.S. service and sales centers to improve the Company's ability to provide a product closer to the form required by the customer and the continued effort through the technical expertise of the Company to find solutions to customer challenges.

        The following table sets forth the approximate percentage of the Company's fiscal 2011 net revenues generated through each of the Company's distribution channels.

        The Company's top twenty customers accounted for approximately 35%, 32% and 38% of the Company's net revenues in fiscal 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. No customer or group of affiliated customers of the Company accounted for more than 10% of the Company's net revenues in fiscal 2009, 2010 or 2011.

        Net revenues and net income (loss) in fiscal 2009, 2010 and 2011 were generated primarily by the Company's U.S. operations. Sales to domestic customers comprised approximately 63%, 61% and 64% of the Company's net revenues in fiscal 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. In addition, the majority of the

11

Table of Contents

Company's operating costs are incurred in the U.S., as all of its manufacturing facilities are located in the U.S. It is expected that net revenues and net income will continue to be highly dependent on the Company's domestic sales and manufacturing facilities in the U.S.

        The Company's foreign and export sales were approximately $179.7 million, $149.9 million, and $198.0 million for fiscal 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. Additional information concerning foreign operations and export sales is set forth in Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Form 10-K.

Manufacturing Process

        High-performance alloys require a lengthier, more complex production process and are more difficult to manufacture than lower-performance alloys, such as stainless steel. The alloying elements in high-performance alloys must be highly refined during melting, and the manufacturing process must be tightly controlled to produce precise chemical properties. The resulting alloyed material is more difficult to process because, by design, it is more resistant to deformation. Consequently, high-performance alloys require that a greater force be applied when hot or cold working and are less susceptible to reduction or thinning when rolling or forging. This results in more cycles of rolling, annealing and pickling compared to a lower-performance alloy to achieve proper dimensions. Certain alloys may undergo as many as 40 distinct stages of melting, remelting, annealing, forging, rolling and pickling before they achieve the specifications required by a customer. The Company manufactures its high-performance alloys in various forms, including sheet, plate, billet/ingot, tubular, wire and other forms.

        The manufacturing process begins with raw materials being combined, melted and refined in a precise manner to produce the chemical composition specified for each high-performance alloy. The argon oxygen decarburization gas controls in the Company's primary melt facility remove carbon and other undesirable elements, thereby allowing more tightly-controlled chemistries, which in turn produce more consistent properties in the high-performance alloys. The argon oxygen decarburization gas control system also allows for statistical process control monitoring in real time to improve product quality. For most high-performance alloys, this molten material is cast into electrodes and additionally refined through electroslag remelting. The resulting ingots are then forged or rolled to an intermediate shape and size depending upon the intended final product form. Intermediate shapes destined for flat products are then sent through a series of hot and cold rolling, annealing and pickling operations before being cut to final size.

        The Company has a four-high Steckel rolling mill for use in hot rolling high-performance alloys, created specifically for that purpose. The four-high Steckel rolling mill was installed in 1982 and is one of the most powerful four-high Steckel rolling mills in the world. The mill is capable of generating approximately 12.0 million pounds of separating force and rolling a plate up to 72 inches wide. The mill includes integrated computer controls (with automatic gauge control and programmed rolling schedules), two coiling Steckel furnaces and five heating furnaces. Computer-controlled rolling schedules for each of the hundreds of combinations of product shapes and sizes the Company produces allow the mill to roll numerous widths and gauges to exact specifications without stoppages or changeovers.

        The Company also operates a three-high rolling mill and a two-high rolling mill, each of which is capable of custom processing much smaller quantities of material than the four-high Steckel rolling mill. These mills provide the Company with significant flexibility in running smaller batches of varied products in response to customer requirements. The Company believes the flexibility provided by the three-high and two-high mills provides the Company an advantage over its major competitors in obtaining smaller specialty orders.

        Historically, the Company has shipped fewer pounds in the first quarter of the fiscal year, primarily because of a reduced number of production and shipment days available due to holidays, vacations,

12

Table of Contents

maintenance projects and capital projects. The reduced number of production and ship days correspondingly reduces the level of net income that can be achieved.

Backlog

        The Company defines backlog to include firm commitments from customers for delivery of product at established prices. Approximately 30% of the orders in the backlog at any given time include prices that are subject to adjustment based on changes in raw material costs. Historically, approximately 75% of the Company's backlog orders have shipped within six months and approximately 90% have shipped within 12 months. The backlog figures do not reflect that portion of the Company's business conducted at its service and sales centers on a spot or "just-in-time" basis.

Consolidated Backlog at Fiscal Quarter End

Raw Materials

        In fiscal 2011, nickel, a major component of many of the Company's products, accounted for approximately 61% of raw material costs, or approximately 32% of total cost of sales. Other raw materials include cobalt, chromium, molybdenum and tungsten. Melt materials consist of virgin raw material, purchased scrap and internally produced scrap.

        The average nickel price per pound for cash buyers for the 30-day period ended on September 30, 2009, 2010 and 2011, as reported by the London Metals Exchange, was $7.93, $10.26 and $9.25, respectively. Although the 30-day LME average for September 30, 2011 was lower than the previous year's 30-day average for that same period, the average cost of nickel for the Company was higher in fiscal 2011 versus fiscal 2010. Prices for other raw materials which are significant in the manufacture of the Company's products, such as molybdenum, cobalt and chromium, were also higher in fiscal 2011 than fiscal 2010.

        Since most of the Company's products are produced pursuant to specific orders, the Company purchases raw materials against known production schedules. The materials are purchased from several different suppliers through various arrangements including annual contracts and spot purchases, and involve a variety of pricing mechanisms. Because the Company maintains a policy of pricing its products at the time of order placement, the Company attempts to establish selling prices with reference to known costs of materials, thereby reducing the risk associated with changes in the cost of raw materials. However, to the extent that the price of nickel fluctuates rapidly, there may be an unfavorable effect on the Company's gross profit margins. The Company periodically purchases material forward with certain suppliers.

Research and Technical Support

        The Company's technology facilities are located at the Kokomo headquarters and consist of 19,000 square feet of offices and laboratories, as well as an additional 90,000 square feet of paved storage area. The Company has six fully equipped technology testing laboratories, including a mechanical test lab, a metallographic lab, an electron microscopy lab, a corrosion lab, a high temperature lab and a welding lab. These facilities also contain a reduced scale, fully equipped melt shop and process lab. As of September 30, 2011, the technology, engineering and technological testing staff consisted of 23 persons, 8 of whom have

13

Table of Contents

engineering or science degrees, including 5 with doctoral degrees, with the majority of degrees in the field of metallurgical engineering.

        Research and technical support costs primarily relate to efforts to develop new proprietary alloys and new applications for existing alloys. The Company spent approximately $3.1 million, $2.8 million and $3.3 million for research and technical support activities for fiscal 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively.

        During fiscal 2011, research and development projects were focused on new alloy development, new product form development and new alloy concept validation, all relating to products for the aerospace, land-based gas turbine, chemical processing and oil and gas industries. In addition, significant projects were conducted to generate technical data in support of major market application opportunities in areas such as renewable energy, fuel cell systems, biotechnology (including toxic waste incineration and pharmaceutical manufacturing), and power generation.

Competition

        The high-performance alloy market is a highly competitive market in which eight to ten major producers participate in various product forms. The Company's primary competitors in flat rolled products include Special Metals Corporation, a subsidiary of Precision Cast Parts, Allegheny Technologies, Inc. and Krupp VDM GmbH, a subsidiary of Thyssen Krupp Stainless. The Company faces strong competition from domestic and foreign manufacturers of both high-performance alloys (similar to those the Company produces) and other competing metals. The Company may face additional competition in the future to the extent new materials are developed, such as plastics or ceramics, that may be substituted for the Company's products. The Company also believes that it will face increased competition from non-U.S. entities in the next five to ten years, especially from competitors located in Eastern Europe and Asia. Additionally, in recent years the Company's domestic business has benefited from a weak U.S. dollar, which makes the goods of foreign competitors more expensive to import into the U.S. In the event that the U.S. dollar strengthens, the Company may face increased competition in the U.S. from foreign competitors.

        Starting in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007 and continuing through fiscal 2010 and, to a lesser degree, in fiscal 2011, the Company experienced strong price competition from competitors who produce both stainless steel and high-performance alloys due primarily to weakness in the stainless market. Historically, the Company experienced similar price competition in the 1990's and in the early 2000's, when demand in the stainless market weakened. Increased competition has required the Company to continually price its products competitively, which has contributed to the reduction in the Company's gross profit margin and net income. Although the economic environment has modestly improved, there continues to be significant uncertainty as to when the stainless market will return to the pre-recession levels. When stainless demand begins to improve, price competition in the high-performance alloy industry should begin to ease. The Company continues to respond to the competition by increasing emphasis on service centers, offering value-added services, improving its cost structure and striving to improve delivery-times and reliability.

Employees

        As of September 30, 2011, the Company employed approximately 1,057 full-time employees worldwide. All eligible hourly employees at the Kokomo plant and the Lebanon, Indiana service and sales center (approximately 518 in the aggregate) are covered by a collective bargaining agreement. On July 1, 2010, the Company entered into a new collective bargaining agreement with the United Steelworkers of America, which will expire in June 2013. Management believes that current relations with the union are satisfactory. In September 2010, a majority of the 92 hourly employees at the Company's Arcadia, Louisiana operations elected to be represented by the United Steelworkers of America, although no collective bargaining agreement is in place at this time and negotiations are ongoing. None of the other employees at the Company's domestic operations are represented by a labor union.

14

Table of Contents

Environmental Matters

        The Company's facilities and operations are subject to various foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and the environment, including those governing the discharge of pollutants into the environment and the storage, handling, use, treatment and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes. In the U.S., such laws include the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. As environmental laws and regulations continue to evolve, it is likely the Company will be subject to increasingly stringent environmental standards in the future, particularly under air quality and water quality laws and standards related to climate change issues, such as a reporting of greenhouse gas emissions. Violations of these laws and regulations can result in the imposition of substantial penalties and can require facilities improvements. Expenses related to environmental compliance were approximately $2.2 million for fiscal 2011 and are currently expected to be approximately $2.1 million for fiscal 2012. Although there can be no assurance, based upon current information available to the Company, the Company does not currently expect that costs of environmental contingencies, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. The Company's facilities are subject to periodic inspection by various regulatory authorities, who from time to time have issued findings of violations of governing laws, regulations and permits. In the past five years, the Company has paid administrative fines, none of which have had a material effect on the Company's financial condition, for alleged violations relating to environmental matters, including the handling and storage of hazardous wastes, requirements relating to its Title V Air Permit and violations of record keeping and notification requirements relating to industrial waste water discharge. Capital expenditures of approximately $1.7 million were made for pollution control improvements during fiscal 2011, with additional expenditures of approximately $1.1 million for similar improvements planned for fiscal 2012.

        The Company has received permits from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, or IDEM, to close and to provide post-closure monitoring and care for certain areas at the Kokomo facility previously used for the storage and disposal of wastes, some of which are classified as hazardous under applicable regulations. Closure certification was received in fiscal 1988 for the South Landfill at the Kokomo facility and post-closure monitoring and care are permitted and ongoing there. Closure certification was received in fiscal 1999 for the North Landfill at the Kokomo facility, and post-closure monitoring and care are permitted and ongoing there. In fiscal 2007, IDEM issued a single post-closure permit applicable to both the North and South Landfills, which contains monitoring and post-closure care requirements. In addition, IDEM required that a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, or RCRA, Facility Investigation, or RFI, be conducted in order to further evaluate one area of concern and one solid waste management unit. The RFI commenced in fiscal 2008 and is ongoing. Based on preliminary results, the Company has determined that additional testing and further source remediation are necessary.

        The Company has also received permits from the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, or NCDENR, to close and provide post-closure monitoring and care for the hazardous waste lagoon at its Mountain Home, North Carolina facility. The lagoon area has been closed and is currently undergoing post-closure monitoring and care.

        The Company is required to monitor groundwater and to continue post-closure maintenance of the former disposal areas at each site. As a result, the Company is aware of elevated levels of certain contaminants in the groundwater and additional corrective action by the Company could be required.

        The Company is unable to estimate the costs of any further corrective action at these sites, if required. Accordingly, the Company cannot assure that the costs of any future corrective action at these or any other current or former sites would not have a material effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. Additionally, it is possible that the Company could be required to undertake other corrective action commitments for any other solid waste management unit or other conditions existing or

15

Table of Contents

determined to exist at its facilities. As a condition of the post-closure permits, the Company must provide and maintain assurances to IDEM and NCDENR of the Company's capability to satisfy closure and post-closure groundwater monitoring requirements, including possible future corrective action as necessary. The Company provides these required assurances through a statutory financial assurance test as provided by Indiana and North Carolina law.

        The Company may also incur liability for alleged environmental damages associated with the off-site transportation and disposal of hazardous substances. The Company's operations generate hazardous substances, and, while a large percentage of these substances are reclaimed or recycled, the Company also accumulates hazardous substances at each of its facilities for subsequent transportation and disposal off-site by third parties. Generators of hazardous substances which are transported to disposal sites where environmental problems are alleged to exist are subject to claims under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, or CERCLA, and state counterparts. CERCLA imposes strict, joint and several liabilities for investigatory and cleanup costs upon hazardous substance generators, site owners and operators and other potentially responsible parties. The Company has been named as a potentially responsible party at two sites. The Company may have generated hazardous substances disposed of at other sites potentially subject to CERCLA or equivalent state law remedial action. Thus, there can be no assurance that the Company will not be named as a potentially responsible party at other sites in the future or that the costs associated with those sites would not have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

Executive Officers of the Company

        The following table sets forth certain information concerning the persons who served as executive officers as of September 30, 2011. Except as indicated in the following paragraphs, the principal occupations of these persons have not changed during the past five years.

        Mr. Comerford was elected President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company in October 2008. Before joining the Company, Mr. Comerford was President of Brush International, Inc. and Brush Engineered Materials Alloy Division, each affiliates of Materion Corporation, formally known as Brush Engineered Material, Inc., a company that manufactures high performance materials, from 2004 to 2008.

        Mr. Martin has served as Vice President—Finance, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company since July 2004.

        Dr. Ishwar has served as Vice President—Marketing & Technology of the Company since January 2010. Dr. Ishwar was Senior Vice President of Forgital USA, a manufacturer of mechanical components, between July 2008 and December 2009. Prior to that, he was Director of Marketing and Business Development at the Company from 2005 to July 2008.

16

Table of Contents

        Mr. Losch has served as Vice President—Sales & Distribution of the Company since January 2010. Prior to that, he served as Vice President—North American Sales of the Company beginning in February 2006. Mr. Losch was Midwest Regional Manager of the Company from 2001 to 2006.

        Mr. Maudlin has served as Controller and Chief Accounting Officer of the Company since September 2004.

        Ms. Neel has served as Vice President—Corporate Affairs of the Company since April 2000.

        Mr. Pinkham has served as Vice President—Manufacturing—Kokomo of the Company since March 2008. Prior to that, he served as Vice President—Manufacturing Planning of the Company from 2004 to 2008.

        Mr. Spalding has served as Vice President—Tube & Wire Products of the Company since May 2009. Prior to that, he served as Vice President, Haynes Wire & Chief Operating Officer from 2006 to May 2009, and Vice President—North American Sales since he joined the Company in July 1999.

        Ms. Wilken has served as Vice President—General Counsel and Corporate Secretary since August 2011. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Wilken was a partner at Ice Miller LLP since 2005 and an associate with Ice Miller LLP from 1998 to 2004.

        Mr. Young has served as Vice President & Chief Information Officer since November 2005.

17

Table of Contents

Item 1A.    Risk Factors

Risks Related to Our Business

Our revenues may fluctuate widely based upon changes in demand for our customers' products.

        Demand for our products is dependent upon and derived from the level of demand for the machinery, parts and equipment produced by our customers, which are principally manufacturers and fabricators of machinery, parts and equipment for highly specialized applications. Historically, certain of the markets in which we compete have experienced unpredictable, wide demand fluctuations. Because of the comparatively high level of fixed costs associated with our manufacturing processes, significant declines in those markets have had a disproportionately adverse impact on our operating results.

        Since we became an independent company in 1987, we have, in several instances, experienced substantial year-to-year declines in net revenues, primarily as a result of decreases in demand in the industries to which our products are sold. In 1992, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2009 and 2010, our net revenues, when compared to the immediately preceding year, declined by approximately 24.9%, 15.4%, 10.3%, 21.2%, 31.1% and 13.0%, respectively. We may experience similar fluctuations in our net revenues in the future. Additionally, demand is likely to continue to be subject to substantial year-to-year fluctuations as a consequence of industry cyclicality, as well as other factors such as global economic uncertainty, and such fluctuations may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

Profitability in the high-performance alloy industry is highly sensitive to changes in sales volumes.

        The high-performance alloy industry is characterized by high capital investment and high fixed costs. The cost of raw materials is the primary variable cost in the manufacture of our high-performance alloys and, in fiscal 2011, represented approximately 53.0% of our total cost of sales. Other manufacturing costs, such as labor, energy, maintenance and supplies, often thought of as variable, have a significant fixed element. Profitability is, therefore, very sensitive to changes in volume, and relatively small changes in volume can result in significant variations in earnings. Our ability to effectively utilize our manufacturing assets depends greatly upon continuing demand in our end-markets, successfully increasing our market share and continued acceptance of our new products into the marketplace. Any failure to effectively utilize our manufacturing assets may negatively impact our gross margin and net income.

We are subject to risks associated with global economic and political uncertainties

        We are susceptible to macroeconomic downturns in the United States and abroad that may affect the general economic climate and our performance and the demand of our customers. The continuing turmoil in the global economy has had, and may continue to have, an adverse impact on our business and our financial condition. In addition to the impact that the global financial crisis has already had, we may face significant challenges if conditions in the global economy do not improve or worsen.

        In addition, we are subject to various domestic and international risks and uncertainties, including changing social conditions and uncertainties relating to the current and future political climate. Changes in governmental policies (particularly those that would limit or reduce defense spending) could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations and may reduce our customers' demand for our products and/or depress pricing of those products used in the defense industry or which have other military applications, resulting in a material adverse impact on our business, prospects, results of operations, revenues and cash flows. Furthermore, any actual armed hostilities, and any future terrorist attacks in the U.S. or abroad, could also have an adverse impact on the U.S. economy, global financial markets and our business. The effects may include, among other things, a decrease in demand in the aerospace industry due to reduced air travel, as well as reduced demand in the other industries we serve. Depending upon the severity, scope and duration of these effects, the impact on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows could be material.

18

Table of Contents

We operate in cyclical markets.

        A significant portion of our revenues are derived from the highly cyclical aerospace, power generation and chemical processing markets. Our sales to the aerospace industry constituted 37.5% of our total sales in fiscal 2011. Our land-based gas turbine and chemical processing sales constituted 18.1% and 27.6%, respectively, of our total sales in fiscal 2011.

        The commercial aerospace industry is historically driven by demand from commercial airlines for new aircraft. The U.S. and international commercial aviation industries continue to face challenges arising from the global economic climate, competitive pressures and fuel costs. Demand for commercial aircraft is influenced by industry profitability, trends in airline passenger traffic, the state of U.S. and world economies, the ability of aircraft purchasers to obtain required financing and numerous other factors, including the effects of terrorism and health and safety concerns. The military aerospace cycle is highly dependent on U.S. and foreign government funding; however, it is also driven by the effects of terrorism, a changing global political environment, U.S. foreign policy, the retirement of older aircraft and technological improvements to new engines that increase reliability. Accordingly, the timing, duration and severity of cyclical upturns and downturns cannot be forecast with certainty. Downturns or reductions in demand could have a material adverse effect on our business.

        The land-based gas turbine market is also cyclical in nature. Demand for power generation products is global and is affected by the state of the U.S. and world economies, the availability of financing to power generation project sponsors and the political environments of numerous countries. The availability of fuels and related prices also have a large impact on demand. Reductions in demand for our products sold into the land-based gas turbine industry may have a material adverse effect on our business.

        We also sell products into the chemical processing industry, which is also cyclical in nature. Customer demand for our products in this market may fluctuate widely depending on U.S. and world economic conditions, the availability of financing, and the general economic strength of the end use customers in this market. Cyclical declines or sustained weakness in this market could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Reductions in government expenditures could adversely affect our military aerospace business.

        The Budget Control Act of 2011 (the "Budget Act") that was signed into law on August 2, 2011 to reduce federal government expenditures over the next 10 years may result in reduced U.S. government funding of the military aerospace industry. The Budget Act set $900 billion in immediate cuts to discretionary government spending for 2012 through 2021. It also established a bi-partisan congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (the "Super Committee") and charged it with recommending legislation by November 23, 2011, the result of which would reduce net government spending by at least $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years, in addition to the $900 billion in immediate discretionary spending reductions. In the event that the Super Committee fails to recommend legislation, Congress fails to approve that legislation by late December, 2011, or the President fails to sign the legislation into law, an automatic sequestration of discretionary appropriations would be triggered, which would make up any shortfall necessary to achieve the $1.2 trillion target. Under the Budget Act, 50% of any shortfall from the $1.2 trillion target would automatically be applied as a reduction to discretionary appropriations for national defense programs. While we are unable to predict the outcome of the Budget Act deliberations, actions of the Super Committee or the impact of any resulting reductions in defense appropriations, reductions in U.S. defense spending, particularly with respect to the military aerospace industry, could negatively affect our revenues, financial condition and results of operations.

Aerospace demand is primarily dependent on two manufacturers.

        A significant portion of our aerospace products are sold to fabricators and are ultimately used in the production of new commercial aircraft. There are only two primary manufacturers of large commercial

19

Table of Contents

aircraft in the world, The Boeing Company and Airbus. A significant portion of our aerospace sales are dependent on the number of new aircraft built by these two manufacturers, which is in turn dependent on a number of factors over which we have little or no control. Those factors include demand for new aircraft from around the globe and factors that impact manufacturing capabilities, such as the availability of raw materials and manufactured components, U.S. and world economic conditions, changes in the regulatory environment and labor relations between the aircraft manufacturers and their work forces. A significant interruption or slow down in the number of new aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturers could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our operations are dependent on production levels at our Kokomo facility.

        Our principal assets are located at our primary integrated production facility in Kokomo, Indiana and at our production facilities in Arcadia, Louisiana and in Mountain Home, North Carolina. The Arcadia and Mountain Home plants rely to a significant extent upon feedstock produced at the Kokomo facility. Any production failures, shutdowns or other significant problems at the Kokomo facility could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. We maintain property damage insurance to provide for reconstruction of damaged equipment, as well as business interruption insurance to mitigate losses resulting from any production shutdown caused by an insured loss. Although we believe that our insurance is adequate to cover any such losses, that may not be the case. One or more significant uninsured losses at our Kokomo facility may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.

        In addition, from time to time we schedule planned outages on the equipment at our Kokomo facility for maintenance and upgrades. These projects are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, including a variety of market, operational and labor related factors, many of which may be beyond our control. Should a planned shut-down on a significant piece of equipment last substantially longer than originally planned, there could be a material adverse effect on our operating results.

A default under our agreements with Titanium Metals Corporation could require us to make significant payments and could disrupt our operations.

        We are party to a Conversion Services Agreement and an Access and Security Agreement with TIMET that provide for the performance of certain titanium conversion services through November 2026. Events of default under the Conversion Services Agreement include (a) a change in control in which the successor does not assume the agreement, (b) a violation by the Company of certain non-compete obligations relating to the manufacture and conversion of titanium and (c) failure to meet agreed-upon delivery and quality requirements. If an event of default under the Conversion Services Agreement occurs, TIMET could require us to repay the unearned portion of the $50.0 million fee paid to us by TIMET when the agreement was signed, plus liquidated damages of $25.0 million. Our obligations to pay these amounts to TIMET are secured by a security interest in our four-high Steckel rolling mill, through which we process a substantial amount of our products. In addition, the Access and Security Agreement with TIMET includes, among other terms, an access right that would allow TIMET to use certain of our operating assets, including the four-high mill, to perform titanium conversion services in the event of our bankruptcy or the acceleration of our indebtedness. Exercise by TIMET of its rights under its security interest following a default and non-payment of the amounts provided in the Conversion Services Agreement or exercise of the access rights under the Access and Security Agreement could cause significant disruption in our Kokomo operations which would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

20

Table of Contents

During periods of lower demand in other alloy markets, some of our competitors may use their available capacity to produce higher volumes of high-performance alloys, which leads to increased competition in the high-performance alloy market.

        We have experienced increased competition since the third quarter of fiscal 2007 from competitors who produce both stainless steel and high-performance alloys. Due to continued under-utilization of capacity in the stainless steel market, we believe these competitors increased their production levels and sales activity in high-performance alloys to keep capacity in their mills as full as possible, while offering very competitive prices and delivery times. If the stainless market does not improve, continued competition from stainless steel producers could negatively impact our average selling price and reduce our gross profit margin.

        In addition, as a result of the competition in our markets, we have made significant price concessions to our customers from time to time, and we expect customer pressure for further price concessions to continue. Maintenance of our market share will depend, in part, on our ability to sustain a cost structure that enables us to be cost-competitive. If we are unable to adjust our costs relative to our pricing, our profitability will suffer. Our effectiveness in managing our cost structure will be a key determinant of future profitability and competitiveness.

Rapid fluctuations in the price of nickel may materially adversely affect our operating results.

        To the extent that we are unable to adjust to rapid fluctuations in the price of nickel, there may be a negative effect on our gross profit margins. In fiscal 2011, nickel, a major component of many of our products, accounted for approximately 61% of our raw material costs, or approximately 32% of our total costs of sales. We enter into several different types of sales contracts with our customers, some of which allow us to pass on increases in nickel prices to our customers. In other cases, we price our products at the time of order, which allows us to establish prices with reference to known costs of our nickel inventory, but which does not allow us to offset an unexpected rise in the price of nickel. We may not be able to successfully offset rapid increases in the price of nickel or other raw materials in the future. In the event that raw material price increases occur that we are unable to pass on to our customers, our cash flows or results of operations would be materially adversely affected.

        Alternatively, as happened in fiscal 2009, our results of operations may also be negatively impacted if both customer demand and nickel prices rapidly fall at the same time. In those circumstances, we may experience higher per pound manufacturing costs due to the recognition of higher nickel costs from inventory which flows through cost of goods sold.

Our business is dependent on a number of raw materials that are subject to volatility in price and availability.

        We use a number of raw materials in our products which are found in only a few parts of the world and are available from a limited number of suppliers. The availability and costs of these materials may be influenced by private or government cartels, changes in world politics, labor relations between the materials producers and their work force, unstable governments in exporting nations, inflation and general economic conditions and export quotas imposed by governments in nations with rare earth element supplies. The ability of key material suppliers to meet quality and delivery requirements can also impact our ability to meet commitments to customers. Future shortages or price fluctuations in raw materials could result in decreased sales as well as margins, or otherwise adversely affect our business. The enactment of new or increased import duties on raw materials imported by us could also increase the costs to us of obtaining the raw materials and might adversely affect our business.

21

Table of Contents

Failure to successfully develop, commercialize, market and sell new applications and new products could adversely affect our business.

        We believe that our proprietary alloys and metallurgical manufacturing expertise provide us with a competitive advantage over other high-performance alloy producers. Our ability to maintain this competitive advantage depends on our ability to continue to offer products that have equal or better performance characteristics than competing products at competitive prices. Our future growth will depend, in part, on our ability to address the increasingly demanding needs of our customers by enhancing the properties of our existing alloys, by timely developing new applications for our existing products, and by timely developing, commercializing, marketing and selling new products. If we are not successful in these efforts, or if our new products and product enhancements do not adequately meet the requirements of the marketplace and achieve market acceptance, our revenues, cash flows and results of operations could be negatively affected.

We are subject to risks relating to our cyber security measures.

        We have put in place a number of systems, processes and practices designed to protect against intentional or unintentional misappropriation or corruption of our systems and information or disruption of our operations. These include, for example, the appropriate encryption of information. Despite such efforts, we are subject to breaches of security systems which may result in unauthorized access, misappropriation, corruption or disruption of the information we are trying to protect, in which case we could suffer material harm. Access to our proprietary information regarding new alloy formulations would allow our competitors to use that information in the development of competing products. Current employees have, and former employees may have, access to a significant amount of information regarding our operations which could be disclosed to our competitors or otherwise used to harm us. In addition, our systems could be subject to sabotage by employees or third parties, which could slow or stop production or otherwise adversely affect our operations. Any misappropriation or corruption of our systems and information or disruption of our operations could have a material adverse effect on our business.

An interruption in energy services may cause manufacturing curtailments or shutdowns.

        We rely upon third parties for our supply of energy resources consumed in the manufacture of our products. The prices for and availability of electricity, natural gas, oil and other energy resources are subject to volatile market conditions. These market conditions often are affected by political and economic factors beyond our control. Disruptions in the supply of energy resources could temporarily impair our ability to manufacture products for customers. Further, increases in energy costs, or changes in costs relative to energy costs paid by competitors, has and may continue to adversely affect our profitability. To the extent that these uncertainties cause suppliers and customers to be more cost sensitive, increased energy prices may have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We may be adversely affected by environmental, health and safety laws, regulations, costs and other liabilities.

        We are subject to various foreign, federal, state and local environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those governing the discharge of pollutants into the environment, the storage, handling, use, treatment and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes and the health and safety of our employees. Under these laws and regulations, we may be held liable for all costs arising out of any release of hazardous substances on, under or from any of our current or former properties or any off-site location to which we sent or arranged to be sent wastes for disposal or treatment, and such costs may be material. We could also be held liable for any and all consequences arising out of human exposure to such substances or other hazardous substances that may be attributable to our products or other environmental damage. In addition, some of these laws and regulations require our facilities to operate under permits that are subject to renewal or modification. These laws, regulations and permits can require expensive pollution control equipment or operational changes to limit actual or potential impacts to the environment.

22

Table of Contents

Violations of these laws, regulations or permits can also result in the imposition of substantial penalties, permit revocations and/or facility shutdowns.

        We have received permits from the environmental regulatory authorities in Indiana and North Carolina to close and to provide post-closure monitoring and care for certain areas of our Kokomo and Mountain Home facilities that were used for the storage and disposal of wastes, some of which are classified as hazardous under applicable regulations. We are required to monitor groundwater and to continue post-closure maintenance of the former disposal areas at each site. As a result, we are aware of elevated levels of certain contaminants in the groundwater and additional corrective action could be required. Additionally, it is possible that we could be required to undertake other corrective action for any other solid waste management unit or other conditions existing or determined to exist at our facilities. We are unable to estimate the costs of any further corrective action, if required. However, the costs of future corrective action at these or any other current or former sites could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

        We may also incur liability for alleged environmental damages associated with the off-site transportation and disposal of hazardous substances. Our operations generate hazardous substances, many of which we accumulate at our facilities for subsequent transportation and disposal off-site or recycling by third parties. Generators of hazardous substances which are transported to disposal sites where environmental problems are alleged to exist are subject to liability under CERCLA and state counterparts. In addition, we may have generated hazardous substances disposed of at sites which are subject to CERCLA or equivalent state law remedial action. We have been named as a potentially responsible party at two sites. CERCLA imposes strict, joint and several liabilities for investigatory and cleanup costs upon hazardous substance generators, site owners and operators and other potentially responsible parties regardless of fault. If we are named as a potentially responsible party at other sites in the future, the costs associated with those future sites could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

        Environmental laws are complex, change frequently and have tended to become increasingly stringent over time. While we have budgeted for future capital and operating expenditures to comply with environmental laws, changes in any environmental law may increase our costs of compliance and liabilities arising from any past or future releases of, or exposure to, hazardous substances and may materially adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition. See "Business—Environmental Matters."

Our manufacturing processes, and the manufacturing processes of many of our suppliers and customers, are energy intensive and generate carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse gases", and pending legislation or regulation of greenhouse gases, if enacted or adopted in an onerous form, could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

        Political and scientific debates related to the impacts of emissions of greenhouse gases on the global climate are prevalent. Regulation or some form of legislation aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions is currently being considered in the United States as well as globally. As a high-performance alloy manufacturer, we will be affected, both directly and indirectly, if proposed climate change legislation, such as use of a "cap and trade" system, is enacted which could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Our business is affected by federal rules, regulations and orders applicable to government contractors.

        A number of our products are manufactured and sold under U.S. government contracts or subcontracts. Consequently, we are directly and indirectly subject to various federal rules, regulations and orders applicable to government contractors. From time to time, we are also subject to government inquiries and investigations of our business practices due to our participation in government programs. These inquiries and investigations are costly and consuming of internal resources. Violations of applicable

23

Table of Contents

government rules and regulations could result in civil liability, in cancellation or suspension of existing contracts or in ineligibility for future contracts or subcontracts funded in whole or in part with federal funds, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We could be required to make additional contributions to our defined benefit pension plans as a result of adverse changes in interest rates and the capital markets.

        Our estimates of liabilities and expenses for pension benefits incorporate significant assumptions, including the rate used to discount the future estimated liability, the long-term rate of return on plan assets and several assumptions relating to the employee workforce (salary increases, retirement age and mortality). We currently expect that we will be required to make future minimum contributions to our defined benefit pension plans. A decline in the value of plan investments in the future, an increase in costs or liabilities or unfavorable changes in laws or regulations that govern pension plan funding could materially change the timing and amount of required pension funding. A requirement to fund any deficit created in the future could have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition.

If we are unable to recruit, hire and retain skilled and experienced personnel, our ability to effectively manage and expand our business will be harmed.

        Our success largely depends on the skills, experience and efforts of our officers and other key employees who may terminate their employment at any time. The loss of any of our senior management team could harm our business. The announcement of the loss of one of our key employees could negatively affect our stock price. Our ability to retain our skilled workforce and our success in attracting and hiring new skilled employees will be a critical factor in determining whether we will be successful in the future. We face challenges in hiring, training, managing and retaining employees in certain areas including metallurgical researchers, equipment technicians, and sales and marketing staff. If we are unable to recruit, hire and retain skilled employees, our new product and alloy development and commercialization could be delayed, and our marketing and sales efforts could be hindered, which would adversely impact our competitiveness and financial results.

The risks inherent in our international operations may adversely impact our revenues, results of operations and financial condition.

        We anticipate we will continue to derive a significant portion of our revenues from operations in international markets. As we continue to expand internationally, we will need to hire, train and retain qualified personnel for our direct sales efforts and retain distributors and train their personnel in countries where language, cultural or regulatory impediments may exist. Distributors, regulators or other government agencies may not continue to accept our products, services and business practices. In addition, we purchase raw materials on the international market. The sale and shipment of our products and services across international borders, as well as the purchase of raw materials from international sources, subject us to the trade regulations of various jurisdictions. Compliance with such regulations is costly. Any failure to comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations could impact us in a variety of ways that include, but are not limited to, significant criminal, civil and administrative penalties, including imprisonment of individuals, fines and penalties, denial of export privileges, seizure of shipments and restrictions on certain business activities. Failure to comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations could result in the disruption of our shipping, sales and service activities. Our international sales operations expose us and our representatives, agents and distributors to risks inherent in operating in foreign jurisdictions any one or more of which may adversely affect our business and financial results, including:

•

our ability to obtain, and the costs associated with obtaining, U.S. export licenses and other required export or import licenses or approvals;



•

changes in duties and tariffs, taxes, trade restrictions, license obligations and other non-tariff barriers to trade;

24

Table of Contents

•

burdens of complying with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and a wide variety of foreign laws and regulations;



•

business practices or laws favoring local companies;



•

fluctuations in foreign currencies;



•

restrictive trade policies of foreign governments;



•

longer payment cycles and difficulties collecting receivables through foreign legal systems;



•

difficulties in enforcing or defending agreements and intellectual property rights; and



•

foreign political or economic conditions.

        Any material decrease in our international revenues or inability to expand our international operations as a result of these or other factors would adversely impact our revenues, results of operations and financial condition.

Although a collective bargaining agreement is in place for certain employees, union or labor disputes could still disrupt the manufacturing process.

        Our operations rely heavily on our skilled employees. Any labor shortage, disruption or stoppage caused by any deterioration in employee relations or difficulties in the renegotiation of labor contracts could reduce our operating margins and income. Approximately 58% percent of our U.S. employees are affiliated with unions or covered by collective bargaining agreements. In addition, in September 2010, a majority of the 92 hourly employees at our Arcadia, Louisiana operations elected to be represented by a union and negotiations regarding a collective bargaining agreement are ongoing. Failure to negotiate new labor agreements when required could result in a work stoppage at one or more of our facilities. Although we believe that our labor relations have generally been satisfactory, it is possible that we could become subject to additional work rules imposed by agreements with labor unions, or that work stoppages or other labor disturbances could occur in the future, any of which could reduce our operating margins and income and place us at a disadvantage relative to non-union competitors.

Product liability and product warranty risks could adversely affect our operating results.

        We produce many critical products for commercial and military aircraft and for land-based gas turbines. Failure of our products could give rise to substantial product liability and other damage claims. We maintain insurance addressing this risk, but there can be no assurance that the insurance coverage will be adequate or will continue to be available on terms acceptable to us.

        Additionally, we manufacture our products to strict contractually-established specifications using complex manufacturing processes. If we fail to meet the contractual requirements for a part, we may be subject to warranty costs to repair or replace the product itself and additional costs related to the investigation and inspection of non-complying products. These costs are generally not insured.

Our business subjects us to risk of litigation claims, as a routine matter, and this risk increases the potential for a loss that might not be covered by insurance.

        Litigation claims may relate to the conduct of our business, including claims pertaining to product liability, commercial disputes, employment actions, employee benefits, compliance with domestic and federal laws and personal injury. Due to the uncertainties of litigation, we might not prevail on claims made against us in the lawsuits that we currently face and additional claims may be made against us in the future. The outcome of litigation cannot be predicted with certainty, and some of these lawsuits, claims or proceedings may be determined adversely to us. The resolution in any reporting period of one or more of these matters could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity or results of operations for that period.

25

Table of Contents

We depend on our IT infrastructure to support the current and future information requirements of our operations.

        Management relies on IT infrastructure, including hardware, network, software, people and process, to provide useful information to support assessments and conclusions about operating performance. Our inability to produce relevant or reliable measures of operating performance in an efficient, cost-effective and well-controlled fashion may have significant negative impacts on our future operations.

Risks Related to Shares of Our Common Stock

Our stock price is subject to fluctuations as a result of being traded on a public exchange which may not be related to our performance.

        The stock market has been highly volatile. As a result, the market price of our common stock is likely to be similarly volatile, and investors in our common stock may experience a decrease in the value of their stock, including decreases unrelated to our operating performance or prospects. The price of our common stock could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to a number of factors, including those listed elsewhere in this "Risk Factors" section and others such as:

•

fluctuations in the market price of nickel, raw materials or energy;



•

market conditions in the end markets into which our customers sell their products, principally aerospace, power generation and chemical processing;



•

announcements of technological innovations or new products and services by us or our competitors;



•

the operating and stock price performance of other companies that investors may deem comparable to us;



•

announcements by us of acquisitions, alliances, joint development efforts or corporate partnerships in the high-temperature resistant alloy and corrosion-resistant alloy markets;



•

market conditions in the technology, manufacturing or other growth sectors; and



•

rumors relating to us or our competitors.

Payment of dividends will depend on our future financial condition and performance.

        Although our Board of Directors currently intends to continue the payment of regular quarterly cash dividends on shares of our common stock, the timing and amount of future dividends will depend on the Board's assessment of our operations, financial condition, projected liabilities, contractual restrictions, restrictions imposed by applicable law and other factors. We cannot guarantee that we will continue to declare dividends at the same or similar rates.

Provisions of our certificate of incorporation and by-laws could discourage potential acquisition proposals and could deter or prevent a change in control.

        Some provisions in our certificate of incorporation and by-laws, as well as Delaware statutes, may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control. These provisions, including those regulating the nomination of directors, may make it more difficult for other persons, without the approval of our Board of Directors, to launch takeover attempts that a stockholder might consider to be in his or her best interest. These provisions could limit the price that some investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock.

Item 1B.    Unresolved Staff Comments

        There are no unresolved comments by the staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

26

Table of Contents

Item 2.    Properties

        Manufacturing Facilities.    The Company owns manufacturing facilities in the following locations:

•

Kokomo, Indiana—manufactures and sells all product forms, other than tubular and wire goods;



•

Arcadia, Louisiana—manufactures and sells welded and seamless tubular goods; and



•

Mountain Home, North Carolina—manufactures and sells high-performance alloy wire.

        The Kokomo plant, the Company's primary production facility, is located on approximately 180 acres of industrial property and includes over 1.0 million square feet of building space. There are three sites consisting of (1) a headquarters and research laboratory; (2) primary and secondary melting, annealing furnaces, forge press and several smaller hot mills; and (3) the Company's four-high Steckel rolling mill and sheet product cold working equipment, including two cold strip mills. All alloys and product forms other than tubular and wire goods are produced in Kokomo.

        The Arcadia plant is located on approximately 42 acres of land, and includes 135,000 square feet of buildings on a single site. Arcadia uses feedstock produced in Kokomo to fabricate welded and seamless alloy pipe and tubing and purchases extruded tube hollows to produce seamless titanium tubing. Manufacturing processes at Arcadia require cold pilger mills, weld mills, draw benches, annealing furnaces and pickling facilities.

        The Mountain Home plant is located on approximately 29 acres of land, and includes approximately 100,000 square feet of building space. The Mountain Home facility is primarily used to manufacture finished high-performance alloy wire. Warehousing of finished wire product is also done at this facility.

        The owned facilities located in the United States are subject to a mortgage which secures the Company's obligations under its U.S. revolving credit facility with a group of lenders led by Wells Fargo Capital Finance, LLC. For more information see Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Form 10-K.

        Service and Sales Centers.    The service and sales centers contain equipment capable of precision laser and water jet processing services to cut and shape products to customers' precise specifications. The Company owns service and sales centers in the following locations:

•

Openshaw, England—stocks and sells all product forms; and



•

Lenzburg, Switzerland—stocks and sells all product forms.

        The Openshaw plant, located near Manchester, England, consists of approximately 7 acres of land and over 200,000 square feet of buildings on a single site.

        In addition, the Company leases service and sales centers in the following locations:

•

La Mirada, California—stocks and sells all product forms;



•

Houston, Texas—stocks and sells all product forms;



•

Lebanon, Indiana—stocks and sells all product forms;



•

Shanghai, China—stocks and sells all product forms; and



•

Windsor, Connecticut—stocks and sells all product forms.

        Sales Centers.    As a part of our ongoing efforts to improve our operations, during fiscal 2011 the Company consolidated inventory within Europe by converting the France service center into a sales center. The Company leases sales centers in the following locations:

•

Paris, France—sells all product forms;

27

Table of Contents

•

Zurich, Switzerland—sells all product forms;



•

Singapore—sells all product forms;



•

Milan, Italy—sells all product forms; and



•

Chennai, India—sells all product forms.

        All owned and leased service and sales centers not described in detail above are single site locations and are less than 100,000 square feet. The Company believes that its existing facilities are suitable for its current business needs. The Company is developing plans to spend approximately $10.0 million over the course of fiscal 2012 and 2013 to restructure, consolidate and enhance capabilities at its service center operations.

Item 3.    Legal Proceedings

        The Company is subject to extensive federal, state and local laws and regulations. Future developments and increasingly stringent regulations could require us to make additional unforeseen expenditures for these matters. The Company is regularly involved in litigation, both as a plaintiff and as a defendant, relating to its business and operations. Such litigation includes federal and state EEOC administrative actions, litigation of commercial matters and litigation and administrative actions relating to environmental matters. For more information see "Item 1. Business—Environmental Matters." Litigation and administrative actions may result in substantial costs and may divert management's attention and resources, and the level of future expenditures for legal matters cannot be determined with any degree of certainty. Nonetheless, based on the facts presently known, management does not expect expenditures for pending legal proceedings to have a material effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

        The Company is currently, and has in the past, been subject to claims involving personal injuries allegedly relating to its products. For example, the Company is presently involved in two actions involving welding rod-related injuries, which were filed in California state court against numerous manufacturers, including the Company, in May 2006 and February 2007, respectively, alleging that the welding-related products of the defendant manufacturers harmed the users of such products through the inhalation of welding fumes containing manganese. The Company believes that it has defenses to these allegations and that, if the Company were found liable, the cases would not have a material effect on its financial position, results of operations or liquidity. In addition to these cases, the Company has in the past been named a defendant in several other lawsuits, including 53 lawsuits filed in the state of California, alleging that its welding-related products harmed the users of such products through the inhalation of welding fumes containing manganese. The Company has since been voluntarily dismissed from all of these lawsuits on the basis of the release and discharge of claims contained in the confirmation order issued in connection with the Company's emergence from Chapter 11 reorganization. While the Company contests such lawsuits vigorously, and may have applicable insurance, there are several risks and uncertainties that may affect its liability for claims relating to exposure to welding fumes and manganese. For instance, in recent cases, at least two courts (in cases not involving the Company) have refused to dismiss claims relating to inhalation of welding fumes containing manganese based upon a bankruptcy discharge order. Although the Company believes the facts of these cases are distinguishable from the facts of its cases, it cannot assure you that any or all claims against the Company will be dismissed based upon the confirmation order, particularly claims premised, in part or in full, upon actual or alleged exposure on or after the date of the confirmation order. It is also possible that the Company will be named in additional suits alleging welding-rod injuries. Should such litigation occur, it is possible that the aggregate claims for damages, if the Company is found liable, could have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

28

Table of Contents

Part II

Item 5.    Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

        The Company's common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market ("NASDAQ") and traded under the symbol "HAYN". The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the high and low closing prices for the Company's common stock as reported by NASDAQ.

        The range of the Company's common stock price on NASDAQ from October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011 was $34.27 to $67.00. The closing price of the common stock was $43.45 on September 30, 2011.

        As of November 1, 2011, there were approximately 43 holders of record of the Company's common stock.

        Our payment of dividends is permitted under our existing financing agreement, although our U.S. revolving credit facility requires (i) prior notice to the agent, (ii) a fixed charge coverage ratio average for the previous twelve months which must be not less than 1.0 to 1.0, and (iii) that the Company have at least $18.0 million in availability, after payment, on the date the dividend payment is made. While it is our intention to continue to pay quarterly cash dividends for fiscal 2012 and beyond, any decision to pay future cash dividends will be made by our Board of Directors and will depend upon our earnings, financial condition and other factors.

29

Table of Contents

Cumulative Total Stockholder Return

        The graph below compares the cumulative total stockholder return on the Company's common stock to the cumulative total return of the Russell 2000 Index, S&P MidCap 400 Index, and Peer Group for each of the last five fiscal years ended September 30. The cumulative total return assumes an investment of $100 on September 30, 2006 and the reinvestment of any dividends during the period. The Russell 2000 is a broad-based index that includes smaller market capitalization stocks. The S&P MidCap 400 Index is the most widely used index for mid-sized companies. Management believes that the S&P MidCap 400 is representative of companies with similar market and economic characteristics to Haynes. Furthermore, we also believe the Russell 2000 Index is representative of the Company's current market capitalization status and this index is also provided on a comparable basis. The companies included in the Peer Group Index are: Allegheny Technologies, Inc., Titanium Metals Corporation, RTI International Metals, Inc., Universal Stainless & Alloy Products, Inc. and Carpenter Technology Corp. Management believes that the companies included in the Peer Group, taken as a whole, provide a meaningful comparison in terms of competition, product offerings and other relevant factors. The total stockholder return for the peer group is weighted according to the respective issuer's stock market capitalization at the beginning of each period.

COMPARISON OF 5 YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN*
Among Haynes, The Russell 2000 Index, The S&P MidCap 400
Index and our Peer Group

*

For fiscal 2006 and up to March 23, 2007, the Company's stock was traded on the "Pink Sheets." As of March 27, 2007, the Company listed its common stock on The NASDAQ Global Market.

30

Table of Contents

Item 6.    Selected Financial Data

        This information should be read in conjunction with "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and the consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this Form 10-K.

        Amounts below are in thousands, except backlog, which is in millions, share and per share information and average nickel price.

⁽¹⁾

A non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $43.7 million was recorded during the second quarter of fiscal 2009. See Note 2 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained elsewhere in this Form 10-K for additional information.

⁽²⁾

During fiscal 2007, the Company completed an equity offering which resulted in the issuance of 1,200,000 shares of its common stock. In addition, 450,000 stock options were exercised as a part of the offering. The net proceeds

31

Table of Contents

of the equity offering were $72,753 and the payment of the exercise price for the stock options resulted in an additional $6,083 in proceeds to the Company.

⁽³⁾

Significant increases in the pension and postretirement benefits liability occurred in fiscal years 2009, 2010 and 2011 primarily due to reductions in the discount rate used to value the future liability. This has been reflected actuarially as an increase in the Pension and Postretirement Benefits Liability and an increase in the accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss account. The amount of this actuarial loss for the years ended September 30, 2009, 2010 and 2011 was $69,094, $27,148 and $22,495, respectively, which has created a cumulative three year actuarial loss of $118,737. On a prospective basis if interest rates were to rise, this would cause a decrease in the liability and accumulated other comprehensive loss. Prior to fiscal 2009, many actions were taken to reduce this liability such as: i) effective second quarter of fiscal 2007 capping the Company's contributions to the retiree health care costs at $5,000 annually (resulting in a $46,300 liability reduction), ii) effective first quarter of fiscal 2008, freezing the pension benefit accruals for all non-union employees in the U.S. (resulted in a $8,191 liability reduction), iii) closing the pension plans to new entrants for both non-union employees (effective 12/31/2005) and union employees (effective 6/30/2007).

⁽⁴⁾

The Company defines backlog to include firm commitments from customers for delivery of product at established prices. Approximately 30% of the orders in the backlog at any given time include prices that are subject to adjustment based on changes in raw material costs. Historically, approximately 75% of the backlog orders have shipped within six months and approximately 90% have shipped within 12 months. The backlog figures do not reflect that portion of the business conducted at service and sales centers on a spot or "just-in-time" basis.

⁽⁵⁾

Represents the average price for a cash buyer as reported by the London Metals Exchange for the 30 days ending on the last day of the period presented.

32

Table of Contents

Quarterly Market Information

        Set forth below is selected data relating to the Company's backlog, the 30-day average nickel price per pound as reported by the London Metals Exchange, as well as breakdown of net revenues, shipments and average selling prices to the markets served by Haynes for the periods shown. These data should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto and the remainder of the "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" included elsewhere in this Form 10-K.

33

Table of Contents

Item 7.    Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

        Please refer to page 1 of this Form 10-K for a cautionary statement regarding forward-looking information.

Overview of Business

        The Company is one of the world's largest producers of high-performance nickel- and cobalt-based alloys in sheet, coil and plate forms. The Company is focused on developing, manufacturing, marketing and distributing technologically advanced, high-performance alloys, which are used primarily in the aerospace, chemical processing and land-based gas turbine industries. The global specialty alloy market consists of three primary sectors: stainless steel, general purpose nickel alloys and high-performance nickel- and cobalt-based alloys. The Company competes primarily in the high-performance nickel- and cobalt-based alloy sector, which includes high-temperature resistant alloys, or HTA products, and corrosion-resistant alloys, or CRA products. The Company believes it is one of four principal producers of high-performance alloys in sheet, coil and plate forms. The Company also produces its products as seamless and welded tubulars, and in bar, billet and wire forms.

        The Company has manufacturing facilities in Kokomo, Indiana; Arcadia, Louisiana; and Mountain Home, North Carolina. The Kokomo facility specializes in flat products, the Arcadia facility specializes in tubular products and the Mountain Home facility specializes in high-performance wire products. The Company distributes its products primarily through its direct sales organization, which includes 11 service and/or sales centers in the United States, Europe and Asia. All of these centers are company-operated.

Significant Events of Fiscal 2011

Improved Results

        Net income for fiscal 2011 was $31.1 million, a substantial improvement over the fiscal 2010 net income of $8.9 million. The Company's improved results from fiscal 2010 to fiscal 2011 were due to a combination of an improving market environment, demonstrated by a 33% increase in pounds shipped between years, an improved product mix and an improved cost structure (including operating efficiencies attributable to equipment upgrades and improved absorption due to higher volumes). In addition, controllable working capital, which includes accounts receivable, inventory, accounts payable and accrued expense, as a percent of sales decreased between fiscal 2010 and fiscal 2011 due to continued emphasis on working capital management.

        Over the last three years, alloys invented and commercialized by the Company since the 1980's are making an increasingly larger contribution to revenue and margin. The percentage of total revenue of these alloys has increased from 28% of revenue in fiscal 2009 to 32% of revenue in fiscal 2011. The margin contribution in dollars for these alloys, has increased from 37% of total margin dollars in fiscal 2009 to 44% of total margin dollars in fiscal 2011. The increasing proportion of these alloys has had a positive effect on the Company's profitability. This represents a significant change from past periods of volume increases during which time commodity alloys would increase as a percent of the total revenue. During this period of increasing volume the commodity alloys are declining as a percent of total revenue and typically commodity alloys, because of price competition, have provided a lower contribution to margin.

Capital Spending

        At the beginning of fiscal 2010, the Company announced plans to spend approximately $85.0 million over fiscal years 2010 through 2014 on new strategic initiatives, routine capital maintenance projects and restructuring its service centers. Over the five-year period, this amount would include approximately $30.0 million for upgrades to its four-high Steckel rolling mill and supporting equipment, approximately $25.0 million for other equipment purchases and upgrades and approximately $20.0 million for routine

34

Table of Contents

capital maintenance projects. In addition, fiscal 2010 and 2011 were forecasted to include $5.0 million each year for service center improvements. However, the majority of that spending has been postponed to fiscal 2012 and 2013. The goals of the service center process remain enhancement of working capital management and restructuring, consolidating and enhancing capabilities to improve the return on assets at those operations. For example, the Company continues to maintain four sales offices in Europe. However, during fiscal 2011, the number of inventory processing locations was reduced from three to two, with processing and shipping of material now taking place at other locations. The effect was to reduce inventory and increase equipment utilization and efficiency of the other European processing centers, which contributed to the reduction in operating costs. In addition, the original spending indicated for the five-year period has been increased to $95.0 million to include $9.1 million to be spent in fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2013 to upgrade the Company's information systems. For additional detail on the system upgrade see the section entitled "Global Information System Upgrade," below.

        Capital spending in fiscal 2010 and 2011 was $12.3 million and $14.4 million, respectively. Significant projects in fiscal 2011 included upgrades to the Company's four-high Steckel rolling mill including a charging crane, automatic gauge controls and installation of an edger. The target for capital spending in fiscal 2012 is approximately $27.1 million, which includes approximately $5.0 million for additional remelting capacity, $5.0 million for continued four-high Steckel rolling mill upgrades, approximately $10.0 million over the course of fiscal 2012 and 2013 for restructuring of the Company's service centers and spending for the upgrade of the Company's information technology systems of $9.1 million, also split equally between fiscal 2012 and 2013. The Company expects to spend approximately $20.0 million of the forecasted $27.1 million for fiscal 2012 on these items, with the remaining balance of $7.0 million expected to be spent on a number of maintenance capital projects and upgrades.

        Capital investments of almost $110.0 million over the last seven years have allowed the Company to increase capacity, reduce unplanned equipment outages, produce higher quality products at reduced costs and improve working capital management. This significant investment was necessitated by low levels of investment in prior years as well as increasing customer demand for volume and quality improvements. Management does not currently anticipate any prolonged equipment outages as a result of upgrades for any of its planned future projects.

Global Information Systems Upgrade

        In fiscal 2011, the Board of Directors approved management's plan to upgrade the Company's information technology system. The project is expected to cost approximately $9.1 million and take 24 months to complete. The intended result is that all the Company's locations will be on a centralized information technology system housed at the Kokomo office. The project is expected to eliminate a significant number of separate entity systems currently in use. A few subsystems will be retained and interfaced, including certain manufacturing systems and payroll. The financial and European distribution systems are expected to be completed in one year. This project will include financial consolidation tools that will enable the Company to accelerate the closing process and significantly enhance the financial analysis process for every location. The systems upgrade for the domestic distribution (service centers) and foreign sales offices is expected to be complete by January 1, 2013. The manufacturing operating system is expected to be completed by October 1, 2013. In addition to enhanced analysis capability, the Company expects this system to lead to improvements in capacity planning, cost analysis and reduction, inventory management and customer service.

Extension of U.S. Revolving Credit Facility

        On July 14, 2011, the Company entered into a Third Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement (the "Amended Credit Agreement"), by and among the Company, Haynes Wire Company ("Haynes Wire" and together with the Company, the "Borrowers"), and certain lenders who are parties to the Amended Credit Agreement. Among other items, the Amended Credit Agreement (a) extends the

35

Table of Contents

maturity date of the U.S. revolving credit facility to July 14, 2016, (b) decreases the applicable margin used to determine the interest rate by 100 basis points (from 250 to 150) for LIBOR-based loans and by 150-175 basis points for prime rate loans, (c) increases the advance rates with respect to certain working capital items included in the borrowing base, (d) increases the sublimit for Equipment Purchase Loans, (e) permits an increase in the Maximum Credit from $120.0 million up to an aggregate amount of $170.0 million at the request of the Borrowers, (f) reduces the fee the Company must pay on all issued letters of credit, (g) reduces the commitment fee to 0.25% per annum on the unused amount of the U.S. revolving credit facility total commitment, and (h) modifies the financial metrics required to be met in order to pay dividends and repurchase common stock by decreasing the required Excess Availability from at least $50.0 million to at least 15% of the Maximum Credit and improving the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio requirement which must be not less than 1.0 to 1.0 for the twelve months ending the month immediately prior to the payment or repurchase date.

Dividends Declared

        On November 17, 2011, the Company announced that the Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.22 per outstanding share of the Company's common stock. This quarterly dividend amount of $0.22 per share represents a ten percent increase from previous quarterly per share dividend amounts. The dividend is payable December 15, 2011 to stockholders of record at the close of business on December 1, 2011. The aggregate cash payout based on current shares outstanding will be approximately $2.7 million, or approximately $10.7 million on an annualized basis.

Gross Profit Margin Trend Performance

        Gross profit margin and gross profit margin percentage continued the trend of improvement that started in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009.

        The gross profit margin and gross profit margin percentage have both improved for each quarter of fiscal 2011 compared to the comparable period of fiscal 2010 due to a combination of higher volume and prices, improved product mix, improved cost structure and an improving market environment. Service center transactional business volumes and prices are most representative of this improvement, particularly in the aerospace market, due to the end of inventory destocking by the Company's customers and an increase in the commercial aircraft build rate.

        When comparing the trend of gross profit margins and gross profit margin percentages from the third quarter to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011, the gross profit margin increased by $4.7 million and the gross

36

Table of Contents

profit margin percentage increased by 1.7%. These increases are due to the continued improved pricing of transactional business in the fourth quarter resulting from the price increase initiatives started in the second and third quarters of fiscal 2011. These price increases were initiated in order to recover both the rising cost of raw material and non-raw material items. The average product selling price per pound has remained consistent with the third quarter and has increased 5.8% from the second quarter to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011. The improved pricing also reflects our continued emphasis on service centers, offering value-added services, focusing on delivery lead-times and improving reliability. Also contributing to the additional margin dollars and improved percentages was the higher volumes reflective of the strong backlog.

        Due to the excess capacity in the metals industry, the Company continues to experience price competition in the marketplace, especially with the mill-direct project business. However, the Company experienced some success in raising prices in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2011 due to the increases to base prices initiated during the second and third quarters. However, due to the current economic uncertainty, which has contributed to the volatility in material prices, the Company has not yet experienced the full benefit of these price initiatives and the ability to raise prices further has significantly diminished for the short term.

Backlog

        Backlog dollars were $273.4 million at September 30, 2011, a decrease of approximately 5.3% from $288.6 million at June 30, 2011. This decrease was the result of a decrease in backlog pounds of 12.7% partially offset by an 8.5% increase in the backlog average selling price.

        The backlog dollars declined in the fourth quarter due to the combination of the highest shipment quarter of the fiscal year in conjunction with a reduced level of order entry in the fourth quarter as compared to the previous two quarters. This slow down in order entry was the result of the typical summer slowdown due to the reduced activity in Europe, which was exacerbated by the uncertain economic conditions during our fourth fiscal quarter, particularly associated with the European banks and their holdings of sovereign debt. However, the backlog continues to reflect a significant amount of higher value alloys and forms compared to previous quarters which is resulting in the continued increase in backlog average selling price.

Outlook

Background

        Net revenues, gross margins, net income and volumes have improved over the last eight fiscal quarters, culminating with fourth quarter fiscal 2011 net income of $11.3 million. The trend of improving performance for the Company over the last two years has been supported by the improving markets and economic conditions. However, the improvement in performance also reflects the efforts over the past seven years to position the Company to be able to participate to a greater extent in the global expansion of the high-performance alloy market. Beginning in fiscal 2004, these efforts have included restructuring the balance sheet by exchanging debt for equity, strengthening the liquidity of the Company with the TIMET transaction, accessing the public markets through the 2007 public stock offering and expanding the Company's working capital facility. In addition, the Company has invested almost $110.0 million over the past seven years in equipment upgrades in order to improve quality, increase reliability, reduce product cost and increase capacity together with making selective acquisitions. These investments have also enabled the Company to expand both its global footprint and its product portfolio, which includes expanding into China with a service center and marketing company, the opening of sales offices in Italy and India and the acquisition of a wire company in North Carolina. This has enabled the Company to expand its product portfolio in support of the sheet and plate business and expand the value-added products in its service centers by offering to customers laser cut part programs versus purchasing full size

37

Table of Contents

sheet product. In addition, the Company has continued to develop new alloys and find additional applications for its current alloy portfolio. The aggregate impact of these efforts, plus improving economic conditions and the expanding demand for high-performance alloys, which the Company invents and produces, has made it possible for the Company to deliver improved performance over the past two fiscal years.

First and Second Quarters of Fiscal 2012

        As with past first quarter periods, the first quarter performance of fiscal 2012 is expected to be impacted by a reduced number of production and shipment days available due to holidays, vacations, maintenance projects and capital projects. The reduced number of production and ship days correspondingly reduces the level of net income that can be achieved. Management anticipates that pounds shipped in the first quarter of fiscal 2012 will be approximately 10% to 15% lower than the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011. The reduction in volume as compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011, and the corresponding reduction in absorption of fixed costs and gross margin dollars, is expected to unfavorably impact net income in the first quarter of fiscal 2012 by 10% to 20% as compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011. Management also anticipates that net income in the second quarter of fiscal 2012 will improve from the first quarter to equal or possibly slightly exceed the net income of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011.

        Management expects net income for fiscal 2012 to exceed the net income of fiscal 2011. However, due to the continued competitive environment and the current uncertainty of the economic environment, the amount of any improvement from fiscal 2011 to fiscal 2012 is uncertain. See narrative in "Overview of Markets" within this section for comments on specific markets.

Working Capital

        Controllable working capital, which includes accounts receivable, inventory, accounts payable and accrued expenses, increased from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011 from $244.6 million to $268.9 million. This $24.3 million or 10.0% increase in controllable working capital supported a 42.3% increase in revenue, year-over-year. The moderate increase in controllable working capital in conjunction with the significant increase in shipments occurred because of improving inventory turns as a result of initiating the pull inventory process and lean manufacturing techniques. As a result of the improving inventory turns, working capital as a percentage of sales continued to improve through the entire year. It is anticipated that these favorable trends will continue during fiscal 2012.

Competition and Pricing

        In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011, the global economic environment experienced a number of unfavorable events which included the slowing of growth in China, an anticipated reduction in the growth rate in the U.S. and significant uncertainty regarding the ability of the European Union to deal with the potential default of sovereign debt in Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal. This significant global economic uncertainty impacted the Company in the form of reduced order activity which reduced the year-end backlog. In addition, raw material costs fluctuated through the quarter, particularly the cost of nickel, which created downward pressure on product pricing. Management considers these unfavorable events of the fourth quarter short-term disruptions and anticipates long-term growth opportunities for the Company.

        Although volumes and pricing continued to improve through the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011, the Company continued to experience price competition in the marketplace, particularly in mill-direct project business. This competition continues to require the Company to aggressively price project business orders, which has unfavorably impacted the Company's gross profit margin and net income. However, it appears that the impact of the price competition lessened in the second half of fiscal 2011, which is reflected in the improved product pricing in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2011.

38

Table of Contents

        As previously noted, current selling prices continue to be impacted by both the competitive environment and the volatility of raw material prices in the market place, which is expected to continue to put downward pressure on prices. If market conditions improve, pricing competition in the high-performance alloy industry may begin to ease in future quarters. The Company continues to respond to this competition by increasing emphasis on service centers, offering value-added services, improving its cost structure and focusing on delivery-times and reliability, which should support rising average selling prices.

Overview of Markets

        The following table includes a breakdown of net revenues, shipments and average selling prices to the markets served by the Company for the periods shown.