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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D. C. 20549

FORM 10-K

 

 

 

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2024

or

 

 

Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

For the transition period from to

Commission File Number 1-8472

Hexcel Corporation

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware

 

94-1109521

(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

Two Stamford Plaza

281 Tresser Boulevard

Stamford, Connecticut 06901

(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (203) 969-0666

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

Title of each class

 

Trading Symbol(s)

 

Name of each exchange on which registered

COMMON STOCK, par value $0.01

 

HXL

 

New York Stock Exchange

 

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. Yes ☒ 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. Yes ☐ 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 such 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. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted 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 such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company”, and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer

 

 ☒

Accelerated filer

 

 ☐

Non-accelerated filer

 

 ☐

Smaller reporting company

 

 

 

 

Emerging growth company

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any or new revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b).

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

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates was $5,103,866,076 based on the reported last sale price of common stock on June 30, 2024, which is the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter.

The number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

Class

 

Outstanding as of January 31, 2025

COMMON STOCK

 

81,131,632

Documents Incorporated by Reference:

Portions of Part III will be incorporated by reference to the registrant’s definitive proxy statement, in accordance with Instruction G(3) to Form 10-K, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after the end of the registrant’s fiscal year.

Auditor Firm Id: Auditor Name: Auditor Location:

00042 Ernst & Young LLP Stamford, Connecticut

 


 

HEXCEL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Page

Part I

 

 

Item 1:

Business

 

3

Item 1A:

Risk Factors

 

13

Item 1B:

Unresolved Staff Comments

 

22

Item 1C:

Cybersecurity

 

22

Item 2:

Properties

 

24

Item 3:

Legal Proceedings

 

24

Item 4:

Mine Safety Disclosures

 

24

 

 

Part II

 

 

 

 

Item 5:

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

 

25

Item 6:

[Reserved]

 

25

Item 7:

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

25

Item 7A:

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

 

25

Item 8:

Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

 

25

Item 9:

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

 

25

Item 9A:

Controls and Procedures

 

25

Item 9B:

Other Information

 

26

Item 9C:

Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections

 

26

 

 

 

 

Part III

 

 

 

 

Item 10:

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

 

26

Item 11:

Executive Compensation

 

26

Item 12:

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

 

26

Item 13:

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence

 

26

Item 14:

Principal Accountant Fees and Services

 

26

 

 

Part IV

 

 

 

 

Item 15:

Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

 

27

Item 16:

10-K Summary

 

30

Signatures

 

 

31

 

2


 

PART I

ITEM 1. Business.

General

Hexcel Corporation and its subsidiaries (herein referred to as “Hexcel”, “the Company”, “we”, “us”, or “our”), is a global leader in advanced lightweight composites technology. We propel the future of flight and transportation through excellence in advanced material lightweighting solutions that create a better world for us all. Our broad product range includes carbon fiber, specialty reinforcements, prepregs and other fiber-reinforced matrix materials, honeycomb, resins, engineered core and composite structures for use in commercial aerospace, space and defense, and industrial applications.

We are a manufacturer of products within a single industry: Advanced Composites. We have two reportable segments: Composite Materials and Engineered Products. The Composite Materials segment is comprised of our carbon fiber, specialty reinforcements, resin systems, prepregs and other fiber-reinforced matrix materials, and honeycomb core product lines and pultruded profiles. The Engineered Products segment is comprised of lightweight high strength composite structures, radio frequency/electromagnetic interference (“RF/EMI”) and microwave absorbing materials, engineered core and specialty machined honeycomb products with added functionality and thermoplastic additive manufacturing.

We serve international markets through manufacturing facilities, sales offices and representatives located in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, India, and Africa.

 

We continue to monitor developments in ongoing geopolitical issues and conflicts globally. Although we are not experiencing direct material adverse effects upon our business, the global implications of geopolitical issues and conflicts which include increased inflation, volatile energy costs, constrained raw material availability and transportation, and thus increasing costs, as well as aircraft flight restrictions are impacting the global economy and the aerospace industry in particular.

The following summaries describe the ongoing activities related to the Composite Materials and Engineered Products segments as of December 31, 2024.

Composite Materials

The Composite Materials segment manufactures and markets carbon fibers, fabrics, and specialty reinforcements, prepregs and other fiber-reinforced matrix materials, structural adhesives, honeycomb, molding compounds, tooling materials, polyurethane systems and laminates that are incorporated into many applications, including commercial and military aircraft, transportation (including automotive, marine and rail), wind turbine blades, recreational products, and other industrial applications.

 

 

 

3


 

The following table identifies the principal products and examples of the primary end-uses from the Composite Materials segment:

 

SEGMENT

 

PRODUCTS

 

PRIMARY END-USES

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

 

Carbon Fibers

 

       Raw materials for prepregs, fabrics and specialty reinforcements

       Filament winding for various aerospace, defense and industrial applications

 

 

 

 

 

Fabrics, Multi-axials and Specialty Reinforcements

 

       Raw materials for prepregs

       Composites and components used in aerospace, defense, automotive, wind energy, recreation, marine and other industrial applications

 

 

 

 

 

Prepregs, Other Fiber-Reinforced Matrix Materials and Resins

 

        Epoxy resin systems

        Composite structures

        Commercial and military aircraft

       Aero-engines

       Rotorcraft

        Satellites and launchers

        Automotive, marine and rail

        Wind Turbine blades

        Skis, snowboards, bicycles and hockey sticks

 

 

 

 

 

Structural Adhesives

 

       Bonding of metals, honeycomb and composite materials

 

 

 

 

 

Honeycomb

 

Composite structures and interiors

Impact and shock absorption systems

Rotorcraft blades

Acousti-Cap®

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pultruded Profiles

 

Tubes, rods, robotics and medical

applications

 

Carbon Fibers: HexTow® carbon fibers are used in certain reinforcements and composite materials. Carbon fibers are also woven into carbon fabrics, used as reinforcement in conjunction with a resin matrix to produce pre-impregnated composite materials (referred to as “prepregs”). Carbon fiber is also used in filament winding to produce finished composite components. Key product applications include structural components for commercial and military aircraft and rotorcraft, jet engine fan blades and fan casings, space launch vehicles, and certain other applications such as recreational and industrial equipment.

Fabrics, Multi-axials and Specialty Reinforcements: HexForce® fabrics, multi-axials and specialty reinforcements are made from a variety of fibers, including carbon, glass, aramid and other high strength polymers, quartz, ceramic and other specialty fibers. These reinforcements are used in the production of prepregs and other matrix materials for aerospace and select industrial markets including automotive components, wind energy blades, oil exploration and production equipment, boats, surfboards, skis and other sporting goods equipment.

Prepregs: HexPly® prepregs are used in manufacturing composite laminates and monolithic structures. Prepregs are used in primary and secondary structural aerospace applications such as wing components, horizontal and vertical stabilizer components, fairings, radomes, engine fan blades and cases, engine nacelles as well as overhead storage bins and other interior components. They are also used in many of the industrial and recreational products noted above. Prepregs are manufactured by combining high-performance reinforcement fabrics or unidirectional fibers with a resin matrix to form a composite material that, when cured, has exceptional structural properties not present in either of the constituent materials individually. Prepregs are applied via hand layup, automatic tape layup and advanced fiber placement to produce finished composite components. Prepreg reinforcements include glass, carbon, aramid, quartz, ceramic and other specialty fibers. Resin matrices include bismaleimide, cyanate ester, epoxy, phenolic, polyimide and other specialty resins.

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Other Fiber-Reinforced Matrix Materials: Fiber reinforced matrix developments include HexTool®, a specialized form of quasi-isotropic carbon fiber prepreg for use in the cost-effective construction of high temperature resistant composite tooling. HexFIT® film infusion material is a product that combines resin films and dry fiber reinforcements to save lay-up time in production and enables the manufacture of large contoured composite structures, such as wind turbine blades.

Resins: HexFlow® polymer matrix materials are sold in liquid and film form for use in direct process manufacturing of composite parts. Resins can be combined with fiber reinforcements in manufacturing processes such as resin transfer molding, resin film infusion or vacuum assisted resin transfer molding to support high volume production of composite components for both aerospace and industrial applications, without the need for customer investment in autoclaves.

Structural Adhesives: We manufacture and market a comprehensive range of HexBond® film and paste adhesives. These structural adhesives, which bond metal to metal and composites and honeycomb structures, are used in the aerospace industry and for select industrial applications.

Honeycomb: HexWeb® honeycomb is a lightweight, cellular structure generally composed of a sheet of nested hexagonal cells. It can also be manufactured in over-expanded and asymmetric cell configurations to meet special design requirements such as contours or complex curvatures. Honeycomb is primarily used as a lightweight core material and acts as a highly efficient energy absorber. When sandwiched between composite or metallic facing skins, honeycomb significantly increases the stiffness of the structure, while adding very little weight.

We produce honeycomb primarily from non-metallic materials though some honeycomb is produced from metallic materials. Non-metallic materials used in the manufacture of honeycomb include fiberglass, carbon fiber, thermoplastics, non-flammable aramid papers, aramid fiber and other specialty materials. Most metallic honeycomb is made from aluminum and is available in a selection of alloys, cell sizes and dimensions. We sell honeycomb as standard blocks and in slices cut from a block. Aerospace is the largest market for honeycomb products.

Our HexWeb® Acousti-Cap® sound attenuating honeycomb used in aircraft engines and nacelles provides dramatic noise reduction during takeoff and landing without a structural weight penalty. Acousti-Cap® incorporates a non-metallic, permeable cap material that is embedded into honeycomb core. In addition, we produce honeycomb for our Engineered Products segment for use in manufacturing finished parts for airframe original equipment manufacturers.

Polyspeed® Pultruded Profiles: Hexcel manufactures a wide range of pultruded sections including rods, flat sections, tubes and specific profiles that are usually made from carbon fiber but can also be made from glass, quartz, basalt or other fibers. The profile matrix is a Hexcel formulation of thermoset resin (epoxy or polyurethane). Hexcel pultruded profiles are used in a wide range of industrial applications.

The following tables identify the key customers and the major manufacturing facilities of the Composite Materials segment:

 

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

 

 

KEY CUSTOMERS

 

Aernnova

Dassault

Northrop Grumman

Airbus

Embraer

Pratt & Whitney (2)

Bell (1)

FACC

Safran

The Boeing Company

General Electric

Sikorsky (4)

Bombardier

GKN

Syensqo

CFAN

Gulfstream (3)

Spirit Aerosystems

Collins Aerospace (2)

Leonardo

Toray

CTRM Aero Composites

Lockheed Martin

RTX

Daher

Nordam

 

 

 

 

 

(1) A Textron Company

(2) A RTX Company

(3) A General Dynamics Company

(4) A Lockheed Martin Company

 

 

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MANUFACTURING FACILITIES

Casa Grande, Arizona

Neumarkt, Austria

Dagneux, France

Parla, Spain

Decatur, Alabama

Roussillon, France

Duxford, England

Salt Lake City, Utah

Illescas, Spain

Seguin, Texas

Leicester, England

Stade, Germany

Les Avenières, France

Vert-le-Petit, France

 

 

 

Net sales for the Composite Materials segment to third-party customers were $1.531.0 million in 2024, $1,474.2 million in 2023, and $1,279.7 million in 2022, which represented about 80% of our net sales each year. Net sales for composite materials are highly dependent upon the number of commercial aircraft produced as further discussed under the captions “Significant Customers”, “Markets” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”.

Engineered Products

The Engineered Products segment manufactures and markets composite structures and precision machined honeycomb parts primarily for use in the aerospace industry. Composite structures are manufactured from a variety of composite and other materials, including prepregs, honeycomb, and structural adhesives, using such manufacturing processes as autoclave processing, multi-axis numerically controlled machining, heat forming, infusion or resin transfer molding and other composite manufacturing techniques. Composite structures include HexAM® 3D printed parts, which offer significant weight cost and time-to-market reductions compared to incumbent metal or traditional composite technologies. This segment also provides advanced interference control materials, structural composites, and services; dielectric absorber foams and honeycomb; magnetic absorbers; and thermoplastics for commercial and defense applications.

The following table identifies the principal products and examples of the primary end-uses from the Engineered Products segment:

SEGMENT

 

PRODUCTS

 

PRIMARY END-USES

ENGINEERED PRODUCTS

 

Composite Structures

 

        Aircraft structures and finished aircraft components, including wing to body fairings, wing panels, flight deck panels, door liners, rotorcraft blades, spars and tip caps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Engineered Honeycomb

 

        Aircraft structural sub-components and semi-finished components used in rotorcraft blades, engine nacelles, and aircraft surfaces (flaps, wings, elevators and fairings)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RF Interference Control

 

        Military and aerospace applications

 

Net sales for the Engineered Products segment to third-party customers were $372.0 million in 2024, $314.8 million in 2023, and $298.0 million in 2022, which represented approximately 20% of our net sales each year.

The Engineered Products segment, prior to 2024, had included a 50% ownership interest in a Malaysian joint venture, Aerospace Composites Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (“ACM”) with Boeing Worldwide Operations Limited. Hexcel historically purchased certain semi-finished composite components from the joint venture and performed inspection and additional assembly work prior to direct delivery to Boeing production lines. As part of Boeing's supply chain optimization, this assembly work was transferred overseas in stages in 2020 and 2021 to other parts of the Boeing supply chain, including ACM. Under the ACM joint venture structure, 50% of ACM net income accrued to Hexcel. In December 2023, Hexcel sold its 50% interest in ACM to Boeing.

The following table identifies the key customers and the major manufacturing facilities of the Engineered Products segment:

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ENGINEERED PRODUCTS

KEY CUSTOMERS

 

MANUFACTURING FACILITIES

The Boeing Company

 

Amesbury, Massachusetts

Bell (1)

 

Burlington, Washington

CTRM Aero Composites

 

Casablanca, Morocco

General Dynamics

 

Kent, Washington

General Electric

 

Pottsville, Pennsylvania

GKN

 

South Windsor, Connecticut

Lockheed Martin

 

Welkenraedt, Belgium

Sikorsky (2)

 

 

Spirit Aerosystems

 

 

RTX

 

 

(1) A Textron Company

(2) A Lockheed Martin Company

Significant Customers

Approximately 40%, 39% and 38% of our 2024, 2023 and 2022 net sales, respectively, were to Airbus and its subcontractors. Of the 40% of overall sales to Airbus and its subcontractors in 2024, 37% related to Commercial Aerospace market applications and 3% related to Space & Defense market applications. Approximately 15%, 15% and 14% of our 2024, 2023 and 2022 net sales, respectively, were to Boeing and its subcontractors. Of the 15% of overall sales to Boeing and its subcontractors in 2024, 13% related to Commercial Aerospace market applications and 2% related to Space & Defense market applications.

Markets

Our products are sold for a broad range of end-uses where durability, strength and weight are important factors to our customers. We sell to three different markets: Commercial Aerospace, Space & Defense and Industrial.

Commercial Aerospace

The Commercial Aerospace industry is our largest user of advanced composites. Commercial Aerospace represented 63% of our 2024 net sales. Approximately 80% of these revenues can be identified as sales to Airbus, Boeing, and their subcontractors for the production of commercial aircraft. Approximately 20% of these revenues were for business jets and regional and other commercial aircraft. The economic benefits to airlines from weight savings in both fuel economy and aircraft range, combined with the design enhancement that comes from the advantages of advanced composites over traditional materials, have resulted in the aerospace industry becoming the leader in the adoption and use of these materials. While military aircraft and spacecraft have led the development and adoption of these materials, Commercial Aerospace has greater production volumes and has commercialized the use of these products. Accordingly, the demand for advanced composites structural material products is closely correlated to the demand for new commercial aircraft.

The use of advanced composites in Commercial Aerospace is primarily in the manufacture of new commercial aircraft and jet engines. These composite materials are designed to last the life of the aircraft and engine so as a result, the aftermarket for these products is minimal. The demand for new commercial aircraft is driven by two principal factors, the first of which is airline passenger traffic (the number of revenue passenger miles flown by the airlines) which affects the required size of airline fleets. Growth in passenger traffic requires growth in the size of the fleet of commercial aircraft operated by airlines worldwide.

A second factor, which is less sensitive to the general economy, is the replacement rates for existing aircraft. The rates of retirement of passenger and freight aircraft, resulting mainly from obsolescence, are determined in part by the regulatory requirements established by various civil aviation authorities worldwide as well as public concern regarding aircraft age, safety, noise, and emissions. These rates may also be affected by the desire of the various airlines to improve operating costs with higher payloads and more fuel-efficient aircraft (which in turn is influenced by the price of fuel) and by reducing maintenance expense. In addition, pressure is increasing on airlines to replace their aging fleet with more fuel efficient and quieter aircraft to be more environmentally responsible. For example, aircraft operators subject to the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) are facing high costs to purchase carbon credits for compliance, which may influence fleet replacement plans to purchase lightweight new aircraft. Additionally, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) emission reduction mandates for international aviation becomes mandatory on January 1, 2027, which may influence fleet renewal. When aircraft are retired from commercial airline fleets, they may be converted to cargo freight aircraft, used for parts, or scrapped.

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An additional factor that may cause airlines to defer or cancel orders is their ability to obtain financing, including leasing, for new aircraft orders. This will be dependent both upon the financial health of the airline operators, as well as the overall availability of financing in the marketplace.

Each new generation of commercial aircraft has used increasing quantities of advanced composites, replacing metals and other materials. This follows the trend previously witnessed in military applications where composites now comprise the majority of the airframe of latest generation aircraft to enhance performance, range and payload, including the F-35 Lightning and the CH-53K heavy lift transport helicopter. Early versions of commercial jet aircraft, such as the Boeing 707, which was developed in the early 1950s, contained almost no composite materials. One of the first commercial aircraft to use a meaningful amount of composite materials, the Boeing 767 entered into service in 1983, and contains approximately 6% composite materials, primarily comprised of interior secondary composite structures. Boeing’s legacy 777 aircraft, which entered service in 1995, is approximately 11% composite including composite flaps/ailerons and landing gear doors. The Airbus A380, which was first delivered in 2007, has approximately 23% composite content by weight as the tail structure was built of composites. The Boeing 777X was redesigned with composite wings and a new composite-rich engine and is more than 30% composites. Boeing’s 787, which entered into service in 2011, has a content of more than 50% composite materials by weight including composite wings and fuselage. The Airbus A350 XWB (“A350”) which has a composite content of 53% by weight was first delivered in December 2014.

Engines and nacelles are also an attractive market for both Hexcel Composite Materials and Engineered Products, including composite fan blades, cowlings, and nacelles. Both Airbus and Boeing introduced updated versions of their narrow body aircraft which utilize composite-rich engines and nacelles but continue to incorporate metal wings and fuselages that were designed decades ago. The Airbus A320neo had its first customer delivery in 2016 and the Boeing 737 MAX entered into service in 2017. The LEAP engines and nacelles on both the A320neo and 737 MAX are composite-rich as is the GE9X engine on the Boeing 777X.

It is expected that future aircraft platforms will offer more opportunities for composite materials than their predecessors, as the Commercial Aerospace industry continues to utilize a greater proportion of advanced composite materials with each new generation of aircraft and each new generation of engines and nacelles. We refer to this steady expansion of the use of composites in aircraft as the “secular penetration of composites” as it potentially increases our average sales per airplane over time.

The impact on Hexcel of Airbus and Boeing production rate changes is typically influenced by two factors: the mix of aircraft produced and the inventory supply chain effects of increases or reductions in aircraft production. We have products on all Airbus and Boeing planes. The shipset or dollar value of our materials varies by aircraft type and aircraft platform. Newer designed aircraft use more of our materials than older generations, and as a materials provider, larger aircraft use more composites by weight than smaller aircraft. On average, for established programs, we deliver products into the supply chain about four to six months prior to aircraft delivery, with a range between one and eighteen months depending on the product and specific aircraft platform. For aircraft that are in the development or ramp-up stage we will have sales as much as several years in advance of the aircraft entry-into-service.

 

Airbus and Boeing combined backlog at December 31, 2024 was 14,903 aircraft, or a 1.0% increase compared to December 31, 2023. The backlogs are at near record levels reflecting strong demand as well as continued production challenges and constraints within the commercial aerospace supply chain that has been limiting the production of new aircraft. The balance of our Other Commercial Aerospace sales is related to business jets and regional aircraft manufacture, and other commercial aircraft applications. These applications also exhibit increasing utilization of composite materials with each new generation of aircraft.

Space & Defense

The Space & Defense market represented 30% of our 2024 net sales. The Space & Defense market has historically been an innovator in the use of, and source of significant demand for, advanced composites. The aggregate demand by Space & Defense customers is primarily a function of procurement of military aircraft, rotorcraft and space craft that utilize advanced composites, including the United States, a number of Western European countries, as well as a select number of other countries globally. We are qualified to supply materials to a broad range of military aircraft, commercial helicopter and space programs, including the Lockheed Martin F-35 (Lightning), Sikorsky CH-53K (King Stallion), Bell-Boeing V-22 (Osprey) tilt rotor aircraft, Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, Dassault Rafale, Airbus A400M and Embraer KC-390 military transport aircraft. The F-35, which is our largest program, represents less than 25% of revenues in this market. No other program accounts for more than 10% of our revenues in this market. The sales from these programs are dependent upon government funding. Space applications for advanced composites include solid rocket booster cases, fairings and payload doors for both government funded and commercial launch vehicles, and satellite buss and solar arrays for military and commercial satellites.

Another growth generating trend for Hexcel is the further penetration of composites in rotorcraft blades, including both new and replacement blades. The Sikorsky Black Hawk wide chord blade program was the largest blade program in 2024 and 2023. Hexcel composites are being used in prototypes of new military and civilian helicopters globally. CH-53K is a future growth program,

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including the composite helicopter blades and new helicopter programs in development which use Hexcel composites in prototypes. The blades include Composite Materials products such as carbon fiber, prepregs, and honeycomb core to improve blade performance. In addition, our Engineered Products segment provides specialty value added services such as machining, sub-assembly, and even full blade manufacturing for rotorcraft.

Industrial

The Industrial market represented 7% of our 2024 net sales. The revenue from this market includes automotive, a wide variety of recreational products, consumer electronics, marine, wind turbine blades and other industrial applications. Some of these applications represent emerging opportunities for our products. In developing new applications, we seek those opportunities where advanced composites technology offers significant benefits to the end user, often applications that demand highly engineered performance. This includes carbon fiber and resin formulations that we produce as well as glass fiber we purchase from third parties that we then combine with our resin formulations and weaving expertise. Within the Industrial market, automotive is the largest submarket with sales to high-end performance vehicles. The Industrial market also includes sales to major end user sub-markets, in order of size based on our 2024 sales: general industrial applications (including those sold through distributors), transportation (e.g., automobiles, mass transit and high-speed rail, and marine applications) and consumer electronics, wind energy, and recreational equipment (e.g., skis and snowboards, bicycles and hockey sticks). Historically, wind energy comprised the largest submarket within industrial as we purchase third-party glass fiber and add value with our weaving expertise and resin formulations. The financial returns on new wind energy business became unattractive to the Company as the global wind industry works through a period of turmoil in terms of inflationary cost impacts, logistics challenges, permitting delays, and stiff competition amongst multiple wind turbine manufacturers globally. We continue to produce material for wind blades at our European facility under existing contracts for a number of legacy turbines. Our participation in Industrial applications complements our commercial and military aerospace businesses, and in many instances, technology or products now used in aerospace were started in Industrial. In response to changing market dynamics, we are committed to pursuing the utilization of advanced structural material technology and introducing new innovations to support our customers where it can generate significant value and we can maintain a sustainable competitive advantage.

Further discussion of our markets, including certain risks, uncertainties, and other factors with respect to “forward-looking statements” about those markets, is contained under the captions “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, “Forward Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors.”

Backlog

In recent years, our customers have demanded shorter order lead times and “just-in-time” delivery performance. While we have many multi-year contracts with our major aerospace customers and our largest Industrial customer, most of these contracts specify the proportion of the customers’ requirements that will be supplied by us and the terms under which the sales will occur, not the specific quantities to be procured or the specific dates for delivery. Our Industrial customers, in particular, have always desired to order their requirements on as short a lead-time as possible. As a result, twelve-month order backlog is not a meaningful trend indicator for us.

Raw Materials and Production Activities

Our manufacturing operations are in many cases vertically integrated. One example of the benefits of our vertical integration is that it enables us to control both the carbon fiber surface structure and resin formulations to optimize their interaction and ensure excellent interfacial adhesion or bonding. We produce and internally use carbon fibers, industrial fabrics, composite materials, and composite structures as well as sell these materials to third-party customers for their use in the manufacture of their products.

We manufacture high performance carbon fiber from polyacrylonitrile precursor (“PAN”). The primary raw material for PAN is acrylonitrile. All of the PAN we produce is for internal carbon fiber production. We utilized between 60% and 65% by value of the carbon fiber we produced in both 2024 and 2023 with the remainder of our output sold to third-party customers. However, as one of the world’s largest consumers of high-performance carbon fiber, we also purchase significant quantities of carbon fiber from external sources for our own use. The sources of carbon fiber we can use in any product or application are generally dictated by customer qualifications or certifications. Otherwise, we select a carbon fiber based on performance, price, and availability. With the increasing demand for carbon fiber, particularly in aerospace applications, in recent years we increased our PAN and carbon fiber capacity to serve the growing needs of our customers and our own downstream products.

 

In early 2023, we announced that we resumed construction of a new carbon fiber line in Decatur, AL. We had previously paused construction on this line in early 2020. This carbon fiber line is expected to be qualified to produce carbon fiber for aerospace markets in 2028. After a new production line starts operating, it can take up to a year to be certified for aerospace applications. Additionally in 2023, we completed the expansion of our Engineered Products facility in Casablanca, Morocco as we doubled the size of the facility to meet growing aerospace demand.

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We formulate a variety of resin systems that are tailored to specific applications and support the process for manufacturing composite parts. The type of epoxy and curative used in the resin systems vary depending on the application being considered, including the required service temperature, mechanical performance, and rate of cure. We continually focus on innovation that will help our customers reduce their cycle time and increase their production through-put, including lower curing temperatures, faster curing times, and enhancing the flow characteristics of the resin formulations, particularly for out-of-autoclave infusion and resin transfer molding manufacturing processes.

We purchase glass yarn for our aerospace and industrial markets from a number of suppliers in the United States, Europe and Asia. We also purchase aramid and high strength fibers which are produced by only a few companies, and during periods of high demand, can be in short supply. In addition, epoxy and other specialty resins, aramid paper and aluminum specialty foils are used in the manufacture of composite products. A number of these products have only one or two sources qualified for use, so an interruption in their supply could disrupt our ability to meet our customer requirements. When entering into multi-year contracts with aerospace customers, we attempt to get back-to-back commitments from key raw material suppliers. While we are not dependent on any one supplier for the majority of our raw materials, we are highly dependent on our suppliers in order to meet commitments to our customers. We continue to work closely with our key suppliers to ensure that we are able to meet our customer commitments. While we have not experienced materially significant issues in the purchase of key raw materials, we continue to monitor the availability (including transportation) and price of raw materials on a regular basis, as well as any potential impact on our operations.

Our manufacturing activities are primarily based on “make-to-order”, or “demand pull” based on customer schedules, and to a lesser extent, “make-to-forecast” production requirements. We coordinate closely with key suppliers in an effort to avoid raw material shortages and excess inventories. However, many of the key raw materials we consume are available from relatively few sources, and in many cases the cost of product qualification makes it impractical to develop multiple sources of supply. The lack of availability of these materials could under certain circumstances have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations.

Research and Technology: Patents and Know-How

We maintain seven Research and Technology (“R&T”) Centers of Excellence to support our businesses worldwide, including in the U.S., France and the United Kingdom. Through R&T activities, we maintain expertise in precursor and carbon fiber, chemical and polymer formulation and curatives, fabric forming and textile architectures, advanced composite structures, process engineering, application development, analysis and testing of composite materials, computational design, and other scientific disciplines related to our worldwide business base.

Our newest R&T Center of Excellence in Salt Lake City, Utah, which was completed in early 2023, supports next-generation composite technology development across our business including applications for the Commercial Aerospace, Space & Defense and Industrial markets. The 100,000 square foot facility is adjacent to our existing carbon fiber and prepreg manufacturing operations in Salt Lake City.

Our products rely primarily on our expertise in materials science, textiles, process engineering and polymer chemistry. Consistent with market demand, we have been placing more emphasis on higher performing products and cost-effective production processes while seeking continually to improve the consistency of our products and our capital efficiency. Towards this end, we have entered into formal and informal alliances, as well as licensing and teaming arrangements, with several customers, suppliers, external agencies, universities and laboratories. We believe that we possess unique capabilities to design, develop, manufacture, and qualify composite materials and structures, including trade secrets and extensive internal knowledge gained from decades of experience. It is our policy to actively enforce our proprietary rights. We believe that the patents and know-how rights currently owned or licensed by Hexcel are adequate for the conduct of our business. We do not believe that our business would be materially affected by the expiration of any single patent or series of related patents, or by the termination of any single license agreement or series of related license agreements.

Environmental Matters

We view climate change as an important social issue that presents some level of risk to our business while also creating opportunities for greater adoption of lightweight advanced composites. Our strategic and operational decision making is influenced by our commitment to reduce the environmental impact of our operations, including our carbon footprint, air and water emissions and waste reduction. We continue to pursue initiatives to improve our emissions profile through operational efficiency improvements that reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and increase our use of renewable power. We procure renewable power through our energy suppliers and at several sites, through power purchase agreements (PPA). We also work with our energy suppliers to provide on-site

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renewable power including the installation of on-site solar panels at our manufacturing sites in Neumarkt, Austria, Casa Grande, Arizona, and Casablanca, Morocco. The generation of solar power reduces our demand for fossil-fuel powered electricity, which supports our carbon and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. We have applied this same approach to our product life cycle, implementing circular economic principles to reduce waste – both in our manufacturing and product packaging. At this time, we are not subject to carbon emission trading programs at any of our facilities, though we are actively monitoring country and region-specific regulations and trends to ensure future potential pricing and capital expenditures are incorporated into our product portfolio planning.

 

Governments and agencies worldwide are increasingly proposing and/or implementing legislation, regulations and other requirements resulting in more restrictive air emission limits globally, which could impact our operations. Changes in environmental and climate change laws or regulations, including laws relating to greenhouse gas emissions, could lead to new or additional investment in manufacturing processes or product designs and could increase environmental compliance expenditures, including increased energy, controls and raw materials costs. Conversely, the increasing global emphasis on emissions reduction supports the adoption of our advanced composite light weighting solutions for transportation applications. We also market composite solutions that reduce aircraft engine noise, which benefits local communities near airports, supports aircraft operators in geographies that are subject to local noise abatement programs, and enables more direct routes for aircraft that save fuel rather than having to fly longer routes to avoid noise-sensitive areas.

 

We are subject to various International and U.S. federal, state, and local environmental and health and safety laws and regulations. We are also potentially subject to liabilities arising under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA” or “Superfund”), the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and similar state local and international laws and regulations that impose responsibility for the control, remediation and abatement of air, water and soil pollutants and the manufacturing, storage, handling and disposal of hazardous substances and waste. We believe that our policies, practices, and procedures are properly designed to prevent unreasonable risk of environmental damage and associated financial liability. To date, environmental control regulations have not had a significant adverse effect on our overall operations and approximately 91% of our sites as of December 31, 2024 are ISO14001:2015 certified under a Corporate umbrella certification.

A discussion of environmental matters is contained in Note 16 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. For further discussion of risks related to environmental and climate matters and other government regulations, see Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Other Regulatory Matters

As a materials supplier for U.S. prime contractors, and, in some cases, directly to the U.S. government, we are subject to certain U.S. government Federal Acquisition Regulations, the Department of Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations Supplement, and associated procurement regulations. Specifically, we must comply with certain laws and regulations relating to the formation, administration, and performance of U.S. government contracts, including the U.S. government security requirements, such as the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual and any other applicable U.S. government industrial security regulations, as well as additional government export control laws and regulations. In complying with these laws and regulations, we may be required to make additional capital expenditures and incur other costs. Furthermore, failure to comply may result in the imposition of fines and penalties, including contractual damages, civil penalties, criminal penalties, administrative sanctions, suspension or debarment from contracting with the U.S. government or termination of any applicable facility security clearance, which in turn would preclude us from being awarded classified contracts or, under certain circumstances, performing on our existing classified contracts. The U.S. Government also has the ability to unilaterally terminate existing contracts with us and our U.S. prime customers, reduce the value of such contracts, audit contract-related costs and fees, including allocated indirect costs, and control and potentially prohibit the export of our products, among other things. If a contract supporting the U.S. government was terminated for convenience, we could only seek to recover the costs we have incurred or committed, settlement expenses, and profit on the work completed prior to termination.

As a company with significant international operations, we are also subject to numerous laws and regulations, including export controls and sanctions laws, customs regulations, international treaties and local trade rules around the world. These laws, rules and regulations may impose significant costs of compliance on the Company and may impact our competitiveness through restricting our ability to do business in certain places or with certain entities and individuals. Any failure to comply with trade regulations could limit our ability to conduct business internationally.

Sales and Marketing

A staff of salaried marketing managers, product managers and sales personnel sell and market our products directly to customers worldwide. We also use independent authorized distributors for certain products, markets, and regions. In addition, we operate various sales representation offices globally.

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Competition

In the production and sale of advanced composites, we compete with a number of U.S. and international companies on a worldwide basis. The broad markets for composites are highly competitive, and we have focused on both specific sub-markets and specialty products within markets. In addition to competing directly with companies offering similar products, we compete with producers of substitutes for composites such as metal, structural foam, and wood. Depending upon the material and markets, relevant competitive factors include technology, product performance, historical database of usage, on-time delivery, service, price, customer preference for sole sourcing and the ease-of-use of our material to support customer-preferred processes.

We believe that new competitors face significant barriers to entry into many of our markets. These barriers include the intellectual property and unique skills and expertise to design and manufacture carbon fiber and to formulate resin systems for aerospace applications, an extensive database of qualification and performance measurements of our products, the advantages of scale derived from significant global manufacturing capacity for aerospace-grade carbon fiber, and long-term customer relationships developed over decades of designing, manufacturing and working closely with our customers on composite applications. Further, the aerospace industry has rigorous product certification requirements and quality programs including one hundred percent traceability of all raw material and finished goods, and high expectations for consistent on-time delivery, which all act as barriers to entry.

Human Capital

We believe our success depends on the skills, experience, and industry knowledge of our key talent. As such, our management team places significant focus and attention on the attraction, development, and retention of employees, as well as ensuring our corporate culture reflects our values, and our board of directors provides oversight for various employee initiatives. Our Hexcel values guide our actions, reflect our culture, and drive our performance, as explained in our Code of Business Conduct posted on our website at www.hexcel.com. We have made and continue to make significant investments in training and professional development, and we have well-established performance management and talent development processes that encourage employees to aspire to different career opportunities and for our managers to provide regular feedback and coaching to develop employees.

The health and safety of our employees is a continual focus and a top priority. Our initiatives and actions to reduce injuries and illnesses have led to significant improvements to our safety performance over time. We have attained these improvements by fostering a global safety culture supported with regular training and education that includes robust systems and philosophies centered on personal responsibility and accountability. There is a high-level of leadership engagement, ensuring risks are assessed, robust procedures and guidance are available with worker training, mitigation is managed through the hierarchy of management controls, and appropriate safety equipment is installed and operational at all of our manufacturing sites worldwide. We also have leading indicators in place to prevent safety events, and rigorous reviews of root causation and systemic corrective actions when safety incidents do occur. Hexcel achieved corporate umbrella certification for both ISO14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 in 2019. Attaining both certifications against world renowned management system standards reflects the commitment of senior Hexcel leadership to drive continuous improvement in our environmental, health and safety processes, by focusing on the reduction of injuries and illnesses and the impact of our operations on the environment, ensuring conformance to our numerous compliance obligations, and demonstrating sustainability as a valued supplier.

An engaged, innovative, skilled, and collaborative workforce is critical to our continued leadership in the advanced composites industry. We operate globally under policies and programs that provide competitive wages, benefits, and terms of employment. We are committed to efforts to foster an inclusive work environment that supports our global workforce through recruiting efforts, equitable compensation policies, and educational workshops to promote a positive and collaborative culture. Our recruitment efforts include targeted university recruitment and attendance at conferences promoting racial and gender diversity in engineering, which have historically been a major source of candidates for our summer internship program and Early Career Program for new hires.

Employee levels are managed to align with business demand and, while we have experienced and continue to expect tight labor markets, management believes it currently has sufficient human capital to operate our business successfully. As of December 31, 2024, we employed 5,894 full-time employees and contract workers: 3,120 in the United States and 2,774 in other countries. We employ a minimal number of contract workers. Approximately 26% of employees in the United States and the majority of those in Europe are represented by unions or works’ councils. We believe that our relations with employees, unions and works’ councils are good. The total number of full-time employees and contract workers as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 was 5,590 and 5,328, respectively.

Other Information

Our internet website is www.hexcel.com. Information contained on or accessible through our website, including any reports available therein, is not a part of, and is not incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K or any other report or document we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Any reference to our website in this Annual Report on

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Form 10-K is intended to be an inactive textual reference only. We make available, free of charge through our website, our Form 10-Ks, 10-Qs and 8-Ks, and any amendments to these forms, as soon as reasonably practicable after filing with, or furnishing to, the SEC.

Forward-Looking Statements

This report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. These statements also relate to future prospects, developments and business strategies. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “seek,” “target,” “would,” “will” and similar terms and phrases, including references to assumptions. Such statements are based on current expectations, are inherently uncertain and are subject to changing assumptions. No assurance can be given that any commitment, plan, initiative, projection, goal, expectation, or prospect set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K can or will be achieved. Inclusion of information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K is not an indication that the subject or information is material to our business or operating results

 

Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (a) the estimates and expectations based on aircraft production rates provided by Airbus, Boeing and others and the revenues we may generate from an aircraft model or program; (b) expectations with regard to the impact of regulatory activity related to the Boeing 737 MAX on our revenues; (c) expectations with regard to raw material cost and availability; (d) expectations of composite content on new commercial aircraft programs and our share of those requirements; (e) expectations regarding revenues from space and defense applications, including whether certain programs might be curtailed or discontinued; (f) expectations regarding sales for industrial applications; (g) expectations regarding cash generation, working capital trends, and inventory levels; (h) expectations as to the level of capital expenditures, capacity, including the timing of completion of capacity expansions, and qualification of new products; (i) expectations regarding our ability to improve or maintain margins; (j) expectations regarding our ability to attract, motivate, and retain the workforce necessary to execute our business strategy; (k) projections regarding our tax rate; (l) expectations with regard to the continued impact of macroeconomic factors or geopolitical issues or conflicts; (m) expectations regarding our strategic initiatives, including our sustainability goals; (n) expectations with regard to the effectiveness of cybersecurity measures; (o) expectations regarding the outcome of legal matters or the impact of changes in laws or regulations; and (p) our expectations of financial results for 2025 and beyond.

 

Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond our control, that may cause actual results to be materially different. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the following: the extent of the impact of macroeconomic factors or geopolitical issues or conflicts; reductions in sales to any significant customers, particularly Airbus or Boeing, including related to regulatory activity or public scrutiny impacting the Boeing 737 MAX; our ability to effectively adjust production and inventory levels to align with customer demand; our ability to effectively motivate, retain and hire the necessary workforce; the availability and cost of raw materials, including the impact of supply disruptions and inflation; our ability to successfully implement or realize our strategic initiatives, including our sustainability goals and any restructuring or alignment activities in which we may engage; changes in sales mix; changes in current pricing due to cost levels; changes in aerospace delivery rates; changes in government defense procurement budgets; timely new product development or introduction; our ability to install, staff and qualify necessary capacity or complete capacity expansions to meet customer demand; cybersecurity-related risks, including the potential impact of breaches or intrusions; currency exchange rate fluctuations; changes in political, social and economic conditions, including the effect of change in global trade policies, tariff rates, economic sanctions and embargoes; work stoppages or other labor disruptions; our ability to successfully complete any strategic acquisitions, investments or dispositions; compliance with environmental, health, safety and other related laws and regulations, including those related to climate change; the effects of natural disasters or other severe weather events, which may be worsened by the impact of climate change, and other severe catastrophic events, including any public health crisis; and the unexpected outcome of legal matters or impact of changes in laws or regulations.

 

Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect our actual results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. As a result, the foregoing factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read together with other cautionary statements included in this and other reports we file with the SEC. For additional information regarding certain factors that may cause our actual results to differ from those expected or anticipated, see the information under the caption “Risk Factors,” which is located in Item 1A of Part I of this report. We do not undertake any obligation to update our forward-looking statements or risk factors to reflect future events or circumstances, except as otherwise required by law.

 

ITEM 1A. Risk Factors

You should carefully consider the following risk factors and all other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the documents we incorporate by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Any of the following risks could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. While we believe we have identified and

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discussed below the material risks affecting our business, there may be additional risks and uncertainties that we do not presently know or that we do not currently believe to be material that may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows in the future, and may require significant management time and attention. You should not interpret the disclosure of any risk factor to imply that the risk has not already materialized.

Risks Related to Our Strategy

The markets in which we operate can be cyclical, and downturns in them may adversely affect the results of our operations.

Some of the markets in which we operate have been, to varying degrees, cyclical and have experienced downturns. A downturn in these markets could occur at any time as a result of events that are industry specific, such as aircraft production slowdown resulting from the impact of a public health crisis on air travel, the grounding, regulatory scrutiny and/or suspension or discontinuation of aircraft in which our products are used, or other macroeconomic events, such as geopolitical conditions, global conflict, political unrest or terrorist attacks, or an economic downturn or recession. Any deterioration in any of the cyclical markets we serve could adversely affect our financial performance and operating results.

Since 2022, air traffic has continued to grow and led to record demand for aircraft. However, supply chain challenges in the Commercial Aerospace industry, as well as labor disruptions and regulatory issues experienced by certain participants in the industry, continue to delay planned production and negatively impact aircraft build rates. Ongoing or additional deferrals, cancellations, or reductions in demand that result in decreased aircraft build rates would, if significant, have a negative impact on sales for our Commercial Aerospace products and as a result reduce our operating income. Approximately 63% of our sales for 2024 were derived from sales to the Commercial Aerospace industry. Ongoing pressures on build rates, or reductions in demand, for commercial aircraft or a delay in deliveries could result from many factors, including delays in the startup or ramp-up of new programs, suspension or discontinuation of current commercial aircraft programs, changes in the propensity for the general public to travel by air (including as a result of terrorist events and any subsequent military response, a public health crisis or a global conflict), a significant change in the cost of aviation fuel, a change in technology resulting in the use of alternative materials, environmental concerns (including climate change), consolidation and liquidation of airlines, availability of funding for new aircraft purchases or leases, inventory corrections or disruptions throughout the supply chain, labor disruptions and work stoppages and slower macroeconomic growth.

At different times, both Airbus and Boeing have experienced various delays in the start and ramp up of several aircraft programs. For instance, both Boeing and Airbus have, in recent years, experienced difficulties meeting production goals due to supply chain delays, and, in fall 2024, Boeing experienced delays in 737 MAX and other aircraft production due to a strike by factory workers. In the past, these have delayed our expected growth, or our effective utilization of capacity installed for such growth. Future delays, or production cuts arising from the impact of macroeconomic events, geopolitical conditions, global conflict or supply chain and labor disruptions, in these or other major new customer programs could similarly impact our results.

In addition, our customers emphasize the need for cost reduction or other improvements in contract terms throughout the supply chain. In response to these pressures, we may be required to accept increased risk or face the prospects of margin compression on some products in the future. Where possible, we seek to offset or mitigate the impact of such pressures through productivity and performance improvements, cost index contractual provisions, hedging and other actions, which may not be successful.

A significant decline in business with Airbus, Boeing, or other significant customers could materially impact our business, operating results, prospects, and financial condition.

We have concentrated customers in the Commercial Aerospace and the Space & Defense markets. In the Commercial Aerospace market, approximately 80%, and in the Space & Defense market, approximately 19%, of our 2024 sales were made to Airbus and Boeing and their related subcontractors. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, approximately 40% and 39% of our total consolidated sales, respectively, were to Airbus, and its related subcontractors and approximately 15% and 15% of our total consolidated sales, respectively, were to Boeing and its related subcontractors. Significant changes in the demand for our customers’ end products, program delays, the share of their requirements that is awarded to us or changes in the design or materials used to construct their products could result in a significant loss of business with these customers. The loss of, or significant reduction in, purchases by Airbus or Boeing or any of our other significant customers could materially impair our business, operating results, prospects and financial condition. The level of purchases and product mix demanded by our customers is often affected by events beyond their control, including general economic conditions, demand for their products, conditions in the airline industry, regulatory scrutiny and/or suspension or discontinuation of aircraft, disruptions in deliveries, business disruptions, strikes and other factors, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

Reductions in space and defense spending could result in a decline in our sales.

Space and defense production that has occurred in recent years may not be sustained, individual programs important to Hexcel may be cancelled, production may not continue to grow or may decrease and the increased demand for composite-intensive programs

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may not continue. In addition, the production of military aircraft depends upon defense budgets and the related demand for defense and related equipment. Approximately 30% of our 2024 sales were to the Space & Defense market, of which approximately 79% were related to military programs in the United States and other countries. In addition to normal business risks, our indirect supply of products to the U.S. government is subject to unique risks largely beyond our control. The level of U.S. defense spending is hard to predict, and U.S. Department of Defense budgets could be negatively impacted by several factors, including, but not limited to, a change in defense spending policy as a result of the current political environment or otherwise, military aid to countries experiencing global conflict, the U.S. government’s budget deficits or breach of the debt ceiling, other spending priorities, increased defense regulatory requirements resulting in additional expenses, the cost of sustaining the U.S. military presence internationally, potential political pressure to reduce military spending and future potential government shutdowns, each of which could cause the U.S. Department of Defense budget to remain unchanged or to decline.

If we fail to comply with government procurement laws and regulations, including those related to information security, we could lose business and be liable for various penalties or sanctions.

We must comply with laws and regulations relating to the formation, administration, and performance of U.S. government contracts, including government security requirements and additional government export control laws and regulations, as well as certain cybersecurity certifications and other cybersecurity requirements. These regulations and other requirements regularly evolve, and new laws, regulations or procurement requirements or changes to current ones (including, for example, regulations related to cybersecurity, privacy, information classification and protection, greenhouse gas emissions and climate risk, cost accounting, recovery of employee compensation costs, counterfeit parts, pensions, anti-human trafficking, specialty metals, conflict minerals and use of certain non-U.S. equipment and materials) could significantly increase our costs and risks and reduce our profitability. In complying with these laws and regulations, we may incur significant costs, and non-compliance may result in the imposition of fines and penalties, including contractual damages. If we fail to comply with these laws and regulations or if a government audit, review, or investigation uncovers improper or illegal activities, we may be subject to civil penalties, criminal penalties, or administrative sanctions or suspension or debarment from contracting with the U.S. government. In addition, failure to follow the requirements of the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual or any other applicable U.S. government industrial security regulations could, among other things, result in termination of any facility security clearance, which in turn would preclude us from being awarded classified contracts or, under certain circumstances, performing on our existing classified contracts.

 

If we are unable to develop new products on a timely basis, it could adversely affect our business and prospects.

We believe that our future success depends, in part, on our ability to develop, on a timely basis, technologically advanced products that meet or exceed current industry standards, including developing products with an improved environmental footprint that continue to contribute to the environmental sustainability goals of our customers. Although we believe we have certain technological and other advantages over our competitors, maintaining such advantages will require us to continue investing in research and development and sales and marketing. In addition, to successfully compete, we may need to implement artificial intelligence strategies for our products, which may be costly or ineffective, introduce errors, cause loss of intellectual property, and raise complex regulatory compliance, intellectual property and other issues. There can be no assurance that we will be able to make the technological advances necessary to maintain such competitive advantages or that we can recover major research and development expenses.

Acquisitions, divestitures, mergers, business combinations or joint ventures may entail certain operational and financial risks.

Over the past several years, we have completed strategic acquisitions of complementary manufacturing companies, as well as strategic investments in companies and divestitures of certain interests. We expect to continue to explore complementary mergers, acquisitions, investments and joint ventures and may also pursue additional divestures or closures of business lines or investments that do not fit with our core strategy. We may also engage in further vertical integration and business restructuring. We may face competition for attractive targets and may not be able to acquire potential targets on terms or at prices acceptable to us, if at all. In addition, these types of transactions may require significant liquidity, which may not be available on terms favorable to us, or at all.

We cannot provide any assurance that we will realize the intended benefits from any such transactions. The process of integrating acquired businesses into our existing operations may result in unforeseen operating difficulties and may require additional financial resources and attention from management that would otherwise be available for the ongoing development or expansion of our existing operations. Even if successfully integrated, the acquired business may not achieve the results we expect or produce expected benefits in the time frame planned. In addition, we may not be able to successfully complete any strategic divestures in a timely manner, or at all.

Risks Related to Our Operations

The global macroeconomic environment could negatively impact our business and our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows could be materially adversely affected.

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Our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows have been and may continue to be adversely impacted by the global macroeconomic environment, which has experienced, and continues to experience, extraordinary challenges, including high rates of inflation; increasing interest rates; widespread disruptions in supply chains; workforce challenges, including labor shortages; and market volatility. These challenges have, among other things, led to increased costs, labor and supply shortages, and transportation and performance delays and disruptions and have adversely affected us, our industry, our customers and suppliers and others with whom we do business. We (including our suppliers and other partners) have and may continue to experience inflationary pressures, supply chain disruption and labor, material and transportation cost increases at a rate higher than anticipated. Given the nature of our business and our contracts (many of which are fixed price and of long duration), we have been, and in the future may be unable to recover some of these increased costs or to offset such costs with greater than expected efficiencies. While some aspects of the macroeconomic environment appear to be improving, and we have been able to mitigate some of the challenges, other challenges persist. We cannot predict how long these challenges will persist or how they will change over time, or how the macroeconomic environment will evolve and continue to impact us. While we continue to work proactively to mitigate these challenges, if we are unable to do so successfully, our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows could be materially adversely affected.

 

Our results of operations would be adversely affected by a shortage of trained personnel or work stoppages and may be adversely affected by increasing labor costs.

 

Our business has historically been dependent on a highly trained workforce because of the complex nature of our products. As of December 31, 2024, approximately 26% of employees in the United States were unionized and the majority in Europe were represented by a works council. We periodically need to renegotiate our collective bargaining and works council agreements, and any failure to negotiate new agreements or extensions in a timely manner could result in work stoppages or slowdowns. Recent labor activity in the aerospace industry, including union strikes and extended labor negotiations, may have an adverse impact on such efforts and may result in work stoppages or slowdowns, or increased labor costs. Our ability to hire, train, assimilate and retain a qualified workforce has also been impacted by the ongoing labor market disruptions. If we are unable to hire and retain a sufficient number of trained personnel, or we experience a significant or prolonged work stoppage in such an environment, including due to salary negotiation challenges with employees covered by collective bargaining or works council agreements, our ability to secure new business and our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected. In recent years, in addition to labor shortages, we also experienced increases in labor costs in the countries in which we operate due to rising inflation rates and localized labor market disruptions. Further increases in labor costs could significantly reduce our profit margins if we are unable to flow such costs through to our customers.

Our ability to attract, retain and motivate key employees is vital to our success.

Our success, competitiveness and ability to execute on our global strategies and maintain a culture of innovation depend in large part on our ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified employees and leaders with expertise and capabilities, representing diverse backgrounds and experiences. Achieving this objective may be difficult due to many factors, including fluctuations in global economic and industry conditions, such as the impact of inflation, management changes, increasing local and global competition for talent, particularly due to the increase in remote working opportunities, the availability of qualified employees, restructuring and alignment activities (including workforce reductions), and the attractiveness of our compensation and benefit programs. If we are unable to attract, retain and motivate qualified employees and leaders, we may be unable to fully capitalize on current and new market opportunities, which could adversely impact our business and results of operations. The loss or retirement of employees presents particular challenges to the extent they involve the departure of knowledgeable and experienced employees and the resulting need to identify and train existing or new candidates to perform necessary functions, and ineffective succession planning could result in unexpected costs, reduced productivity, and/or difficulties with respect to internal processes and controls. If we are unable to attract and retain a qualified and inclusive workforce, we may be unable to maintain our competitive position and our future success could be materially adversely affected.

We have engaged in restructuring and alignment activities from time to time and there can be no assurance that our efforts will have the intended effects.

From time to time, we have responded to changes in our industry and the markets we serve, or other changes in our business, by restructuring or aligning our operations, including the closure of our Tianjin, China wind energy prepreg production facility in 2022, the movement of our Research and Technology Center from Dublin, California to Salt Lake City, Utah, and the sale of our 50% interest in a Malaysian joint venture. Due to necessary cost reduction measures or changes in the industry and markets in which we compete, we may decide to implement additional restructuring or alignment activities in the future, such as closing plants, idling certain equipment or operations, or making additions, reductions or other changes to our management or workforce. These restructuring and/or alignment activities generally result in charges and expenditures that may adversely affect our financial results for one or more periods. Restructuring and/or alignment activities can also create unanticipated consequences, such as instability or distraction among our workforce, and we cannot provide any assurance that any restructuring or alignment efforts that we undertake

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will result in the intended benefits. A variety of risks could cause us not to realize expected cost savings, including, among others: (a) higher than expected severance costs related to headcount reductions; (b) higher than expected costs of closing plants; (c) incurring costs to hire new employees or delays or difficulty hiring the employees needed; and (d) delays in the anticipated timing of activities related to our cost-saving plan. If we are unable to align our operations in light of evolving market conditions, it could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

A decrease in supply, interruptions at key facilities or an increase in cost of raw materials could result in a material decline in our profitability.

Our profitability depends largely on the price and continuity of the supply of raw materials, which may be supplied through a sole source or a limited number of sources. We purchase large volumes of raw materials, such as epoxy and phenolic resins, acrylonitrile, carbon fiber, fiberglass yarn, aramid paper and, to a lesser extent, aluminum foil. Any restrictions on supply resulting from geopolitical conditions, extreme weather events, availability of global logistics, increase in the cost of our raw materials including increases resulting from inflation or tariffs, or other unforeseen disruptions in the supply chain could significantly reduce our profit margins. Efforts to mitigate restrictions on the supply or price increases of these raw materials through long-term purchase agreements, productivity improvements, multi-source qualifications, use of alternative materials, hedging or flowing through cost increases to our customers may not be successful. In addition, increasing prices of our products could put such products at a competitive disadvantage. During recent years, as a result of the challenges created by global supply and transportation constraints, ongoing global conflict and market volatility, we experienced supply disruptions and cost increases and anticipate that the risk of supply disruptions and material shortages, as well as cost increases, may continue. While we have not experienced materially significant issues in the purchase of key raw materials, we continue to monitor the availability (including transportation) and price of raw materials on a regular basis, as well as any potential impact on our operations.

The occurrence of material operational problems or interruptions, including, but not limited to, as a result of the failure of key equipment, a quality or financial failure of a sole source or major supplier, the effects of natural disasters or climate change-related events, the impact of any public health crises, ongoing supply chain disruptions and supply shortages, energy disruption caused by ongoing global conflict, the inability to install, staff and/or qualify necessary capacity, political or social unrest, the failure to achieve planned manufacturing improvements or other causes, or any other inability to meet customer requirements, may have a material adverse effect on the productivity and profitability of a particular manufacturing facility, and could have a material effect on the Company as a whole.

We have substantial international operations subject to uncertainties that could affect our operating results.

We believe that revenue from sales outside the U.S. will continue to account for a material portion of our total revenue for the foreseeable future. In 2024, 50% of our production and 59% of our customer sales occurred outside of the United States. Additionally, we have invested significant resources in our international operations, and we intend to continue to make such investments in the future. Our business and results of operations are subject to numerous risks of doing business internationally including: (a) general economic, political, legal, social and health conditions unfavorable to our growth strategy, including the impact of rising inflation and other global economic conditions on labor and supply costs and availability, changes in currency exchange rates, geopolitical conditions and global conflicts; (b) longer payment cycles of foreign customers or challenges in enforcing agreements and collecting receivables through certain foreign legal systems; (c) the cost of compliance with international trade laws of all of the countries in which we do business, including export control laws, relating to sales and purchases of goods and equipment and transfers of technology; (d) government actions having a direct or indirect adverse impact on our international business and market opportunities, including, but not limited to, tariffs and other trade restrictions imposed by the United States, China and other jurisdictions; (e) adverse tax consequences, such as fluctuating tax rates, withholding requirements on foreign earnings or limitations on repatriations of earnings; and (f) the potential difficulty in enforcing our intellectual property rights in certain foreign countries, and the potential for the intellectual property rights of others to affect our ability to sell products in certain markets. Any one of these could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. With respect to tariffs, implementation of new tariff schemes by various governments, such as those implemented by the United States and China in recent years, could potentially increase the costs of our materials, increase our cost of production, and ultimately increase the landed cost of our products sold from one country into another country. In addition, although we are not experiencing direct material adverse effects on our business resulting from ongoing global conflicts, the global implications, including increased inflation, escalating energy costs, and constrained raw material availability, and thus increasing costs, as well as embargos on flights from certain countries, are impacting the global economy and the aerospace industry in particular.

Fluctuations in currency exchange rates may influence the profitability and cash flows of our business. For example, most of our European operations sell a majority of the products they produce in U.S. dollars, yet the labor and overhead costs and portions of raw material costs incurred in the manufacture of those products are primarily denominated in Euros, British pound sterling or U.S. dollars. As a result, the local currency margins of goods manufactured with costs denominated in local currency, yet sold in U.S. dollars, will vary with fluctuations in currency exchange rates, reducing when the U.S. dollar weakens against the Euro and British

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pound sterling. In addition, the reported U.S. dollar value of the local currency financial statements of our foreign subsidiaries will vary with fluctuations in currency exchange rates. While we enter into currency hedge agreements in an attempt to mitigate these types of fluctuations, we cannot remove all fluctuations or hedge all exposures, or we may not be successful in hedging our exposure, and our earnings are impacted by changes in currency exchange rates.

We currently do not have political risk insurance in the countries in which we conduct business. While we carefully consider these risks when evaluating our international operations, we cannot provide assurance that we will not be materially adversely affected as a result of such risks.

We could be adversely affected by environmental and safety requirements, as well as legal, regulatory or market measures to address climate change.

Our operations require the handling, use, storage, transport and disposal of certain regulated materials and wastes. As a result, we are subject to various laws and regulations pertaining to pollution and protection of the environment, health, and safety. These requirements govern, among other things, emissions to air, discharge to waters, the generation, handling, storage, transport, treatment and disposal of regulated materials and waste, and remediation of contaminated sites. We have made, and will continue to make, capital and other expenditures to comply with these laws and regulations. These laws and regulations are complex, change frequently and could become more stringent in the future.

In some cases, regulatory bodies have decided and may decide in the future to limit or ban certain materials we use in our manufacturing process due to potentially significant health and safety risks to people or the environment. Such limitations or bans have resulted in, and may in the future require us to consider, the use of alternative raw materials or changes to our method of operations. Such alternatives often require customer approval and may result in additional costs, including higher raw material expenses, changes in operational methods, and additional customer qualifications. The formulation changes could also impact the utility of our products.

We have been named as a “potentially responsible party” under Superfund or similar state laws at certain former and current sites requiring clean up. These laws generally impose liability for costs to investigate and remediate contamination without regard to fault. Under certain circumstances, liability may be joint and several, resulting in one responsible party being held responsible for the entire cleanup obligation. Liability may also include damages to natural resources. We have incurred and likely will continue to incur expenses to investigate and clean up certain of our existing and former facilities, for which we believe we have adequate reserves. The ongoing operation of our manufacturing plants also entails environmental risks, and we may incur material costs or liabilities in the future that could adversely affect us. Although most of our properties have been the subject of environmental site assessments, there can be no assurance that all potential instances of soil and groundwater contamination have been identified, even at those sites where assessments have been conducted. Accordingly, we may discover previously unknown environmental conditions and the cost of remediating such conditions may be material. See Note 16 to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We may also be required to comply with evolving environmental, health and safety laws, regulations or requirements that may be adopted or imposed in the future or to address newly discovered information or conditions that require a response. As our business expands to meet customer and market demands, and community growth impacts local ambient air and water limits, additional controls are anticipated to be required.

In addition, concerns about the relationship between greenhouse gases and global climate change, and an increased focus on carbon neutrality, has resulted, and may continue to result, in additional regulations at the national and international level to monitor, regulate, control and tax emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. A number of governmental bodies have introduced or are contemplating legislative or regulatory changes in response to climate change, including regulating greenhouse gas emissions and increasing mandatory disclosures. The continued lack of consistent climate legislation creates economic and regulatory uncertainty. The outcome of new legislation or regulation in the U.S. and other jurisdictions in which we operate has resulted in, and may in the future result in, new or additional requirements, including mandatory disclosure requirements, and fees or restrictions on certain activities. Our manufacturing plants use energy, including electricity and natural gas, and some of our plants emit amounts of greenhouse gases that are, and may in the future be affected by these legislative and regulatory efforts. Compliance with greenhouse gas and climate change initiatives has resulted, and may in the future result in, additional costs to us, including increased energy, transportation and raw material costs, additional taxes, additional compliance costs, reduced emission allowances or additional restrictions on production or operations. We expect we will be required to make additional investments in our facilities and equipment, change our manufacturing processes, obtain substitute materials, which may cost more or be less available or harder to source, fund offset projects, or undertake other costly activities as a result of these laws and regulations. In addition, failure to comply with applicable regulations could result in fines or government investigations or actions, which could affect our business, financial

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condition, results of operations and cash flows. We could also face increased costs related to defending and resolving legal claims and other litigation related to climate change and the alleged impact of our operations on climate change.

In addition to compliance obligations related to climate change, growing customer environmental and sustainability requirements, including procurement policies that include social and emissions reduction or other environmental standards and requirements that suppliers are required comply with, as well as sustainability goals and targets that we have adopted, could cause us to alter our manufacturing, operations or equipment processes, and incur substantial expense to meet these requirements. We are actively reviewing and implementing projects to reduce our energy intensity and greenhouse gas emissions, but there is no guarantee that such options or projects will be technologically and/or environmentally feasible, or that we will be able to implement any such projects on a timely or cost-effective basis. The failure to comply with customer environmental or sustainability requirements, or similar types of requests, could adversely affect our relationships with such customers, which in turn could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Furthermore, our reputation could be damaged if we or others in our industry do not act, or are perceived not to act, responsibly with respect to our impact on the environment, or if we fail to achieve our sustainability goals or targets, which could limit our ability to grow and otherwise adversely affect our results of operations.

 

Our business and operations may be adversely affected by cybersecurity breaches or other information technology system or network intrusions.

 

We depend heavily on information technology and computerized systems to communicate and operate effectively. We store sensitive data, including proprietary business information, intellectual property, regulated data (U.S. government and other), customer data and confidential employee or other personal data, in our systems. In addition to internal information technology systems, we leverage cloud-based systems, where data is stored and exchanged with external third-party vendors. From time to time, we experience attempted cyberattacks on our information technology systems, either directly or indirectly via our supply chain or third-party vendors, which are becoming more sophisticated and could have a material impact on us. These cyberattacks, which could be related to industrial or foreign government espionage, activism, or financial motivations, continue to evolve and become more sophisticated and include attempting to covertly introduce malware to our systems, performing reconnaissance, phishing and other means of social engineering, impersonating authorized users, and stealing, corrupting, restricting our access to data or otherwise compromising the integrity, confidentiality, and/or availability of our systems hardware and networks and the information on them, among other activities. To the extent artificial intelligence capabilities improve and are increasingly adopted, they may be used to identify vulnerabilities and craft increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity attacks, and vulnerabilities may be introduced from the use of artificial intelligence by us, our customers, suppliers and other business partners and third-party providers.

We continue to update our infrastructure, security tools, planning, employee training and processes to protect against cybersecurity incidents, including both external and internal threats, and to prevent their occurrence or recurrence. We have implemented various measures, including technical security controls, employee training, comprehensive monitoring of our networks and systems, maintenance of backup systems and the use of disaster recovery capability. While Company personnel have been tasked to detect and investigate any security incidents, we cannot guarantee that such measures will be effective or sufficient to prevent a cyberattack, and future cyberattacks could still occur and could go undetected and persist for an extended period of time. Such cyberattacks could lead to data corruption or loss of data and exposure of proprietary and confidential information, disruptions in or damage to critical systems, production downtimes or operational delays, and theft of data, funds, or intellectual property, and we may be unable to mitigate potential consequences of these attacks. In addition, we face information technology security and fraud risks due to increased remote work, which may create additional information security vulnerabilities and/or magnify the impact of any disruption in our information technology systems. The unauthorized use of our confidential or proprietary business information could harm our competitive position and reputation, reduce the value of our investment in research and development and other strategic initiatives, cause us to breach contractual commitments to our customers or other third parties, or otherwise adversely affect our business.

 

Our customers, partners, vendors, suppliers, subcontractors and others to whom we entrust confidential data, and on whom we rely to provide products and services, face similar threats and growing requirements, including ones for which others may seek to hold us responsible. While we review cybersecurity capabilities with our top-tier suppliers and have implemented cybersecurity requirements in our standard supplier contract terms,” we do not control such third parties and our ability to monitor their cybersecurity is limited, we cannot ensure the cybersecurity measures they take will be sufficient to protect any information we share with them or prevent any disruption arising from a technology failure, cyberattack or other information or security breach. We depend on such parties to implement adequate controls and safeguards to protect against and report cyber incidents. If such parties fail to deter, detect or report cyber incidents in a timely manner, we may suffer from financial and other harm, including to our information, operations, financial results, performance, employees and reputation.

 

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An intrusion may also result in fines, penalties, litigation or governmental investigations and proceedings, increased mitigation and remediation expenses, diminished competitive advantages through reputational damages and increased operational costs. Further, cybersecurity and data protection laws and regulations continue to evolve, and are increasingly demanding, both in the U.S. and globally, which adds compliance complexity and may increase our costs of compliance and expose us to litigation, monetary damages, regulatory enforcement actions or fines in one or more jurisdictions. Additionally, we have incurred, and expect to continue to incur, costs to comply with increased cybersecurity protections and standards of our customers, including the U.S. government. While we carry cybersecurity insurance, we cannot be certain that our coverage will be adequate for liabilities actually incurred, that insurance will continue to be available to us on economically reasonable terms, or at all, or that any insurer will not deny coverage as to any future claim.

 

We operate our business in regions subject to natural disasters and other severe weather events and any disruption to our business resulting from such events could adversely affect our revenue and results of operations.

We operate, and rely on suppliers who operate, in regions subject to natural disasters and other severe weather events. Extreme weather events and changing weather patterns present physical risks on existing infrastructure that may become more frequent or more severe as a result of factors related to climate change. In addition, the impacts of climate change on global water resources may result in water scarcity, which could in the future impact our ability to access sufficient quantities of water in certain locations and result in increased costs. We have in the past and will continue in the future to assess potential manufacturing and operational risks related to climate change, including risk of exposure to rising sea levels and significant rainfall, flooding, wildfire, drought, earthquake, hurricane or tornado events within our supply chain. We previously determined that a small percentage of our suppliers manufacture in vulnerable locations, which may impact distribution of raw materials to our operations, although we have taken actions to mitigate the potential impact where possible. We also have two sites in the southeast United States, a region vulnerable to severe weather events (i.e., hurricanes, tornadoes and floods), that are associated with excess warming. Although preventative measures may help to mitigate damage, such measures could be costly, and any disaster could adversely affect our ability to conduct business, including disrupting our supply of raw materials, damaging our manufacturing facilities or otherwise affecting production, transportation and delivery of our products, or affect demand for our products, and the insurance we maintain may not be adequate to cover our losses resulting from any business interruption resulting from a natural disaster or other severe weather events. Further, recurring extreme weather events could reduce the availability or increase the cost of insurance. Any future disruptions to our operations as a result of a natural disaster or severe weather event could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Our business could be negatively impacted by sustainability/environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) matters and/or our reporting of such matters.

 

There is an increasing focus from certain investors, customers, employees, and other stakeholders concerning sustainability matters, and an increasing number of stakeholders are requiring companies to disclose sustainability and related policies, practices and metrics. Our customers may require us to implement sustainability or other environmental, social and governance responsibility procedures or standards before they continue to do business with us. At the same time, there also exists anti-environmental, social and governance sentiment among certain stakeholders and government institutions, and we may face scrutiny, reputational risk, lawsuits or market access restrictions from these parties regarding any such initiatives we have adopted. In addition, some investors use sustainability criteria to guide their investment strategies, and may not invest in us, or divest their holdings of us, if they believe our policies relating to environmental, social and governance matters are inadequate or, on the other hand, have a negative response to such policies as a result of anti-environmental, social and governance sentiment. Additionally, we may face reputational challenges in the event that our sustainability and other environmental, social and governance policies, practices and metrics do not meet the standards set by certain constituencies, which are often inconsistent in approach.

 

In addition, from time to time, we communicate certain initiatives, targets or goals regarding sustainability/ESG matters. Although we intend to meet these commitments, we may be required to expend significant resources to do so, which could increase our operational costs. Further, there can be no assurance of the extent to which any of our commitments will be achieved, if at all; we could fail, or be perceived to fail, in our achievement of such initiatives, targets or goals, or we could fail in fully and accurately reporting our progress on such initiatives, targets and goals. In addition, we could be criticized for the scope of such initiatives, targets or goals or perceived as not acting responsibly in connection with these matters. Any such matters could have a material adverse effect on our business.

 

We may not be able to service our debt obligations or satisfy covenants included in our outstanding debt.

Our ability to meet our interest expense and debt service obligations will depend on our future performance, including the cash we generate from operating activities, which could be affected by financial, business, economic and other factors, including potential

20


 

changes in laws or regulations, industry conditions, industry supply and demand, customer preferences and pressure from competitors. If we are unable to meet our debt service obligations, including to repay or refinance debt as it becomes due, or we fail to comply with our financial and other negative covenants contained in the agreements governing our indebtedness, we may be required to refinance all or part of our debt, sell strategic assets at unfavorable prices, incur additional indebtedness or issue common stock or other equity securities, which we may not be able to do on acceptable terms or in amounts sufficient to meet our needs. If we are able to raise additional funds through the issuance of equity securities, such issuance would also result in dilution to our stockholders. Our inability to service our obligations or refinance our debt could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition or operating results. In addition, we have been, and may continue to be, negatively impacted by high interest rates.

In addition, the credit ratings of our debt could be subject to a downgrade. If a ratings downgrade were to occur, we could experience higher borrowing costs in the future and more restrictive debt covenants, which would reduce profitability and diminish operational flexibility. A ratings downgrade could also limit our access to certain sources of debt financing.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

We cannot make any guarantees with respect to payment of dividends on, or repurchases of, our common stock.

 

We currently pay quarterly dividends; however, our board of directors regularly evaluates our capital allocation strategy and dividend policy, and any future determination to pay, maintain or increase cash dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon, among other factors, our results of operations, financial condition, capital requirements and contractual or legal restrictions, including the requirements of our revolving credit facility and other financing agreements to which we may be a party. No assurance can be given that cash dividends will continue to be declared and paid at historical levels or at all.

 

Our share repurchase program does not have an expiration date, and we are not obligated to repurchase a specified number or dollar value of shares, on any particular timetable or at all. There can be no assurance that we will repurchase stock at favorable prices. On February 19, 2024, our Board of Directors approved a $300 million share repurchase plan, which was in addition to the amount that remained available for repurchase under the existing 2018 share repurchase plan, however, the repurchase program may be suspended or terminated at any time and, even if fully implemented, may not enhance long-term stockholder value. The 2018 share repurchase plan was fully utilized as of June 30, 2024.

 

Our amended and restated bylaws (the “bylaws”) provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the exclusive forum for certain legal actions between us and our stockholders, which could discourage lawsuits against the Company and our directors and officers.

 

Our bylaws provide to the fullest extent permitted by law that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, employees or agents to us or our stockholders, any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) or our restated certificate of incorporation, as amended (the “certificate of incorporation”), or bylaws, or any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine of the State of Delaware.

 

To the fullest extent permitted by law, this exclusive forum provision applies to state and federal law claims, including claims under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), although the Company will not be deemed to have waived its compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. The enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ organizational documents has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that, in connection with claims arising under federal securities laws or otherwise, a court could find the exclusive forum provision contained in the bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable.

 

This exclusive forum provision may limit the ability of our stockholders to bring a claim in a judicial forum that such stockholders find favorable for disputes with the Company or our directors or officers, which may discourage such lawsuits against the Company and our directors and officers. Alternatively, if a court were to find this exclusive forum provision inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings described above, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could negatively affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

 

Certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation, bylaws, and the DGCL have anti-takeover effects and could delay, discourage, defer or prevent a tender offer or takeover attempt that a stockholder might consider to be in the stockholders’ best interests.

 

21


 

Certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and the DGCL may have the effect of delaying or preventing changes in control if our board of directors determines that such changes in control are not in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. Such provisions include, among other things, those that:

 

prohibit stockholders from taking action by written consent and do not permit stockholders to call a special meeting;
authorize the board of directors, without further action by the stockholders, to issue shares of preferred stock in one or more series, and with respect to each series, to fix the number of shares constituting that series, and establish the rights and terms of that series;
establish advance notice procedures for stockholders to submit proposals and nominations of candidates for election to the board of directors to be brought before a stockholders meeting;
allow our directors to establish the size of the board of directors (so long as the board of directors consists of at least three and no more than fifteen directors) and fill vacancies on the board of directors created by an increase in the number of directors (subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock to elect additional directors under specified circumstances);
do not provide stockholders cumulative voting rights with respect to director elections;
provide that the bylaws may be amended by the board of directors without stockholder approval, to the extent permitted by law; and
do not opt out of Section 203 of the DGCL, which generally prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with any interested stockholder (generally speaking, a stockholder who holds 15% or more of our voting stock) for three years from the date such stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, unless certain conditions are met.

 

These provisions may delay or discourage transactions involving an actual or potential change in the Company’s control or change in the board of directors or management, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares of common stock or transactions that our stockholders might otherwise deem to be in their best interests. Accordingly, these provisions could adversely affect the price of our common stock.

 

ITEM 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

 

Item 1C. Cybersecurity

 

At Hexcel, we are committed to the security of our products and services, the protection of employee, customer and Company data, and the safeguarding of our manufacturing capability. Our cybersecurity program is led by our Chief Information Officer (“CIO”), who has over 20 years of experience in information technology leadership and 10 years of experience directly overseeing our information security program and holds a Master of Business Administration in technology management. As a part of our cybersecurity program, we have engaged, and in the future may continue to engage, third-party consultants and advisors, including a third-party consultant with extensive experience designing, leading, and maintaining the implementation and assurance frameworks for organizational information, to provide virtual chief information security officer services, including establishing a security architecture, policies, practices, and response capabilities.

Our CIO regularly updates senior management on our cybersecurity risk governance and management and the status of ongoing efforts to strengthen cybersecurity effectiveness. Our board of directors views cybersecurity as a strategic priority and therefore maintains oversight of management’s actions in implementing our overall cybersecurity program, with our CIO regularly reporting directly to our board of directors. The audit committee of the board of directors also periodically reviews the cybersecurity program as part of its oversight of the Company’s internal audit function and insurance program.

 

As part of our cybersecurity program, we maintain various protections designed to safeguard against cyberattacks, including firewalls, anti-malware, intrusion prevention and detection systems, access controls and other encryption configurations and cybertechnologies, and continuously monitor and audit our information technology and data assets to detect any anomalies and to respond quickly to threats that may arise. We periodically conduct intrusion and penetration testing through third parties to evaluate our cybersecurity response capability. We also regularly conduct employee awareness training on email management (phishing), safe internet browsing, malware, and other cybersecurity risks and routinely communicate with employees about the potential for cybersecurity threats, including the latest adversary trends and social engineering techniques, and how to avoid them through our established communications channels.

 

22


 

We have adopted and implemented an approach to identify and mitigate cybersecurity risks within our overall enterprise risk management program that is based on a recognized framework established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The board of directors is responsible for overseeing management’s enterprise risk management program, and receives regular reports on cybersecurity risk identification, monitoring and mitigation from our Chief Financial Officer as part of its review of that program, in addition to the regular reports received from the CIO as part of the board’s overall cybersecurity program review.

As part of our cybersecurity risk management, we have established controls and procedures to guide the Company through an active threat or incident to the recovery of normal business, following industry-standard data protection standards. The controls and procedures provide for the identification, notification, escalation, communication, and remediation of cybersecurity incidents to management, including where appropriate the board of directors, so that decisions regarding the public disclosure and reporting of such incidents can be made in a timely manner. We maintain an Executive Cyber Response Team composed of senior leaders across various functions, including our CIO, General Counsel, Chief Accounting Officer and VP Communications. The Executive Cyber Response Team is trained and experienced in managing cybersecurity incidents and meets regularly to practice and refine our processes for incident response, management and escalation through tabletop exercises simulating cyberattacks administered by a legal advisor with extensive experience in cyber investigations, cyber threats and cyber-enabled frauds. The results of such exercises are then reported to management and our board of directors. The third-party legal advisor also assesses and advises on our overall cybersecurity program, reports to our board of directors on a periodic basis and is engaged to provide support in the event an attack or other intrusion were to be successful.

 

Furthermore, as part of our cybersecurity management, we are committed to strong third-party risk management. We actively and routinely address cybersecurity capabilities with our top-tier suppliers and have implemented cybersecurity requirements in our standard supplier contract terms to address cybersecurity risk. Additionally, we validate cybersecurity practices of key suppliers as may be necessary to comply with applicable regulations or flow-down requirements from our customers.

 

The Company maintains disaster recovery plans for key applications and site-specific incident response plans, as well as a cybersecurity and related insurance policies as a measure of added protection.

 

As of the date of this report, the Company is not aware of any risks from cybersecurity threats that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect the Company, including its business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition.

23


 

ITEM 2. Properties

We own and lease manufacturing facilities and sales offices located throughout the United States and in other countries, as noted below. The corporate offices and principal corporate support activities are located in leased facilities in Stamford, Connecticut. Our research and technology administration and principal laboratories are located in Duxford, England; Les Avenières, France; Salt Lake City, Utah and Decatur, Alabama.

The following table lists our manufacturing facilities by geographic location, related segment, and principal products manufactured and total square footage.

 

Manufacturing Facilities

Facility Location

Segment

Principal Products

Total Square Footage

United States:

 

 

 

Amesbury, Massachusetts

Engineered Products

Microwave and RF Absorbing Composite Materials

202,100

Burlington, Washington

Engineered Products

Engineered Honeycomb Parts

252,124

Casa Grande, Arizona

Composite Materials

Honeycomb and Honeycomb Parts

443,123

Decatur, Alabama

Composite Materials

PAN Precursor (used to produce Carbon Fibers)

819,863

Kent, Washington

Engineered Products

Composite structures

486,400

Pottsville, Pennsylvania

Engineered Products

Engineered Honeycomb Parts

180,305

Salt Lake City, Utah

Composite Materials

Carbon Fibers; Prepregs

1,365,000

Seguin, Texas

Composite Materials

Fabrics; Specialty Reinforcements

228,815

South Windsor, Connecticut

Engineered Products

3D printed parts

32,600

 

 

 

 

International:

 

 

 

Casablanca, Morocco

Engineered Products

Engineered Honeycomb Parts

333.832

Dagneux, France

Composite Materials

Prepregs

213,698

Duxford, England

Composite Materials

Prepregs; Adhesives; Honeycomb and Honeycomb Parts

417,109

Illescas, Spain

Composite Materials

Carbon Fibers

58,986

Leicester, England

Composite Materials

Lightweight Multiaxials Fabrics

134,657

Les Avenières, France

Composite Materials

Fabrics; Specialty Reinforcements

490,000

Neumarkt, Austria

Composite Materials

Prepregs

159,791

Parla, Spain

Composite Materials

Prepregs

147,186

Roussillon, France

Composite Materials

PAN Precursor and Carbon Fibers

222,170

Stade, Germany

Composite Materials

Prepregs

154,268

Vert-le-Petit, France

Composite Materials

Pultruded profiles; Prepregs and Adhesives

70,944

Welkenraedt, Belgium

Engineered Products

Engineered Honeycomb Parts

235,326

 

We lease the land and buildings in South Windsor, Connecticut, and the land on which the Burlington, Washington and Roussillon, France facilities are located. During the fourth quarter of 2024, the Company announced that it was exploring strategic options for its operations in Austria and is undergoing a process to find a suitable successor for the Neumarkt plant. We lease portions of the facilities located in Casa Grande, Arizona; Pottsville, Pennsylvania; Parla, Spain; and Leicester, England. In addition to the facility in Amesbury, Massachusetts we purchased in 2023, we also lease land and a building at another location in Amesbury. We own all other remaining manufacturing facilities. For further information, refer to “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and to Note 7 to the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

ITEM 3. Legal Proceedings

The information required by Item 3 is contained within Note 16 on page 72 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 4. Mine Safety Disclosure

Not applicable.

 

24


 

PART II

 

 

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

Hexcel common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol HXL.

Under the share repurchase plan adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board") in May 2018 (the “2018 Repurchase Plan"), the Board authorized $500 million for the repurchase of the Company's common stock which was fully utilized as of June 30, 2024. The repurchase of the Company’s common stock under the 2018 Repurchase Plan was all made in open market transactions. On February 19, 2024, the Board approved a $300 million share repurchase plan (the “2024 Share Repurchase Plan”) which was in addition to the amount that remained available for repurchases under the 2018 Repurchase Plan. During 2024, the Company repurchased 3,649,310 shares of common stock on the open market under the aforementioned Share Repurchase Plans at an average price of $68.49 per share for a total cost of $252.2 million, leaving approximately $234.9 million available for additional repurchases under the 2024 Share Repurchase Plan.

On January 31, 2025, there were 365 holders of record of our common stock.

 

ITEM 6. [Reserved]

 

ITEM 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The information required by Item 7 is contained on pages 32 to 39 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

The information required by Item 7A is contained under the heading “Market Risks” on pages 38 to 39 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

ITEM 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

The information required by Item 8 is contained on pages 40 to 78 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K under “Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” and is incorporated herein by reference. The Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm are contained on page 42 to 44 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K under the captions “Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” and are incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

None.

 

ITEM 9A. Controls and Procedures

Our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have evaluated our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2024 and have concluded that these disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. These disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports we file or submit is accumulated and communicated to management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that there have not been any changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2024 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Management’s report on our internal control over financial reporting is contained on page 41 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

 

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ITEM 9B. Other Information

 

On November 12, 2024, Gina Fitzsimons, the Company’s Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer and Communications Officer entered into a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act intended to satisfy the affirmative defense of Rule 10b5–1(c) of the Exchange Act. The trading plan provides for the sale of up to 2,062 shares of common stock of the Company beginning on February 21, 2025 and terminates on December 8, 2025.

 

On November 4, 2024, Thierry Merlot, the Company’s President, Aerospace, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and Industrial, entered into a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act intended to satisfy the affirmative defense of Rule 10b5-1(c) of the Exchange Act. The trading plan provides for the exercise of up to 5,397 non-qualified stock options and sale of the net shares of common stock of the Company received upon exercise, and the sale of up to an additional 3,500 shares of common stock of the Company. The trading plan terminates on August 28, 2025.

No other directors or officers, as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) of the Exchange Act, adopted, modified or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement,” or a “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement,” each as defined in Regulation S-K Item 408, during the fourth quarter of 2024.

 

ITEM 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections

Not applicable.

PART III

ITEM 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

The information required by Item 10 will be incorporated by reference to the Company’s definitive proxy statement, in accordance with Instruction G(3) to Form 10-K, to be filed with the SEC no later than 120 days after the end of the Company’s fiscal year.

 

ITEM 11. Executive Compensation

The information required by Item 11 will be incorporated by reference to the Company’s definitive proxy statement, in accordance with Instruction G(3) to Form 10-K, to be filed with the SEC no later than 120 days after the end of the Company’s fiscal year.

 

ITEM 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

The information required by Item 12 will be incorporated by reference to the Company’s definitive proxy statement, in accordance with Instruction G(3) to Form 10-K, to be filed with the SEC no later than 120 days after the end of the Company’s fiscal year.

 

ITEM 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

The information required by Item 13 will be incorporated by reference to the Company’s definitive proxy statement, in accordance with Instruction G(3) to Form 10-K, to be filed with the SEC no later than 120 days after the end of the Company’s fiscal year.

 

ITEM 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services

The information required by Item 14 will be incorporated by reference to the Company’s definitive proxy statement, in accordance with Instruction G(3) to Form 10-K, to be filed with the SEC no later than 120 days after the end of the Company’s fiscal year.

 

26


 

PART IV

 

 

ITEM 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules

(a) Financial Statements, Financial Statement Schedules and Exhibits

 

(1)

 

Financial Statements:

 

 

 

 

Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

 

 

 

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2024 and 2023

 

 

 

 

Consolidated Statements of Operations for each of the three years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022

 

 

 

 

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for each of the three years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022

 

 

 

 

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for each of the three years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022

 

 

 

 

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for each of the three years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022

 

 

 

 

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

 

 

 

(2) Consolidated Financial Statement Schedules:

 

All financial statement schedules are omitted as they are inapplicable, or the required information has been included in the consolidated financial statements or notes thereto.

 

(3) Exhibits:

The following list of exhibits includes exhibits submitted with this Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the SEC and those incorporated by reference to other filings.

 

Exhibit No.

 

Description

3.1

Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Hexcel Corporation (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated July 9, 1996, Registration No. 1-08472).

 

 

 

 

3.2

Certificate of Amendment of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Hexcel Corporation (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002, filed on March 31, 2003).

 

 

3.3

Amended and Restated Bylaws of Hexcel Corporation (as of September 12, 2023) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated September 15, 2023)

 

 

 

 

 

3.4

 

Certificate of Designations of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of Hexcel Corporation, as filed with the Secretary of the State of Delaware on April 6, 2020 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated April 6, 2020).

 

 

3.5

 

 

Certificate of Elimination of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of Hexcel Corporation, as filed with the Secretary of State of Delaware on February 7, 2024 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.5 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

 

 

 

 

 

4.1

Indenture, dated as of August 3, 2015, between Hexcel Corporation and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated August 3, 2015).

 

 

4.2

First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of August 3, 2015, between Hexcel Corporation and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated August 3, 2015).

 

 

4.3

Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of February 16, 2017, between Hexcel Corporation and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 16, 2017).

 

 

4.4

 

Form of Note for 4.700% Senior Notes due 2025 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit A of Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated August 3, 2015).

 

 

 

 

 

4.5

Form of Note for 3.950% Senior Notes due 2027 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit A of Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 16, 2017).

 

27


 

 

 

 

 

4.6

 

Description of Hexcel Corporation’s Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.6 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023).

 

 

 

 

 

10.1**

 

Credit Agreement, dated as of April 25, 2023, by and among Hexcel Corporation, as borrower, the lenders party thereto, Citizens Bank N.A., as agent for the lenders, and the other institutions party thereto (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated April 28, 2023).

 

 

 

 

 

10.2*

 

Hexcel Corporation 2013 Incentive Stock Plan, as amended (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated May 10, 2019).

 

 

 

 

 

10.3*

 

Hexcel Corporation Management Incentive Compensation Plan, as Amended and Restated on December 8, 2016 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016).

 

 

 

10.4

 

Form of Employee Option Agreement (2014 - 2017) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016).

 

 

 

10.5*

 

Form of Option Agreement for Executive Officers (2020) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.10 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019).

 

 

 

 

 

10.6*

 

Form of Option Agreement for Non-U.S. Executive Officers (2020) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.13 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019).

 

 

 

 

 

10.7*

 

Form of Option Agreement for Executive Officers (2021) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.18 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020).

 

 

 

 

10.8*

 

Form of Option Agreement for Non-U.S. Executive Officers (2021) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.21 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020).

 

 

 

10.9*

 

Form of Performance Based Award Agreement for Executive Officers (2022) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022).

 

 

 

 

 

10.10*

 

Form of Performance Based Award Agreement for Non-U.S. Executive Officers (2022) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022).

 

 

 

 

 

10.11*

 

Form of Performance Based Award Agreement for Executive Officers (2023) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.23 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022).

 

 

 

 

 

10.12*

 

Form of Performance Based Award Agreement for Non-U.S. Executive Officers (2023) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.24 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022).

 

 

 

 

 

10.13*

 

Form of Option Agreement for Executive Officers (2024) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.18 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023).

 

 

 

 

 

10.14*

 

Form of Option Agreement for Non-U.S. Executive Officers (2024) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.19 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023).

 

 

 

 

 

10.15*

 

Form of Performance Based Award Agreement for Executive Officers (2025).

 

 

 

 

 

10.16*

 

Form of Performance Based Award Agreement for Non-U.S. Executive Officers (2025).

 

 

 

 

 

10.17*

 

Form of Option Agreement for Executive Officers (2025).

 

 

 

 

 

10.18*

 

Form of Option Agreement for Non-U.S.Executive Officers (2025).

 

 

 

 

 

10.19*

 

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for Executive Officers (2025).

 

 

 

 

 

10.20*

 

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for Non-U.S. Executive Officers (2025).

 

 

 

 

 

10.21*

 

Restricted Stock Unit Agreement between Hexcel Corporation and Thierry Merlot (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated October 25, 2019).

 

 

 

 

 

10.22*

 

Hexcel Corporation Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan, effective as of January 1, 2005, Amended and Restated as of January 1, 2023 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023).

 

 

 

 

 

28


 

10.23*

 

Offer of Employment between Hexcel Corporation and Nick L. Stanage dated July 22, 2013 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2013).

 

 

 

 

 

10.24*

Amendment to the Offer of Employment Letter dated July 22, 2013 between Hexcel Corporation and Nick L. Stanage, dated June 1, 2018 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2018).

 

 

 

 

 

10.25*

 

Supplemental Executive Retirement Agreement dated October 28, 2009, between Nick L. Stanage and Hexcel Corporation (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated October 28, 2009).

 

 

 

10.26*

 

Amendment No. 1 to the Supplemental Executive Retirement Agreement dated October 28, 2009, between Nick L. Stanage and Hexcel Corporation, effective December 31, 2020 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.30 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020).

 

 

 

 

 

10.27*

 

Amendment No. 2 to the Supplemental Executive Retirement Agreement dated October 28, 2009, between Nick L. Stanage and Hexcel Corporation, effective July 26, 2021 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2021).

 

 

 

 

 

10.28*

 

Transition Letter Agreement, dated April 9, 2024, between Hexcel Corporation and Nick L. Stanage (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024).

 

 

 

 

 

10.29*

 

Offer of Employment Letter Agreement, dated April 9, 2024, between Hexcel Corporation and Thomas C. Gentile III (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024).

 

 

 

 

 

10.30*

 

Officer Severance Agreement, dated April 9, 2024, between Hexcel Corporation and Thomas C. Gentile III (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024).

 

 

 

 

 

10.31*

 

Hexcel Corporation Executive Severance Policy (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2013).

 

 

 

 

 

10.32*

Form of Officer Severance Agreement entered into between Hexcel Corporation and each of Patrick Winterlich and Gail Lehman, dated October 2, 2017 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated October 6, 2017).

 

 

 

 

 

10.33*

 

Amendment to the Officer Severance Agreement, dated October 2, 2017, between Hexcel Corporation and Patrick Winterlich, dated June 1, 2018 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2018).

 

 

 

 

 

10.34*

 

Amendment to the Officer Severance Agreement, dated October 2, 2017, between Hexcel Corporation and Gail E. Lehman, dated June 1, 2018 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2018).

 

 

 

 

 

10.35*

 

Form of Officer Severance Agreement entered into between Hexcel Corporation and Gina Fitzsimons, dated October 6, 2023 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.31 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023).

 

 

 

 

 

10.36*

 

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement – Executive Retention Award (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024).

 

 

 

 

 

10.37*

 

Director Compensation Program, effective December 7, 2023 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated January 5, 2024).

 

 

 

 

 

10.38*

 

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for Non-Employee Directors (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.21 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017).

 

 

 

 

 

10.39*

 

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for Non-Employee Directors (Annual Grant - 2020) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.31 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019).

 

 

 

 

 

10.40*

 

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for Non-Employee Directors (Retainer - 2020) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.32 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019).

 

 

 

 

 

29


 

10.41*

 

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for Non-Employee Directors (2021 Deferred Annual Grant) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.46 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020).

 

 

 

 

 

10.42*

 

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for Non-Employee Directors (2021 Deferred Retainer Grant) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.48 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020).

 

 

 

 

 

10.43*

 

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for Non-Employee Directors (2024 Deferred Annual Grant) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.39 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023).

 

 

 

 

 

10.44*

 

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for Non-Employee Directors (2024 Deferred Retainer Grant) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.40 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023).

 

 

 

 

 

10.45*

 

Hexcel Corporation 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (as amended and restated effective February 3, 2021) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-8, Registration Statement No. 333-256928, filed on June 9, 2021).

 

 

 

 

 

10.46*

 

Form of Indemnification Agreement for Directors and Officers (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.53 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022).

 

 

 

 

 

19

 

Hexcel Corporation Insider Trading Policy.

 

 

 

 

 

21

Subsidiaries of the Company.

 

 

 

 

 

23.1

Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

 

 

 

 

 

24

Power of Attorney (included on signature page).

 

 

 

 

 

31.1

Certification of Chief Executive Officer, Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

 

 

 

 

31.2

Certification of Chief Financial Officer, Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

 

 

 

 

32

Certification of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (furnished herewith).

 

 

 

 

 

97

 

Hexcel Corporation Mandatory Clawback Policy (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 97 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023).

 

 

 

 

 

101

 

The following financial statements from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, formatted in Inline XBRL: (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets, (ii) Consolidated Statements of Operations, (iii) Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, (iv) Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity, (v) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, and (vi) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

104

 

Cover Page Interactive Data File: the cover page XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document and are contained within Exhibit 101.

 

* Indicates management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

** Schedules and exhibits have been omitted pursuant to Regulation S-K, Item 601(a)(5). The Company will provide a copy of any omitted schedule or exhibit to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

ITEM 16. Form 10-K Summary

None.

30


 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

Hexcel Corporation

 

 

 

February 5, 2025

 

                                 /s/ THOMAS C. GENTILE III

(Date)

 

                                  Thomas C. Gentile III

 

 

Chairman of the Board of Directors,

 

Chief Executive Officer and President

 

KNOWN TO ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints each of Thomas Gentile, Patrick Winterlich and Gail Lehman, individually, his or her attorney-in-fact, with the power of substitution, for him or her in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this report, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each said attorney-in-fact, or his or her substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature

 

Title

 

Date

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ THOMAS C. GENTILE III

 

Chairman of the Board of Directors,

 

February 5, 2025

(Thomas C. Gentile III)

 

Chief Executive Officer and President

 

 

 

 

(Principal Executive Officer)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ PATRICK WINTERLICH

 

Executive Vice President and

 

February 5, 2025

(Patrick Winterlich)

 

Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

 

(Principal Financial Officer)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ AMY S. EVANS

 

Senior Vice President,

 

February 5, 2025

(Amy S. Evans)

 

Chief Accounting Officer

 

 

 

 

(Principal Accounting Officer)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ JEFFREY C. CAMPBELL

 

Director

 

February 5, 2025

(Jeffrey C. Campbell)

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ JAMES J. CANNON

 

 

Director

 

 

February 5, 2025

(James J. Cannon)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ CYNTHIA M. EGNOTOVICH

 

Director

 

February 5, 2025

(Cynthia M. Egnotovich)

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ THOMAS A. GENDRON

 

 

Director

 

 

February 5, 2025

(Thomas A. Gendron)

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ GUY C. HACHEY

 

 

Director

 

 

February 5, 2025

(Guy C. Hachey)

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ PATRICIA A. HUBBARD

 

 

Director

 

 

February 5, 2025

(Dr. Patricia A. Hubbard)

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ DAVID H. LI

 

Director

 

February 5, 2025

(David H. Li)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ NICK L. STANAGE

 

Director

 

February 5, 2025

(Nick L. Stanage)

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ CATHERINE A. SUEVER

 

 

Director

 

 

February 5, 2025

(Catherine A. Suever)

 

 

 

 

 

31


 

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

Management’s discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024, and comparison to the year ended December 31, 2023 should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

For discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations for 2023 compared to 2022 refer to Part II, Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on February 7, 2024, which is incorporated by reference into this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

 

Business Overview

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Net sales

 

$

1,903.0

 

 

$

1,789.0

 

Gross margin %

 

 

24.7

%

 

 

24.2

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other operating expense

 

$

50.0

 

 

$

1.4

 

Operating income

 

$

186.1

 

 

$

215.3

 

Operating income %

 

 

9.8

%

 

 

12.0

%

Interest expense, net

 

$

31.2

 

 

$

34.0

 

Income tax expense

 

$

22.8

 

 

$

12.1

 

Equity in earnings from affiliated companies

 

$

 

 

$

8.1

 

Net income

 

$

132.1

 

 

$

105.7

 

 

Business Trends

Since 2022, the Commercial Aerospace market and our business has seen signs of recovery from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020, driven by growth in air travel and an increase in aircraft build rates. However, the post-recovery period, however, continues to have many challenges across the markets Hexcel operates in, including delays in aircraft production rates, related to, among other impacts, global logistics, supply chain issues, inflationary pressures, and effects from geopolitical issues and conflicts. These challenges have had and may continue to have further negative impacts on our operations, supply chain, transportation networks and customers, all of which have and may continue to compress our financial results.

In 2024, our Commercial Aerospace sales increased 11.8% compared to 2023. The 2024 increase in sales was primarily driven by growth in wide-bodies. Other Commercial Aerospace, which includes business jets and regional aircraft saw an increase in sales as well, driven by growth in regional jets. The demand for new commercial aircraft continues to be principally driven by airline passenger traffic (measured by revenue passenger miles) and the replacement rate for existing aircraft. The Commercial Aerospace industry continues to utilize a greater proportion of advanced composite materials with each new generation of aircraft.

Space & Defense sales in 2024 increased 4.5% compared to 2024. Growth was led by military helicopters including the CH-53-K, as well as the F-35, partially offset by significantly lower Bell Boeing V-22 sales.

Industrial sales decreased 20.9% in 2024. Industrial sales include automotive, recreation, wind energy and general industrial applications. The lower sales in 2024 were due to declines in all sub-markets.

Results of Operations

We have two reportable segments: Composite Materials and Engineered Products. Although these segments provide customers with different products and services, they often overlap within our three end business markets: Commercial Aerospace, Space & Defense and Industrial. Therefore, we also find it meaningful to evaluate the sales of our segments through these business markets. Further discussion and additional financial information about our segments may be found in Note 18 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Net Sales: Consolidated net sales of $1,903.0 million for 2024 increased by 6.4% (6.4% in constant currency) compared to 2023. The sales increase in 2024 reflects higher Commercial Aerospace and Space & Defense sales, partially offset by a decline in Industrial sales.

The following table summarizes net sales to third-party customers by segment and end market in 2024 and 2023:

32


 

 

(In millions)

 

Commercial
Aerospace

 

 

Space &
Defense

 

 

Industrial

 

 

Total

 

2024 Net Sales

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Composite Materials

 

$

1,008.2

 

 

$

386.8

 

 

$

136.0

 

 

$

1,531.0

 

Engineered Products

 

 

186.0

 

 

 

182.7

 

 

 

3.3

 

 

 

372.0

 

Total

 

$

1,194.2

 

 

$

569.5

 

 

$

139.3

 

 

$

1,903.0

 

 

 

 

63

%

 

 

30

%

 

 

7

%

 

 

100

%

2023 Net Sales

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Composite Materials

 

$

912.6

 

 

$

389.2

 

 

$

172.4

 

 

$

1,474.2

 

Engineered Products

 

 

155.6

 

 

 

155.6

 

 

 

3.6

 

 

 

314.8

 

Total

 

$

1,068.2

 

 

$

544.8

 

 

$

176.0

 

 

$

1,789.0

 

 

 

 

60

%

 

 

30

%

 

 

10

%

 

 

100

%

Sales by Segment

Composite Materials: Net sales of $1,531.0 million for 2024 increased 3.9% from 2023. Commercial Aerospace sales increased 10.5% in 2024 as compared to 2023 primarily driven by growth in the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 programs as well as regional jet growth. Space & Defense sales were relatively flat. Industrial sales in 2024 decreased 21.1% from 2023 due to the decline in all industrial sub-markets.

Engineered Products: Net sales of $372.0 million for 2024 increased 18.2% from 2023, driven by a 19.5% increase in Commercial Aerospace sales. Space & Defense sales of $182.7 million increased by 17.4% from 2023, while Industrial sales in 2024 were $0.3 million lower than 2023.

 

Sales by Market

 

Commercial Aerospace: Net sales of $1,194.2 million increased 11.8% (11.9% in constant currency) for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. Widebodies led the growth including the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, followed by the Airbus A320neo. Sales for the Boeing 737 MAX were down year-over-year. Other Commercial Aerospace increased reflecting growth in regional jets.

Space & Defense: Net sales of $569.5 million increased 4.5% (4.6% in constant currency) for 2024 as compared to 2023. Growth was driven by military helicopters including the CH-53-K, as well as the F-35, partially offset by declining sales for the Bell Boeing V-22.

Industrial: Net sales of $139.3 million in the full year of 2024 decreased 20.9% (21.1% in constant currency) compared to 2023 as all industrial sub-markets declined..

2024 Consolidated Results Compared to 2023

Gross Margin: Gross margin for 2024 was $469.8 million or 24.7% of net sales as compared to $433.2 million or 24.2% of net sales in 2023. The improvement in 2024 was due to the higher sales volume leverage.

Selling, General and Administrative (“SG&A”) Expenses: SG&A expenses for 2024 were $176.6 million or 9.3% of net sales as compared to $163.8 million or 9.2% of net sales for 2023. The increase in SG&A expenses in 2024 compared to 2023 was primarily due to higher employee-related costs.

Research and Technology (“R&T”) Expenses: R&T expenses for 2024 were $57.1 million or 3.0% of net sales and in 2023 were $52.7 million or 2.9% of net sales. The year-over-year increase in expenses was attributable to employee-related costs and development projects expense.

Other operating expense: Other operating expense for 2024 of $50.0 million included $46.3 million of asset impairments and $1.4 million of other charges primarily associated with the announced potential divestiture of the Neumarkt, Austria plant as well as $2.3 million of restructuring costs. Other operating expense for 2023 of $1.4 million included restructuring costs as well as the net gain of $0.8 million from the sale of the Windsor, Colorado facility.

33


 

Operating income: Operating income for 2024 was $186.1 million compared with operating income in 2023 of $215.3 million. Operating income as a percent of sales was 9.8% and 12.0% in 2024 and 2023, respectively. The decrease in operating income in 2024 compared to 2023 was driven by above mentioned charges in Other operating expense, partially offset by the higher sales and improved margin.

Depreciation and amortization expense of $124.0 million for 2024 decreased $0.8 million from 2023.

Other expense: We did not incur other non-operating expense in 2024. Other expense for 2023 included a non-cash charge of $70.5 million related to the completion of the buy-out of the UK pension plan and a gain of $1.9 million related to excess assets from the UK pension plan that reverted back to the Company. Amounts for 2023 also included a charge of $3.0 million on the sale of our 50% interest in the joint venture in Malaysia.

Interest expense: Interest expense was $31.2 million for 2024 and $34.0 million for 2023 with the decrease due to lower average debt levels, partially offset by higher interest rates.

 

Income tax expense: For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we had a tax provision of $22.8 million and $12.1 million, respectively.

Equity in earnings from affiliated companies: Earnings represent our portion of the earnings or losses from our joint venture in Malaysia. In December 2023, we sold our 50% interest in the joint venture and received net proceeds of $44.7 million.

Net income: Net income was $132.1 million or $1.59 per diluted share for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to net income of $105.7 million or $1.24 per diluted share for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in 2024 was driven by higher sales as well as the impacts of the items discussed above.

Financial Condition

In 2024, we ended the year with total debt, net of cash, of $575.3 million and generated $289.9 million of operating cash resulting in $202.9 million of free cash flow (cash provided by operating activities less cash paid for capital expenditures). We expect our cash flow needs for fiscal year 2025 will be funded by cash generated from our operations as well as available borrowings under our Senior Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility (the “Facility”) as needed.

We have a portfolio of derivatives related to currencies, interest rates and commodities. We monitor our counterparties, and we only use those rated investment grade.

Liquidity

Our cash on hand at December 31, 2024 was $125.4 million, as compared to $227.0 million at December 31, 2023. Of the total cash on hand at December 31, 2024, $46.8 million was held by our foreign locations. As of December 31, 2024 total debt was $700.7 million, as compared to $699.5 million at December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2024, we were in compliance with all debt covenants.

 

On April 25, 2023, we entered into a new credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) to refinance the “Facility". Under the terms of the Credit Agreement the borrowing capacity is $750 million. The Facility matures in April 2028.

 

As of December 31, 2024, there were no outstanding borrowings under the Facility. The Credit Agreement permits us to issue letters of credit up to an aggregate amount of $50 million. Outstanding letters of credit reduce the amount available for borrowing under the Facility. As of December 31, 2024, there were no issued letters of credit under the Facility, resulting in undrawn availability under the Facility of $750 million.

For more information regarding the Facility, see Note 6, Debt, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

Short-term liquidity requirements consist primarily of normal recurring operating expenses and working capital needs, capital expenditures, dividend payments, debt obligations and debt service requirements. We expect to meet our short-term liquidity requirements through net cash from operating activities, cash on hand and the Facility. As of December 31, 2024, long-term liquidity requirements consist primarily of obligations under our long-term debt obligations. We do not have any significant required debt repayments until August 2025 when our 4.7% Senior Unsecured Notes are due.

 

34


 

The remaining authorization under the share repurchase program at December 31, 2024 was $234.9 million. On January 21, 2025, our Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.17 per share payable to stockholders of record as of February 7, 2025, with a payment date of February 14, 2025.

Operating Activities: We generated $289.9 million in cash from operating activities during 2024, an increase of $32.8 million from 2023. The increase in the current year was due to higher net income and lower use of working capital. Lower working capital for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily due to lower accounts receivable and higher accruals, partially offset by higher inventories.

Investing Activities: Net cash used for investing activities was $87.0 million in 2024 compared to $50.7 million in 2023. Capital expenditures for 2024 were $87.0 million compared to $108.2 million in 2023, which included $38.0 million for the acquisition of the land and building at our Amesbury, Massachusetts facility. 2023 also included net proceeds of $44.7 million from the sale of our 50% interest in the joint venture in Malaysia and $10.3 million from the sale of the Windsor, Colorado facility.

Financing Activities: Net cash used for financing activities was $301.7 million in 2024 as compared to $92.6 million in 2023. Borrowings and repayments under the Facility during 2024 were both $160 million. In 2023, borrowings were $103 million, while repayments were $128 million. Dividend payments to shareholders were $49.3 million and $42.2 million in the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Repurchases of common stock totaled $252.2 million and $30.1 million in the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Financial Obligations and Commitments: We had $0.1 million of current debt maturities as of December 31, 2024. The next significant scheduled debt maturity will not occur until August 2025 when our 4.7% Senior Unsecured Notes are due. In addition, certain sales and administrative offices, data processing equipment, vehicles and manufacturing equipment, land and facilities are leased under operating leases.

The following table summarizes the scheduled maturities as of December 31, 2024 of financial obligations and expiration dates of commitments for the years ended 2025 through 2029 and thereafter.

(In millions)

 

2025

 

 

2026

 

 

2027

 

 

2028

 

 

2029

 

 

Thereafter

 

 

Total

 

Senior unsecured credit facility due 2028

 

$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

 

 

4.7% senior notes due 2025

 

 

 

300.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

300.0

 

3.95% senior notes due 2027

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

400.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

400.0

 

Purchase obligations

 

 

 

15.1

 

 

 

 

11.2

 

 

 

 

8.9

 

 

 

 

6.2

 

 

 

 

5.5

 

 

 

 

42.0

 

 

 

 

88.9

 

Finance lease and other

 

 

 

0.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.1

 

Subtotal

 

$

 

315.2

 

 

$

 

11.2

 

 

$

 

408.9

 

 

$

 

6.2

 

 

$

 

5.5

 

 

$

 

42.0

 

 

$

 

789.0

 

Operating leases

 

 

 

6.7

 

 

 

 

6.0

 

 

 

 

5.0

 

 

 

 

4.2

 

 

 

 

2.5

 

 

 

 

3.9

 

 

 

 

28.3

 

Total financial obligations

 

$

 

321.9

 

 

$

 

17.2

 

 

$

 

413.9

 

 

$

 

10.4

 

 

$

 

8.0

 

 

$

 

45.9

 

 

$

 

817.3

 

Interest payments

 

 

 

27.3

 

 

 

 

17.9

 

 

 

 

3.2

 

 

 

 

0.4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

48.8

 

Estimated benefit plan contributions

 

 

 

18.0

 

 

 

 

2.2

 

 

 

 

2.3

 

 

 

 

2.4

 

 

 

 

1.5

 

 

 

 

9.0

 

 

 

 

35.4

 

Total commitments

 

$

 

367.2

 

 

$

 

37.3

 

 

$

 

419.4

 

 

$

 

13.2

 

 

$

 

9.5

 

 

$

 

54.9

 

 

$

 

901.5

 

 

As of December 31, 2024, we had $2.8 million of unrecognized tax benefits. This represents tax benefits associated with various tax positions taken, or expected to be taken, on domestic tax returns that have not been recognized in our financial statements due to uncertainty regarding their resolution. The resolution or settlement of these tax positions with the taxing authorities is at various stages.

For further information regarding our financial obligations and commitments, see Notes 6, 7, 8 and 16 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

 

The Company uses non-GAAP financial measures, including sales and expenses measured in constant dollars (prior year sales and expenses measured at current year exchange rates); operating income, net income and diluted earnings per share adjusted for items included in operating expense and non-operating expenses; and free cash flow. Management believes these non-GAAP measures are meaningful to investors because they provide a view of Hexcel with respect to ongoing operating results and comparisons to prior periods. These adjustments can represent significant charges or credits that we believe are important to an understanding of Hexcel’s overall operating results in the periods presented. Such non-GAAP measures are not determined in accordance with generally accepted

35


 

accounting principles and should not be viewed in isolation or as an alternative to or substitutes for GAAP measures of performance. Our calculation of these measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies, and the measures exclude financial information that some may consider important in evaluating our performance. Reconciliations to adjusted operating income, adjusted net income, adjusted diluted net income per share and free cash flow are provided below.

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

GAAP operating income

 

$

186.1

 

 

$

215.3

 

 

Other operating expense (1)

 

 

50.0

 

 

 

1.4

 

 

Adjusted operating income (Non-GAAP)

 

$

236.1

 

 

$

216.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

2024

 

2023

(In millions, except per diluted share data)

 

Net
Income

 

 

EPS

 

 

 

Net
Income

 

 

EPS

 

 

GAAP net income

 

$

132.1

 

 

$

1.59

 

 

 

$

105.7

 

 

$

1.24

 

 

Other operating expense, net of tax (1)

 

 

40.5

 

 

 

0.49

 

 

 

 

1.0

 

 

 

0.01

 

 

Other expense, net of tax (2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

57.4

 

 

 

0.67

 

 

Tax benefit (3)

 

 

(4.1

)

 

 

(0.05

)

 

 

 

(9.3

)

 

 

(0.11

)

 

Adjusted net income (Non-GAAP)

 

$

168.5

 

 

$

2.03

 

 

 

$

154.8

 

 

$

1.81

 

 

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

$

289.9

 

 

$

257.1

 

Less: Capital expenditures

 

 

(87.0

)

 

 

(108.2

)

Free cash flow (Non-GAAP)

 

$

202.9

 

 

$

148.9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1)
The year ended December 31, 2024 included asset impairments and other charges primarily associated with the announced potential divestiture for our Neumarkt, Austria plant. The year ended December 31, 2024 also included restructuring costs. The year ended December 31, 2023 included the net gain of $0.8 million from the sale of the Windsor, Colorado facility and restructuring costs.
(2)
The year ended December 31, 2023 included a non-cash settlement charge of $70.5 million related to the completion of the buy-out of the UK pension plan and a gain of $1.9 million related to excess assets from the UK pension plan that reverted back to the Company. 2023 also included a charge of $3.0 million on the sale of our 50% interest in the joint venture in Malaysia.
(3)
The year ended December 31, 2024 included benefits associated with our R&D expenditures, partially offset by the recording of a valuation allowance in a foreign jurisdiction. The year ended December 31, 2024 also included a discrete tax benefit related to adjustments to our provision based on the finalization of prior year tax returns. The year ended December 31, 2023 included a discrete tax benefit primarily related to adjustments to our provision based on the finalization of prior year tax returns.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared based upon the selection and application of accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, which require us to make estimates and assumptions about future events that affect amounts reported in our financial statements and accompanying notes. Future events and their effects cannot be determined with absolute certainty. Therefore, the determination of estimates requires the exercise of judgment. Actual results could differ from those estimates, and any such differences may be significant to the financial statements. The accounting policies below are those we believe are the most critical to the preparation of our financial statements and require the most difficult, subjective, and complex judgments. Our other accounting policies are described in the accompanying Notes to the consolidated financial statements of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Income Taxes

We have operations in several countries throughout the world where we are subject to income and similar taxes. The estimation of income tax amounts often involves the interpretation of complex regulations and tax laws. In addition, estimations also must consider the impact foreign taxes may have on domestic taxes, as well as the analysis of the realizability of deferred tax assets, tax audit

36


 

findings and uncertain tax positions. Although we believe our tax accruals are adequate, differences may occur in the future, depending on the resolution of pending and new tax matters.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. A valuation allowance is provided against a deferred tax asset when it is more likely than not that all or some portion of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. The determination of the required valuation allowance and the amount, if any, of deferred tax assets to be recognized involves significant estimates regarding the timing and amount of reversal of taxable temporary differences, future taxable income, and the implementation of tax planning strategies. In particular, ASC 740, Income Taxes, requires that all available positive and negative evidence be weighed to determine whether a valuation allowance should be recorded.

We are subject to taxation in the U.S. and various states and foreign jurisdictions. The amount of income taxes we pay are subject to ongoing audits by federal, state and foreign tax authorities, which may result in proposed assessments. Our estimate for the potential outcome for any uncertain tax issue is judgmental. We assess our income tax positions, and record tax benefits for all years subject to examination based upon our evaluation of the facts, circumstances and information available at the reporting date. We recognize interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of interest expense and penalties as a component of income tax expense in the consolidated statements of operations. If we do not believe that it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will be sustained, no tax benefit is recognized. As of December 31, 2024, we had uncertain tax positions for which it is reasonably possible that amounts of unrecognized tax benefits could significantly change over the next year. These uncertain tax positions relate to our tax returns from 2014 onward.

For further discussion, see Note 9, Income taxes, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Retirement and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans

We maintain qualified defined benefit retirement plans covering certain current and former European employees, as well as nonqualified defined benefit retirement plans, and retirement savings plans covering certain eligible U.S. and European employees and participate in a union sponsored multi-employer pension plan covering certain U.S. employees with union affiliations. In addition, we provide certain postretirement health care and life insurance benefits to eligible U.S. retirees. We have defined benefit retirement plans in Belgium, France, and Austria covering certain employees of our subsidiaries in those countries. During the fourth quarter of 2023, we finalized the buy-out of the UK plan and we no longer have any obligations relative to the plan.

Under the retirement savings plans, eligible U.S. employees can contribute up to 75% of their compensation to an individual 401(k) retirement savings account. We make matching contributions equal to 50% of employee contributions, not to exceed 3% of employee compensation.

We use actuarial models to account for our pension and postretirement plans, which require the use of certain assumptions, such as the expected long-term rate of return, discount rate, rate of compensation increase, healthcare cost trend rates, and retirement and mortality rates, to determine the net periodic costs of such plans. These assumptions are reviewed and set annually at the beginning of each year. In addition, these models use an “attribution approach” that generally spreads individual events, such as plan amendments and changes in actuarial assumptions, over the service lives of the employees in the plan.

We use our actual return experience, future expectations of long-term investment returns, and our actual and targeted asset allocations to develop our expected rate of return assumptions used in the net periodic cost calculations of our funded European defined benefit retirement plans. Due to the difficulty involved in predicting the market performance of certain assets, there will almost always be a difference in any given year between our expected return on plan assets and the actual return. Following the attribution approach, each year’s difference is amortized over a number of future years. Over time, the expected long-term returns are designed to approximate the actual long-term returns and therefore result in a pattern of income and expense recognition that more closely matches the pattern of the services provided by the employees.

We annually set our discount rate assumption for retirement-related benefits accounting to reflect the rates available on high-quality, fixed-income debt instruments. The rate of compensation increase, which is another significant assumption used in the actuarial model for pension accounting, is determined by us based upon our long-term plans for such increases and assumed inflation. For the postretirement health care and life insurance benefits plan, we review external data and its historical trends for health care costs to determine the health care cost trend rates. Retirement and mortality rates are based primarily on actual plan experience.

Actual results that differ from our assumptions are accumulated and amortized over future periods and therefore, generally affect the net periodic costs and recorded obligations in such future periods. While we believe that the assumptions used are appropriate, significant changes in economic or other conditions, employee demographics, retirement and mortality rates, and investment performance may materially impact such costs and obligations.

37


 

For more information regarding our pension and other postretirement benefit plans, see Note 8, Retirement and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Long-Lived Assets and Goodwill

We have significant long-lived assets. We review these assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. The assessment of possible impairment is based upon our ability to recover the carrying value of the assets from the estimated undiscounted future net cash flows, before interest and taxes, of the related operations. If these cash flows are less than the carrying value of such assets, an impairment loss is recognized for the difference between estimated fair value and carrying value. The measurement of impairment requires estimates of these cash flows and fair value. The calculation of fair value is determined based on discounted cash flows. In determining fair value, a considerable amount of judgment is required to determine discount rates, market premiums, financial forecasts, and asset lives.

In addition, we review goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level at least annually, and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that goodwill might be impaired. We have four reporting units within the Composite Materials segment, each of which are components that constitute a business for which discrete financial information is available and for which appropriate management regularly reviews the operating results. Within the Engineered Products segment, the reporting unit is the segment as it comprises only a single component.

Commitments and Contingencies

We are involved in litigation, investigations and claims arising out of the normal conduct of our business, including those relating to commercial transactions, environmental, employment and health and safety matters. We estimate and accrue our liabilities resulting from such matters based upon a variety of factors, including the stage of the proceeding; potential settlement value; assessments by internal and external counsel; and assessments by environmental engineers and consultants of potential environmental liabilities and remediation costs. We believe we have adequately accrued for these potential liabilities; however, facts and circumstances may change, such as new developments, or a change in approach, including a change in settlement strategy or in an environmental remediation plan, or in our existing insurance coverage, that could cause the actual liability to exceed the estimates, or may require adjustments to the recorded liability balances in the future. For further discussion, see Note 16, Commitments and Contingencies, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

Market Risks

As a result of our global operating and financing activities, we are exposed to various market risks that may affect our consolidated results of operations and financial position. These market risks include, but are not limited to, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, which impact the U.S. dollar value of transactions, assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and fluctuations in interest rates, which impact the amount of interest we must pay on certain debt instruments. Our primary currency exposures are in Europe, where we have significant business activities. To a lesser extent, we are also exposed to fluctuations in the prices of certain commodities, such as electricity, natural gas, acrylonitrile, aluminum, and certain chemicals. In addition, we have several contracts with both suppliers and customers that contain pricing adjustments based on the price of oil outside of a specified band.

We attempt to net individual exposures, when feasible, taking advantage of natural offsets. In addition, we employ or may employ interest rate, commodity and foreign currency financial instruments for the purpose of hedging certain specifically identified interest rate, commodity, and currency exposures. The use of these financial instruments is intended to mitigate some of the risks associated with fluctuations in interest rates, commodities and currency exchange rates but does not eliminate such risks. We do not use financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes.

Interest Rate Risks

Outstanding balances that exist under our Facility are included in our long-term debt bears interest at variable rates. From time to time we have entered into interest rate swap agreements to change the underlying mix of variable and fixed interest rate debt. These interest rate swap agreements have modified the percentage of total debt that is exposed to changes in market interest rates. Assuming a 10% favorable and a 10% unfavorable change in the underlying weighted average interest rates of our variable rate debt and swap agreements, interest expense for 2024 of $31.2 million would not be materially impacted.

Foreign Currency Exchange Risks

We operated twelve manufacturing facilities in Europe, Asia and Africa which generated approximately 50% of our 2024 consolidated net sales. Our European business activities primarily involve three major currencies — the U.S. dollar, the British pound

38


 

sterling, and the Euro. We also conduct business and sell products to customers throughout the world. Most of the sales in these countries are denominated in U.S. dollars and they have local currency expenses. Currency risk for the Asia and Africa locations is not considered material.

In 2024, our European subsidiaries had third-party sales of $0.9 billion of which approximately 68% were denominated in U.S. dollars, 31% were denominated in Euros and 1% were denominated in British pounds sterling. While we seek to reduce the exposure of our European subsidiaries to their sales in non-functional currencies through the purchase of raw materials in the same currency as that of the product sale, the net contribution of these sales to cover the costs of the subsidiary in its functional currency will vary with changes in foreign exchange rates, and as a result, so will vary the European subsidiaries’ percentage margins and profitability. For revenues denominated in the functional currency of the subsidiary, changes in foreign currency exchange rates increase or decrease the value of these revenues in U.S. dollars, but do not affect the profitability of the subsidiary in its functional currency. The value of our investments in these countries could be impacted by changes in currency exchange rates over time and could impact our ability to profitably compete in international markets.

We attempt to net individual functional currency positions of our various European subsidiaries, to take advantage of natural offsets and reduce the need to employ foreign currency forward exchange contracts. We attempt to hedge some, but not necessarily all, of the net exposures of our European subsidiaries resulting from sales they make in non-functional currencies. The benefit of such hedges varies with time and the foreign exchange rates at which the hedges are set. For example, when the Euro strengthened against the U.S. dollar, the benefit of new hedges placed was much less than the value of hedges they replaced that were entered into when the U.S. dollar was stronger. We may place additional foreign currency hedges when the dollar strengthens against the Euro or British pound. We do not seek to hedge the value of our European subsidiaries’ functional currency sales and profitability in U.S. dollars. We also enter into short-term foreign currency forward exchange contracts, usually with a term of ninety days or less, to hedge net currency exposures. Any unrealized gain or loss on these foreign currency forward exchange contracts would be offset by corresponding decreases or increases, respectively, of the underlying transaction being hedged.

We have performed a sensitivity analysis as of December 31, 2024 using a modeling technique that measures the changes in the fair values arising from a hypothetical 10% adverse movement in the levels of foreign currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar with all other variables held constant. The analysis includes all of our foreign currency hedge contracts. The sensitivity analysis indicated that a hypothetical 10% adverse movement in foreign currency exchange rates would have an approximately $2.7 million impact on our 2024 operating income. However, it should be noted that over time as the adverse movement (in our case a weaker dollar as compared to the Euro or the British pound sterling) continues and new hedges are layered in at the adverse rate, the impact would be more significant. For example, had we not had any hedges in place for 2024, a 10% adverse movement would have reduced our operating income by approximately $28.9 million.

Foreign Currency Forward Exchange Contracts

A number of our European subsidiaries are exposed to the impact of exchange rate volatility between the U.S. dollar and the subsidiaries’ functional currencies, being either the Euro or the British pound sterling. We entered into contracts to exchange U.S. dollars for Euros and British pound sterling through June 2027. The aggregate notional amount of these contracts was $386.4 million at December 31, 2024. The purpose of these contracts is to hedge a portion of the forecasted transactions of European subsidiaries under long-term sales contracts with certain customers. These contracts are expected to provide us with a more balanced matching of future cash receipts and expenditures by currency, thereby reducing our exposure to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. For the three years ended December 31, 2024, hedge ineffectiveness was immaterial. Cash flows associated with these contracts are classified within net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations.

For further discussion, see Note 15, Derivative Financial Instruments, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

39


 

Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

Description

 

Page

Management’s Responsibility for Consolidated Financial Statements

 

41

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

41

Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

42

Consolidated Financial Statements of Hexcel Corporation and Subsidiaries:

 

 

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2024 and 2023

 

45

Consolidated Statements of Operations for each of the three years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022

 

46

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for each of the three years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022

 

46

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for each of the three years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022

 

47

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for each of the three years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022

 

48

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

 

49

 

 

 

 

 

 

40


 

Management’s Responsibility for Consolidated Financial Statements

Hexcel management has prepared and is responsible for the consolidated financial statements and the related financial data contained in this report. These financial statements, which include estimates, were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Management uses its best judgment to ensure that such statements reflect fairly the consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company.

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors reviews and monitors the consolidated financial statements and accounting policies of Hexcel. These financial statements and policies are reviewed regularly by management and such financial statements are audited by our independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP. The Audit Committee, composed solely of outside directors, meets periodically, separately, and jointly, with management and the independent registered public accounting firm.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Hexcel management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the company’s principal executive and principal financial officers and effected by the company’s board of directors, management and other personnel to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and includes those policies and procedures that:

pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company;
provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and
provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Hexcel management has assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013). Based on our assessment, management concluded that, as of December 31, 2024, our internal control over financial reporting was effective.

The effectiveness of Hexcel’s internal control over financial reporting, as of December 31, 2024, has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in its report that appears on page 43.

 

41


 

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of Hexcel Corporation

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Hexcel Corporation and Subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), stockholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2024, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2024, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

 

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) and our report dated February 5, 2025 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

 

Revenue Recognition

Description of the Matter

The Company’s revenue was $1,903 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. As explained in Notes 1 and 11 to the consolidated financial statements, revenue is predominately derived from a single performance obligation under long-term agreements with customers and pricing is fixed and determinable. The majority of revenue is recognized at a point in time when the customer has obtained control of the product.

The principal consideration for our determination that performing procedures relating to revenue recognition is a critical audit matter is the extensive audit effort in performing procedures related to the Company’s revenue recognition.

42


 

How We Addressed the Matter in Our Audit

We obtained an understanding, evaluated the design, and tested the operating effectiveness of controls that address the risks of material misstatement relating to revenue recognition.

Our procedures included, among others, (i) assessing the completeness, accuracy, and existence of revenue recognized by testing the correlation of revenue to accounts receivable and cash, (ii) testing a sample of revenue transactions by obtaining and inspecting source documents, including purchase orders, invoices, proof of shipment and cash receipts and (iii) confirming a sample of outstanding customer invoice balances, and for confirmations not returned, obtaining and inspecting source documents, including invoices, proof of shipment, and subsequent cash receipts, where applicable. We also evaluated the Company’s revenue recognition disclosures included in Notes 1 and 11.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

 

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2016.

 

Stamford, Connecticut

February 5, 2025

43


 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of Hexcel Corporation

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited Hexcel Corporation and Subsidiaries internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). In our opinion, Hexcel Corporation and Subsidiaries (the Company) maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on the COSO criteria.

 

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), stockholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2024, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “ consolidated financial statements”) and our report dated February 5, 2025 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Basis for Opinion

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

 

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

 

Stamford, Connecticut

February 5, 2025

 

44


 

Hexcel Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Balance Sheets

As of December 31,

(In millions)

 

2024

 

2023

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

125.4

 

$

227.0

 

Accounts receivable, net

 

 

212.0

 

 

234.7

 

Inventories

 

 

356.2

 

 

334.4

 

Contract assets

 

 

29.8

 

 

25.1

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

 

50.6

 

 

43.0

 

Assets held for sale

 

 

7.5

 

 

 

Total current assets

 

 

781.5

 

 

864.2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Property, plant and equipment

 

 

3,163.1

 

 

3,195.5

 

Less accumulated depreciation

 

 

(1,566.4

)

 

(1,516.8

)

Property, plant and equipment, net

 

 

1,596.7

 

 

1,678.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goodwill and other intangible assets

 

 

237.0

 

 

251.3

 

Investments in affiliated companies

 

 

5.0

 

 

5.0

 

Other assets

 

 

105.4

 

 

119.3

 

Total assets

 

$

2,725.6

 

$

2,918.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity

 

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

Short-term borrowings

 

$

0.1

 

$

0.1

 

Accounts payable

 

 

142.3

 

 

159.1

 

Accrued compensation and benefits

 

 

99.7

 

 

75.7

 

Financial instruments

 

 

8.0

 

 

6.0

 

Accrued liabilities

 

 

99.2

 

 

75.0

 

Liabilities held for sale

 

 

4.2

 

 

 

Total current liabilities

 

 

353.5

 

 

315.9

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long-term debt

 

 

700.6

 

 

699.4

 

Retirement obligations

 

 

31.9

 

 

42.6

 

Deferred income taxes

 

 

81.2

 

 

110.6

 

Other non-current liabilities

 

 

30.5

 

 

33.5

 

Total liabilities

 

 

1,197.7

 

 

1,202.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stockholders' equity:

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock, $0.01 par value, 200.0 shares authorized, 111.6 shares and 110.8 shares
   issued at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively

 

 

1.1

 

 

1.1

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

 

970.0

 

 

936.8

 

Retained earnings

 

 

2,251.5

 

 

2,168.7

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

 

(115.0

)

 

(74.1

)

 

 

3,107.6

 

 

3,032.5

 

Less – Treasury stock, at cost, 30.6 shares at December 31, 2024 and 26.7 shares
   at December 31, 2023

 

 

(1,579.7

)

 

(1,316.0

)

Total stockholders' equity

 

 

1,527.9

 

 

1,716.5

 

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

 

$

2,725.6

 

$

2,918.5

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

 

45


 

Hexcel Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Operations

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

(In millions, except per share data)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

Net sales

 

$

1,903.0

 

 

$

1,789.0

 

 

$

1,577.7

 

Cost of sales

 

 

1,433.2

 

 

 

1,355.8

 

 

 

1,220.6

 

Gross margin

 

 

469.8

 

 

 

433.2

 

 

 

357.1

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

 

176.6

 

 

 

163.8

 

 

 

148.0

 

Research and technology expenses

 

 

57.1

 

 

 

52.7

 

 

 

45.8

 

Other operating expense (income)

 

 

50.0

 

 

 

1.4

 

 

 

(11.9

)

Operating income

 

 

186.1

 

 

 

215.3

 

 

 

175.2

 

Interest expense, net

 

 

31.2

 

 

 

34.0

 

 

 

36.2

 

Other expense (income)

 

 

-

 

 

 

71.6

 

 

 

(10.8

)

 Income before income taxes, and equity in earnings from affiliated companies

 

 

154.9

 

 

 

109.7

 

 

 

149.8

 

Income tax expense

 

 

22.8

 

 

 

12.1

 

 

 

31.6

 

Income before equity in earnings

 

 

132.1

 

 

 

97.6

 

 

 

118.2

 

Equity in earnings from affiliated companies

 

 

 

 

 

8.1

 

 

 

8.1

 

Net income

 

$

132.1

 

 

$

105.7

 

 

$

126.3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic net income per common share:

 

$

1.61

 

 

$

1.25

 

 

$

1.50

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diluted net income per common share:

 

$

1.59

 

 

$

1.24

 

 

$

1.49

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted-average common shares:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

 

82.3

 

 

 

84.6

 

 

 

84.4

 

Diluted

 

 

83.0

 

 

 

85.5

 

 

 

85.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hexcel Corporation and Subsidiaries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

Net Income

 

$

132.1

 

 

$

105.7

 

 

$

126.3

 

Currency translation adjustments

 

 

(29.1

)

 

 

29.1

 

 

 

(48.2

)

Net unrealized pension and other benefit actuarial
   loss and prior service credits (net of tax)

 

 

(1.7

)

 

 

50.1

 

 

 

12.6

 

Net unrealized gain (loss) on financial instruments (net of tax)

 

 

(10.1

)

 

 

21.1

 

 

 

(12.3

)

Total other comprehensive (loss) income

 

 

(40.9

)

 

 

100.3

 

 

 

(47.9

)

Comprehensive income

 

$

91.2

 

 

$

206.0

 

 

$

78.4

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

 

46


 

Hexcel Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity

For the Years Ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022

 

 

 

Common Stock

 

 

Accumulated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional

 

 

 

 

 

Other

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paid-In

 

 

Retained

 

 

Comprehensive

 

 

Treasury

 

 

Stockholders'

 

(In millions)

 

Par

 

 

Capital

 

 

Earnings

 

 

Loss

 

 

Stock

 

 

Equity

 

Balance, December 31, 2021

 

$

1.1

 

 

$

878.6

 

 

$

2,012.5

 

 

$

(126.5

)

 

$

(1,280.2

)

 

$

1,485.5

 

Net income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

126.3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

126.3

 

Dividends on common stock ($0.40 per share)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(33.9

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(33.9

)

Change in other comprehensive loss – net of tax

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(47.9

)

 

 

 

 

 

(47.9

)

Stock-based activity

 

 

 

 

 

26.4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2.2

)

 

 

24.2

 

Balance, December 31, 2022

 

$

1.1

 

 

$

905.0

 

 

$

2,104.9

 

 

$

(174.4

)

 

$

(1,282.4

)

 

$

1,554.2

 

Net income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

105.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

105.7

 

Dividends on common stock ($0.50 per share)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(41.9

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(41.9

)

Repurchases of common stock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(30.1

)

 

 

(30.1

)

Change in other comprehensive income – net of tax

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

100.3

 

 

 

 

 

 

100.3

 

Stock-based activity

 

 

 

 

 

31.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3.5

)

 

 

28.3

 

Balance, December 31, 2023

 

$

1.1

 

 

$

936.8

 

 

$

2,168.7

 

 

$

(74.1

)

 

$

(1,316.0

)

 

$

1,716.5

 

Net income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

132.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

132.1

 

Dividends on common stock ($0.60 per share)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(49.3

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(49.3

)

Repurchases of common stock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(252.2

)

 

 

(252.2

)

Change in other comprehensive loss – net of tax

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(40.9

)

 

 

 

 

 

(40.9

)

Stock-based activity

 

 

 

 

 

33.2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(11.5

)

 

 

21.7

 

Year Ended December 31, 2024

 

$

1.1

 

 

$

970.0

 

 

$

2,251.5

 

 

$

(115.0

)

 

$

(1,579.7

)

 

$

1,527.9

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

 

47


 

Hexcel Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

Cash flows from operating activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

132.1

 

 

$

105.7

 

 

$

126.3

 

Reconciliation to net cash provided by operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

124.0

 

 

 

124.8

 

 

 

126.2

 

Amortization of deferred financing costs and debt discount

 

 

0.4

 

 

 

0.6

 

 

 

0.7

 

Deferred income taxes

 

 

(16.7

)

 

 

(32.7

)

 

 

(3.1

)

Equity in earnings from affiliated companies

 

 

 

 

 

(8.1

)

 

 

(8.1

)

Stock-based compensation

 

 

22.2

 

 

 

20.9

 

 

 

20.0

 

Restructuring expenses, net of payments

 

 

 

 

 

(4.4

)

 

 

(0.7

)

Pension settlement

 

 

 

 

 

70.5

 

 

 

 

Gain on sale of assets

 

 

 

 

 

(0.8

)

 

 

(19.4

)

Impairment of assets

 

 

28.9

 

 

 

3.1

 

 

 

1.6

 

Loss (gain) on sale of investments

 

 

 

 

 

3.0

 

 

 

(0.3

)

Changes in assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Decrease (increase) in accounts receivable

 

 

10.7

 

 

 

(8.9

)

 

 

(62.8

)

Increase in inventories

 

 

(34.0

)

 

 

(8.9

)

 

 

(82.4

)

(Increase) decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

 

(6.7

)

 

 

2.6

 

 

 

(8.3

)

Increase (decrease) in accounts payable/accrued liabilities

 

 

29.2

 

 

 

(12.2

)

 

 

80.8

 

Other  net

 

 

(0.2

)

 

 

1.9

 

 

 

2.6

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

 

289.9

 

 

 

257.1

 

 

 

173.1

 

Cash flows from investing activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital expenditures

 

 

(87.0

)

 

 

(108.2

)

 

 

(76.3

)

Proceeds from sale of assets

 

 

 

 

 

10.3

 

 

 

21.2

 

Proceeds from sale of investments

 

 

 

 

 

47.2

 

 

 

0.5

 

Net cash used for investing activities

 

 

(87.0

)

 

 

(50.7

)

 

 

(54.6

)

Cash flows from financing activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Borrowing from senior unsecured credit facility - 2028

 

 

160.0

 

 

 

98.0

 

 

 

 

Repayment of senior unsecured credit facility - 2028

 

 

(160.0

)

 

 

(98.0

)

 

 

 

Borrowing from senior unsecured credit facility - 2024

 

 

 

 

 

65.0

 

 

 

50.0

 

Repayment of senior unsecured credit facility - 2024

 

 

 

 

 

(90.0

)

 

 

(150.0

)

Repayment of finance lease obligation and other debt, net

 

 

0.3

 

 

 

(0.2

)

 

 

(0.6

)

Issuance costs related to senior credit facility

 

 

 

 

 

(2.5

)

 

 

 

Dividends paid

 

 

(49.3

)

 

 

(42.2

)

 

 

(33.7

)

Repurchase of stock

 

 

(252.2

)

 

 

(30.1

)

 

 

 

Activity under stock plans

 

 

(0.5

)

 

 

7.4

 

 

 

4.3

 

Net cash used for financing activities

 

 

(301.7

)

 

 

(92.6

)

 

 

(130.0

)

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

 

 

(2.8

)

 

 

1.2

 

 

 

(4.2

)

Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents

 

 

(101.6

)

 

 

115.0

 

 

 

(15.7

)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

 

 

227.0

 

 

 

112.0

 

 

 

127.7

 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

 

$

125.4

 

 

$

227.0

 

 

$

112.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplemental data:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash paid during the year for:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest, net of capitalized interest

 

$

33.5

 

 

$

34.6

 

 

$

35.4

 

Income Taxes

 

$

42.2

 

 

$

59.1

 

 

$

35.9

 

Accrual basis additions to property, plant and equipment

 

$

81.1

 

 

$

121.6

 

 

$

69.8

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

48


 

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

 

Note 1 — Significant Accounting Policies

Nature of Operations

Hexcel Corporation and its subsidiaries (herein referred to as “Hexcel”, “the Company”, “we”, “us”, or “our”), is a global leader in advanced lightweight composites technology. We propel the future of flight, energy generation, transportation, and recreation through excellence in providing innovative high-performance material solutions that are lighter, stronger and tougher, helping to create a better world for us all. Our broad product range includes carbon fiber, specialty reinforcements, prepregs and other fiber-reinforced matrix materials, honeycomb, resins, engineered core and composite structures for use in commercial aerospace, space and defense, and industrial applications.

We serve international markets through manufacturing facilities, sales offices and representatives located in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, India, and Africa. We also had a presence in Malaysia where we were a partner in a joint venture which manufactures composite structures for Commercial Aerospace applications. In December 2023, we sold our 50% interest in the joint venture and received net proceeds of approximately $44.7 million and recorded a loss on the sale of $3.0 million (including the write-off of approximately $9.0 million in currency translation adjustments) which was included in Other expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Hexcel Corporation and its subsidiaries after elimination of all intercompany accounts, transactions, and profits. Results for the years ended 2023 included our 50% equity ownership investment in the joint venture in Malaysia which was accounted for using the equity method of accounting. As mentioned above, we sold our interest in the joint venture in December 2023.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared by us pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and are in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). Our fiscal year end is December 31. Unless otherwise stated, all years and dates refer to our fiscal year.

Assets and Liabilities Held for Sale

During the fourth quarter of 2024, the Company announced it was exploring strategic options for its operations in Austria and is undergoing a process to find a suitable successor for the Neumarkt plant. The products produced at our Neumarkt, Austria plant include those for the wind market. However, over the last several years, the wind energy market has moved away from using Hexcel’s glass prepreg products, resulting in the low volumes we are selling today.

As of December 31, 2024, the assets and liabilities of the Austria operations have been classified as held for sale and an impairment charge was recorded to other operating expense to reduce the carrying amount of the investment to the estimated fair value. The table below presents the carrying amounts of the assets and liabilities potentially included as part of the expected sale:

 

 

December 31,

 

(In millions)

 

2024

 

Accounts receivable

 

$

6.2

 

Inventories

 

 

1.3

 

Assets held for sale

 

$

7.5

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts payable

 

$

2.4

 

Accrued liabilities

 

 

0.9

 

Other non-current liabilities

 

 

0.9

 

Liabilities held for sale

 

$

4.2

 

Use of Estimates

Preparation of the accompanying consolidated financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the

49


 

reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased. Our cash equivalents are held in money market investments with strong sponsor organizations which are monitored on a continuous basis.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, with cost determined using a standard rate per unit of finished goods when the plant is operating at normal or planned capacity. Inventory is reported at its estimated net realizable value based upon our historical experience with inventory becoming obsolete due to age, changes in technology and other factors. Inventory cost consists of materials, labor, and manufacturing related overhead associated with the purchase and production of inventories.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment, including capitalized interest applicable to major project expenditures, is recorded at cost. Asset and accumulated depreciation accounts are eliminated for dispositions, with resulting gains or losses reflected in earnings. Depreciation of plant and equipment is provided generally using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the various assets. The estimated useful lives range from 10 to 40 years for buildings and improvements and from 3 to 25 years for machinery and equipment. Repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred, while major replacements and betterments are capitalized and depreciated over the remaining useful life of the related asset.

Leases

The Company regularly enters into operating leases for certain buildings, equipment, parcels of land, and vehicles and accounts for such leases under the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 842, accounting for leases. Accordingly, we capitalize all agreements with terms for more than one year, where a right of use asset was identified. Generally, amounts capitalized represent the present value of minimum lease payments over the term, and the duration is equivalent to the base agreement, however, management uses certain assumptions when determining the value and duration of leases. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the probability of renewing a lease term, certain future events impacting lease payments, as well as fair values not explicit in an agreement. Such assumptions impacted the duration of many of our building leases, as well as certain of our equipment leases. In addition, we elected certain expedients, such as the election to capitalize lease and non-lease components of an agreement as a single component for purposes of simplicity, with the exception of those related to equipment and machinery.

In determining the lease renewal, management considers the need and ability to substitute a given asset, as well as certain conditions such as related contractual obligations to our customers (i.e., a contractual obligation of a customer requiring certain manufacturing proximities). In determining fair value, management considers the stand-alone value of an asset in an ordinary market as well as incurring certain costs to terminate an agreement. Most of our leases do not include variable payments but contain scheduled escalations. Any lease payments tied to certain future indexes are adjusted on a go-forward basis as those indexes become known.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the identifiable net assets of an acquired business. Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level annually, in the fourth quarter, or when events or changes in circumstances indicate that goodwill might be impaired. The Company performed a qualitative assessment (“Step Zero”) and determined that it was more likely than not that the fair values of our reporting units were not less than their carrying values and it was not necessary to perform a quantitative goodwill impairment test.

We amortize the cost of other intangibles over their estimated useful lives unless such lives are deemed indefinite. We have indefinite lived intangible assets which are not amortized but are tested annually for impairment during the fourth quarter of each year, or when events or changes in circumstances indicate the potential for impairment. If the carrying amount of the indefinite lived intangible exceeds the fair value, it is written down to its fair value, which is calculated using a discounted cash flow model.

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Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company reviews long-lived assets, including property, plant and equipment and definite-lived intangible assets, for impairment whenever changes in circumstances or events may indicate that the carrying amounts are not recoverable. These indicators include, but are not limited to: a significant decrease in the market price of a long-lived asset, a significant change in the extent or manner in which a long-lived asset is used or its physical condition, a significant adverse change in legal factors or business climate that could affect the value of a long-lived asset, an accumulation of costs significantly in excess of the amount expected for the acquisition or construction of a long-lived asset, a current period operating or cash flow loss combined with a history of losses associated with a long-lived asset and a current expectation that, more likely than not, a long-lived asset will be sold or otherwise disposed of significantly before the end of its previously estimated life.

Software Development Costs

Costs incurred to develop software for internal use and for software accessed through the cloud in a hosting arrangement are accounted for under ASC 350-40, “Internal-Use Software.” All costs relating to the preliminary project stage and the post-implementation/operation stage are expensed as incurred. Costs incurred during the application development stage are capitalized and amortized over the useful life of the software or the noncancelable term of the hosting arrangement, which can range from three to ten years. The amortization of capitalized costs commences after testing has been completed, the software/module/component is ready for its intended use and is not dependent on the completion on any other modules/components.

Debt Financing Costs

Debt financing costs are deferred and amortized to interest expense over the life of the related debt. We capitalize financing fees related to our revolving credit facility and record them as a non-current asset in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Financing fees related to our bonds and notes are capitalized and recorded as a non-current contra liability in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. See Note 6, Debt, for further information on debt financing costs.

Share-Based Compensation

The fair value of Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”) is equal to the market price of our stock at date of grant and is amortized to expense ratably over the vesting period. Performance restricted stock units (“PRSUs”) are a form of RSUs in which the number of shares ultimately received depends on the extent to which we achieve a specified performance target. The fair value of the PRSU is based on the closing market price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant and is amortized straight-line over the total vesting period. A change in the performance measure expected to be achieved is recorded as an adjustment in the period in which the change occurs. We use the Black-Scholes model to calculate the fair value for all stock option grants, based on the inputs relevant on the date granted, such as the market value of our shares, prevailing risk-free interest rate, etc. The value of the portion of the award, after considering potential forfeitures, that is ultimately expected to vest is recognized as expense in our consolidated statements of operations on a straight-line basis over the requisite service periods. The value of RSUs, PRSUs and non-qualifying options awards for retirement eligible employees is expensed on the grant date as they are fully vested.

Currency Translation

The assets and liabilities of international subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars at year-end exchange rates, and revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates during the year. Cumulative currency translation adjustments are included in “accumulated other comprehensive loss” in the stockholders’ equity section of the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue is predominantly derived from a single performance obligation under long-term agreements with our customers and pricing is fixed and determinable. The majority of our revenue is recognized at a point in time when the customer has obtained control of the product. We have determined that individual purchase orders (“PO”), whose terms and conditions taken with a master agreement, create the revenue contracts which are generally short-term in nature. For those sales which are not tied to a long-term agreement, we generate a PO that is subject to our standard terms and conditions.

Revenue is recognized over time for customer contracts that contain a termination for convenience clause (“T for C") and where the products produced do not have an alternative use. For revenue recognized over time, we estimate the amount of revenue earned at

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a given point during the production cycle based on certain costs factors such as raw materials and labor incurred to date, plus a reasonable profit, which is known as the cost-to-cost input method.

Our revenue recognition policy recognizes the following practical expedients allowed under ASC 606:

Payment terms with our customers which are one year or less, are not considered a performance obligation.
Shipping and handling fees and costs incurred in connection with products sold are recorded in cost of sales in our Consolidated Statements of Operations and are not considered a performance obligation to our customers.
Our performance obligations on our orders are generally satisfied within one year from a given reporting date therefore we omit disclosure of the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations on open orders.

Product Warranty

We provide for an estimated amount of product warranty at the point a claim is probable and estimable. This estimated amount is provided by product and based on current facts, circumstances, and historical warranty experience.

Research and Technology

Significant costs are incurred each year in connection with research and technology (“R&T”) programs that are expected to contribute to future earnings. Such costs are related to the development and, in certain instances, the qualification and certification of new and improved products and their uses. R&T costs are expensed as incurred.

Income Taxes

 

We provide for income taxes using the asset and liability approach. Under this approach, deferred income tax assets and liabilities reflect tax net operating loss and credit carryforwards and the tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting and income tax purposes. Deferred tax assets require a valuation allowance when it is not more likely than not, based on the evaluation of positive and negative evidence, that the deferred tax assets will be realized. The realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the timing and magnitude of future taxable income prior to the expiration of the deferred tax assets’ attributes. When events and circumstances dictate, we evaluate the realizability of our deferred tax assets and the need for a valuation allowance by forecasting future taxable income. Investment tax credits are recorded on a flow-through basis, which reflects the credit in net income as a reduction of the provision for income taxes in the same period as the credit is realized for federal income tax purposes. In addition, we recognize interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of interest expense and penalties as a component of income tax expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject us to significant concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of trade accounts receivable. Two customers and their related subcontractors accounted for approximately 55% of our annual net sales in 2024, 54% in 2023 and 51% in 2022. Refer to Note 18 for further information on significant customers. We perform ongoing credit evaluations of our customers’ financial condition but generally do not require collateral or other security to support customer receivables. We establish an allowance for doubtful accounts based on factors surrounding the credit risk of specific customers, historical trends, and other financial information.

Derivative Financial Instruments

We use various financial instruments, including foreign currency forward exchange contracts, commodity, and interest rate agreements, to manage our exposure to market fluctuations by generating cash flows that offset, in relation to their amount and timing, the cash flows of certain foreign currency denominated transactions, commodities or underlying debt instruments. We mark our foreign exchange forward contracts to fair value. When the derivatives qualify, we designate our foreign currency forward exchange contracts as cash flow hedges against forecasted foreign currency denominated transactions and report the changes in fair value of the instruments in “accumulated other comprehensive loss” until the underlying hedged transactions affect income. We designate our interest rate agreements as fair value or cash flow hedges against specific debt instruments and recognize interest differentials as adjustments to interest expense as the differentials may occur; the fair value of the interest rate swaps is recorded in other assets or other non-current liabilities with a corresponding amount to “accumulated other comprehensive loss”. We do not use financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes.

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In accordance with accounting guidance, we recognize all derivatives as either assets or liabilities on our Consolidated Balance Sheets and measure those instruments at fair value.

Self-insurance

We are self-insured up to specific levels for certain medical and health insurance and workers’ compensation plans. Accruals are established based on actuarial assumptions and historical claim experience and include estimated amounts for incurred but not reported claims.

 

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures, which amends the reportable segment disclosure requirements, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. This standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. The Company adopted the standard during the fourth quarter of 2024. For further information see Note 18, Segment Information.

 

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 240), which modifies the rules on income tax disclosures to require entities to disclose (1) specific categories in the rate reconciliation, (2) the income or loss from continuing operations before income tax expense or benefit disaggregated between domestic and foreign and (3) income tax expense or benefit from continuing operations disaggregated by Federal, state, and foreign. The update also requires entities to disclose their income tax payments to various jurisdictions. This standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2025. We do not expect this new standard to have a significant impact to our disclosures.

 

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income-Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses, which requires entities to disclose additional information about specific expense categories in the notes to the financial statements on an interim and annual basis. This guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2027. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance on its consolidated financial statement disclosures.

 

Note 2 — Inventories

 

 

 

December 31,

 

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Raw materials

 

$

161.1

 

 

$

131.4

 

Work in progress

 

 

41.6

 

 

 

46.0

 

Finished goods

 

 

153.5

 

 

 

157.0

 

Total inventory

 

$

356.2

 

 

$

334.4

 

 

Note 3— Accounts Receivable

 

 

December 31,

 

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Accounts receivable

 

$

212.8

 

 

$

235.1

 

Allowance for doubtful accounts

 

 

(0.8

)

 

 

(0.4

)

Accounts receivable, net

 

$

212.0

 

 

$

234.7

 

Bad debt expense was immaterial for all years presented.

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Note 4 — Net Property, Plant and Equipment

 

 

 

December 31,

 

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Land

 

$

119.2

 

 

$

120.6

 

Buildings

 

 

727.5

 

 

 

733.7

 

Equipment

 

 

2,028.1

 

 

 

2,072.7

 

Construction in progress

 

 

285.5

 

 

 

265.0

 

Finance lease

 

 

2.8

 

 

 

3.5

 

Property, plant and equipment

 

 

3,163.1

 

 

 

3,195.5

 

Less accumulated depreciation

 

 

(1,566.4

)

 

 

(1,516.8

)

Net property, plant and equipment

 

$

1,596.7

 

 

$

1,678.7

 

 

Depreciation expense related to property, plant and equipment for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, was $117.5 million, $118.0 million and $119.4 million, respectively. Capitalized interest of $10.7 million, $6.7 million, and $12.3 million for 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively, was included in construction in progress. Capitalized costs associated with software accessed through a hosting arrangement were $17.6 million for 2024, $7.4 million for 2023, and were not material for 2022.

 

Note 5 — Goodwill and Purchased Intangible Assets

 

Changes in the carrying amount of gross goodwill and other purchased intangibles for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, by segment, are as follows:

 

(In millions)

 

Composite
Materials

 

 

Engineered
Products

 

 

Total

 

Balance as of December 31, 2022

 

$

86.9

 

 

$

169.1

 

 

$

256.0

 

Amortization expense

 

 

(1.8

)

 

 

(5.0

)

 

 

(6.8

)

Currency translation adjustments and other

 

 

2.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.1

 

Balance as of December 31, 2023

 

$

87.2

 

 

$

164.1

 

 

$

251.3

 

Amortization expense

 

 

(1.8

)

 

 

(5.0

)

 

 

(6.8

)

Intangible Asset Impairment

 

 

 

 

 

(5.2

)

 

 

(5.2

)

Currency translation adjustments and other

 

 

(2.3

)

 

 

 

 

 

(2.3

)

Balance as of December 31, 2024

 

$

83.1

 

 

$

153.9

 

 

$

237.0

 

 

We performed our annual impairment review of goodwill as of November 30, 2024 and determined that it was more likely than not that the fair values of our reporting units are above their carrying values and that no impairment exists. During the fourth quarter of 2024, we separately recorded an intangible asset impairment charge of $5.2 million as the net book value exceeded the expected fair value of these assets upon divestiture. The goodwill and intangible asset balances as of December 31, 2024 included $4.3 million of indefinite-lived intangible assets, $46.2 million of a definite-lived intangible asset (net of accumulated amortization of $51.3 million) and $186.5 million of goodwill. Of the $186.5 million of goodwill, $71.1 million is allocated to the Composite Materials segment and $115.4 million to the Engineered Products segment.

The weighted average remaining life of the finite lived intangible assets is 10 years. Amortization related to the definite lived intangible assets for the next five years and thereafter is as follows:

 

(In millions)

 

 

 

2025

 

$

5.5

 

2026

 

 

5.5

 

2027

 

 

5.4

 

2028

 

 

5.0

 

2029

 

 

5.0

 

Thereafter

 

 

19.8

 

Total

 

$

46.2

 

 

 

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Note 6– Debt

 

 

December 31,

 

 

December 31,

 

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Current portion of finance lease

 

$

0.1

 

 

$

0.1

 

Current portion of debt

 

 

0.1

 

 

 

0.1

 

Senior unsecured credit facility - due 2028

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.7% senior notes — due 2025

 

 

300.0

 

 

 

300.0

 

3.95% senior notes — due 2027

 

 

400.0

 

 

 

400.0

 

Senior notes — original issue discount

 

 

(0.4

)

 

 

(0.7

)

Senior notes — deferred financing costs

 

 

(0.9

)

 

 

(1.6

)

Non-current portion of finance leases and other

 

 

1.9

 

 

 

1.7

 

Long-term debt

 

 

700.6

 

 

 

699.4

 

Total debt

 

$

700.7

 

 

$

699.5

 

 

Senior Unsecured Credit Facility

 

On April 25, 2023, the Company entered into a new credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) to refinance its senior unsecured credit facility agreement (the “Facility”). Under the terms of the Credit Agreement the borrowing capacity remained at $750 million. The Facility matures in April 2028. In connection with the refinancing, the Company incurred approximately $2.5 million in financing costs which were deferred and are amortized over the life of the Facility.

 

Borrowings under the Facility bear interest for Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") borrowings at (i) an Adjusted Term SOFR rate (subject to a 0.00% floor), where such “Adjusted Term SOFR” rate is equal to the Term SOFR rate for the applicable interest period plus 0.10%, plus the Applicable Margin or (ii) for base rate borrowings, the greatest of (a) the prime rate, (b) the federal funds rate plus 0.50% and (c) the Adjusted Term SOFR rate (subject to a 0.00% floor) for a one-month interest period plus 1.00%, in each case plus the Applicable Margin. The “Applicable Margin” initially was 1.125% for SOFR rate borrowings and 0.125% for base rate borrowings, and after September 30, 2023, could fluctuate, determined by reference to the more favorable to the Company of its (i) public debt rating and (ii) consolidated leverage ratio, as specified in the Credit Agreement. Up to $50 million of the Facility may be used for letters of credit. The Credit Agreement enables the Company, from time to time, to add term loans or to increase the revolving credit commitment in an aggregate amount not to exceed $500 million.

The Credit Agreement contains customary covenants that place restrictions on, among other things, the incurrence of debt by any subsidiaries of the Company, granting of liens and sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole. The Credit Agreement also contains financial covenants that require the Company to maintain a minimum interest coverage ratio and a maximum consolidated net leverage ratio. As of December 31, 2024, we were in compliance with all debt covenants.

 

As of December 31, 2024, there were no outstanding borrowings under the Facility. Outstanding letters of credit reduce the amount available for borrowing under the Facility. As of December 31, 2024, there were no issued letters of credit under the Facility, resulting in undrawn availability under the Facility of $750 million. The weighted average interest rate for the Facility was 6.5% for the year ended December 31, 2024.

 

The balance of unamortized deferred financing costs related to the Facility was $2.0 million at December 31, 2024 and $2.5 million at December 31, 2023.

3.95% Senior Notes

 

In 2017, the Company issued $400 million in aggregate principal amount of 3.95% Senior Unsecured Notes due in 2027. The interest rate on these senior notes may be increased by 0.25% each time a credit rating applicable to the notes is downgraded. The maximum rate is 5.95%. The effective interest rate for 2024 was 4.0% inclusive of an approximately 0.25% benefit of treasury locks. The fair value of the senior notes due in 2027 based on quoted prices utilizing Level 2 inputs (as defined in Note 19) was $391.2 million at December 31, 2024. The balance of unamortized deferred financing costs and debt discount related to the senior notes was $1.1 million at December 31, 2024 and $1.7 million at December 31, 2023.

 

4.7% Senior Notes

In 2015, the Company issued $300 million in aggregate principal amount of 4.7% Senior Unsecured Notes due in 2025. In accordance with ASC 470-10-45-14 the Company classified the 4.7% Senior Unsecured Notes due in August 2025 as long-term debt at December 31, 2024 due to the Company’s intent to refinance the senior notes on a long-term basis and the Company’s ability to

55


 

consummate such refinancing as the Company has the ability to draw on the Credit Agreement for the full amount of the Company’s obligations under the senior notes. The interest rate on these senior notes may be increased by 0.25% each time a credit rating applicable to the notes is downgraded. The maximum rate is 6.7%. The effective interest rate for 2024 was 4.9%. The fair value of the senior notes based on quoted prices utilizing Level 2 inputs was $299.4 million at December 31, 2024. The balance for unamortized deferred financing costs and debt discount related to the senior notes was $0.2 million at December 31, 2024 and $0.6 million at December 31, 2023.

 

 

Note 7 — Leases

At December 31, 2024, we had approximately $25.4 million of right of use assets recorded in non-current other assets, and $25.4 million of related liabilities, $19.4 million of which was included in other non-current liabilities with the current portion of $6.0 million included in accrued liabilities. The weighted average of the remaining lease terms was approximately 6 years. We discount the future lease payments of our leases using the prevailing rates extended to us by our lenders relevant to the period of inception. These rates are comprised of LIBOR or SOFR plus a stated spread less a component related to collateralization. The rates are relative to the duration of the lease at inception and the country of origin. The weighted average interest rate used in calculating the fair values listed above was 3.8%.

The following table lists the schedule of future undiscounted cash payments related to right of use assets by year:

 

(In millions)

 

 

 

2025

 

$

6.7

 

2026

 

 

6.0

 

2027

 

 

5.0

 

2028

 

 

4.2

 

2029

 

 

2.5

 

Thereafter

 

 

3.9

 

Total lease payments

 

 

28.3

 

Less: Imputed interest

 

 

2.9

 

Present value of lease payments

 

$

25.4

 

 

Operating lease expense recognized during the year ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, was $15.3 million, $16.1 million and $15.2 million, respectively. Expense related to operating leases which have a duration of a year or less were not material. Expenses for finance leases for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 were not material.

 

(In millions)

Balance Sheet Classification

2024

 

2023

 

Operating lease ROU assets

 Other assets

$

25.4

 

$

29.3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating lease current liabilities

Accrued liabilities

 

6.0

 

 

7.3

 

Operating lease long-term liabilities

Other non-current liabilities

 

19.4

 

 

22.0

 

    Total operating lease liabilities

 

$

25.4

 

$

29.3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finance lease, gross

Property, plant & equipment, net

 

2.8

 

 

3.5

 

Finance lease accumulated depreciation

Property, plant & equipment, net

 

1.2

 

 

1.5

 

   Finance lease, net

 

$

1.6

 

$

2.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finance lease current liabilities

Accrued liabilities

 

0.1

 

 

0.1

 

Finance lease long-term liabilities

Long-term debt

 

-

 

 

0.1

 

   Total finance lease liabilities

 

$

0.1

 

$

0.2

 

 

Note 8 — Retirement and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans

We maintain qualified defined benefit retirement plans covering certain current and former European employees, as well as nonqualified defined benefit retirement plans, and retirement savings plans covering certain eligible U.S. and European employees and

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participate in a union sponsored multi-employer pension plan covering certain U.S. employees with union affiliations. In addition, we provide certain postretirement health care and life insurance benefits to eligible U.S. retirees.

Accounting standards require the use of certain assumptions, such as the expected long-term rate of return, discount rate, rate of compensation increase, healthcare cost trend rates, and retirement and mortality rates, to determine the net periodic costs of such plans. These assumptions are reviewed and set annually at the beginning of each year. In addition, these models use an “attribution approach” that generally spreads individual events, such as plan amendments and changes in actuarial assumptions, over the service lives of the employees in the plan. That is, employees render service over their service lives on a relatively smooth basis and therefore, the income statement effects of retirement and postretirement benefit plans are earned in, and should follow, the same pattern.

We use our actual return experience, future expectations of long-term investment returns, and our actual and targeted asset allocations to develop our expected rate of return assumption used in the net periodic cost calculations of our funded European defined benefit retirement plans. Due to the difficulty involved in predicting the market performance of certain assets, there will be a difference in any given year between our expected return on plan assets and the actual return. Following the attribution approach, each year’s difference is amortized over a number of future years. Over time, the expected long-term returns are designed to approximate the actual long-term returns and therefore result in a pattern of income and expense recognition that more closely matches the pattern of the services provided by the employees.

We annually set our discount rate assumption for retirement-related benefits accounting to reflect the rates available on high-quality, fixed-income debt instruments. The rate of compensation increases for nonqualified pension plans, which is another significant assumption used in the actuarial model for pension accounting, is determined by us based upon our long-term plans for such increases and assumed inflation. For the postretirement health care and life insurance benefits plan, we review external data and its historical trends for health care costs to determine the health care cost trend rates. Retirement and termination rates are based primarily on actual plan experience. The mortality table used for the U.S. plans is based on the Pri-2012 White Collar Healthy Annuitant Mortality Table with Improvement Scale MP-2021 and for the U.K. Plan the S2PXA base table with future improvements in line with the CMI 2022 projection model with a long-term trend rate of 1.25% per annum.

Actual results that differ from our assumptions are accumulated and amortized over future periods and therefore, generally affect the net periodic costs and recorded obligations in such future periods. While we believe that the assumptions used are appropriate, significant changes in economic or other conditions, employee demographics, retirement and mortality rates, and investment performance may materially impact such costs and obligations.

U.S. Defined Benefit Retirement Plans

We have nonqualified defined benefit retirement plans covering certain current and former U.S. employees that are funded as benefits are incurred. Under the provisions of these plans, we expect to contribute approximately $16.5 million in 2025 to cover unfunded benefits, including approximately $15.9 million for a one-time lump sum payment.

Multi-Employer Plan

The Company is party to a multi-employer pension plan covering certain U.S. employees with union affiliations. The plan is the Western Metal Industry Pension Fund, (“the Plan”). The Plan’s employer identification number is 91-6033499; the Plan number is 001. In 2024, 2023 and 2022 the Plan reported Hexcel Corporation as being an employer that contributed greater than 5% of the Plan’s total contributions. The collective bargaining agreement was renewed on November 20, 2020 retroactively to October 1, 2020 for a five-year term. The Plan has been listed in “critical status” and has been operating in accordance with a Rehabilitation Plan since 2010. The Plan, as amended under the Rehabilitation Plan, reduced the adjustable benefits of the participants, and levied a surcharge on employer contributions. The Company contributed $1.7 million in 2024, $1.6 million in 2023 and $1.5 million in 2022. We expect the Company’s contribution to be approximately $1.8 million in 2025 and remain at that level over the remaining term.

U.S. Retirement Savings Plan

Under the retirement savings plan, eligible U.S. employees can contribute up to 75% of their annual compensation to an individual 401(k) retirement savings account. The Company makes matching contributions equal to 50% of employee contributions, not to exceed 3% of employee compensation each year. We also contribute an additional 2% to 4% of each eligible U.S. employee’s salary to an individual 401(k) retirement savings account. This increases the maximum contribution to individual U.S. employee savings accounts to between 5% and 7% per year before any profit-sharing contributions that are made when we meet or exceed certain performance targets that are set annually. These profit-sharing contributions are made at the Company’s discretion and are targeted at 3% of an eligible U.S. employee’s pay, with a maximum of 4.5%.

 

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U.S. Postretirement Plans

In addition to defined benefit and retirement savings plan benefits, we also provide certain postretirement health care and life insurance benefits to eligible U.S. retirees. Depending upon the plan, benefits are available to eligible employees who retire after meeting certain age and service requirements and were employed by Hexcel as of February 1996. Our funding policy for the postretirement health care and life insurance benefit plans is generally to pay covered expenses as they are incurred. Under the provisions of these plans, we expect to contribute approximately $0.2 million in 2025 to cover unfunded benefits.

Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan

Under the deferred compensation plan, eligible U.S. employees may make tax-deferred contributions that cannot be made under the 401(k) Plan because of Internal Revenue Service limitations. We match 50% of a participant’s contributions up to 6% of the participants excess compensation pay as well as provide the same fixed and profit-sharing contributions as provided under the 401(k) plan.

We have elected to fund our deferred compensation obligation through a rabbi trust. The rabbi trust is subject to creditor claims in the event of insolvency, but the assets held in the rabbi trust are not available for general corporate purposes. Amounts in the rabbi trust are invested in a number of funds based on the funds available under our 401(k) plan, other than the Hexcel stock fund. The securities are carried at fair value and are included in other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. We record trading gains and losses in general and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Operations, along with the offsetting amount related to the increase or decrease in deferred compensation to reflect our exposure to liabilities for payment under the deferred compensation plan.

European Defined Benefit Retirement Plans

We have defined benefit retirement plans in Belgium, France, and Austria covering certain employees of our subsidiaries in those countries. The defined benefit plan in the United Kingdom (the “U.K. Plan”), the largest of the European plans, was terminated in 2011 and replaced with a defined contribution plan. The total assets in the U.K. Plan were held in a variety of investments. Equity investments and growth fund investments were made with the objective of achieving a return on plan assets consistent with the funding requirements of the plan, maximizing portfolio return and minimizing the impact of market fluctuations on the fair value of the plan assets. In 2020 and 2021, the plan bought insurance policies through the same insurer, referred to as a buy-in, which immunized the full amount of the liability. In the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company finalized a buy out, at which point the third party insurer became legally responsible to pay the retirement benefits to plan participants. The Company no longer has any obligations relative to the plan. In connection with the buy-out, in 2023, the Company reported a pre-tax non-cash settlement charge of approximately $70.5 million and a gain of $1.9 million related to excess assets from the UK pension plan that reverted back to the Company, which were recorded in Other expense (income) on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Under the provisions of these plans, we expect to contribute approximately $1.3 million in 2025 to cover unfunded benefits.

U.K. Defined Contribution Pension Plan

Under the Defined Contribution Plan, eligible U.K. employees can belong to the Deferred Contribution Plan on a non-participatory basis or can elect to contribute 3%, 5% or 7% of their pensionable salary. The Company will contribute 5%, 9% and 13% respectively. The plan also provides life insurance and disability insurance benefits for members.

Retirement and Other Postretirement Plans – France

The employees of our French subsidiaries are entitled to receive a lump-sum payment upon retirement subject to certain service conditions under the provisions of the national chemicals and textile workers collective bargaining agreements. The amounts attributable to the French plans have been included within the total expense and obligation amounts noted for the European plans.

58


 

Net Periodic Pension Expense

Net periodic expense for our U.S. and European qualified and nonqualified defined benefit pension plans and our retirement savings plans for the three years ended December 31, 2024 is detailed in the table below.

 

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

Defined benefit retirement plans

 

$

1.6

 

 

$

5.7

 

 

$

5.7

 

Union sponsored multi-employer pension plan

 

 

1.7

 

 

 

1.5

 

 

 

1.3

 

Retirement savings plans-matching contributions

 

 

11.6

 

 

 

10.5

 

 

 

9.6

 

Retirement savings plans-profit sharing contributions

 

 

11.1

 

 

 

9.6

 

 

 

5.3

 

Net periodic expense

 

$

26.0

 

 

$

27.3

 

 

$

21.9

 

 

Defined Benefit Retirement and Postretirement Plans

Net periodic cost of our defined benefit retirement and postretirement plans for the three years ended December 31, 2024, were:

 

(In millions)

 

U.S. Plans

 

 

European Plans

 

Defined Benefit Retirement Plans

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

Service cost

 

$

-

 

 

$

1.3

 

 

$

1.2

 

 

$

0.6

 

 

$

0.5

 

 

$

0.7

 

Interest cost

 

 

0.9

 

 

 

0.9

 

 

 

0.4

 

 

 

0.6

 

 

 

4.9

 

 

 

2.1

 

Expected return on plan assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(0.1

)

 

 

(4.7

)

 

 

(2.1

)

Net amortization

 

 

(0.5

)

 

 

0.1

 

 

 

1.0

 

 

 

0.1

 

 

 

2.5

 

 

 

2.1

 

Net periodic pension cost (income)

 

$

0.4

 

 

$

2.3

 

 

$

2.6

 

 

$

1.2

 

 

$

3.2

 

 

$

2.8

 

 

The above amounts for the year ended December 31, 2023 do not include a non-cash charge of $70.5 million related to the completion of the buy-out of the UK pension plan and a gain of $1.9 million related to excess assets from the UK pension plan that reverted back to the Company. Completion of the buy-out of the UK pension plan and a gain of $1.9 million related to excess assets from the UK pension plan that reverted back to the Company which were recorded in Other expense (income) on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

 

(In millions)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. Postretirement Plans

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

Interest cost

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

Net amortization and deferral

 

 

 

 

 

(0.8

)

 

 

(1.1

)

Net periodic postretirement benefit income

 

$

 

 

$

(0.8

)

 

$

(1.1

)

 

 

 

Defined Benefit Retirement Plans

 

 

 

 

(In millions)

 

U.S. Plans

 

 

European Plans

 

 

Postretirement Plans

 

Other Changes in Plan Assets and Benefit Obligations
   Recognized in Other Comprehensive Loss

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Net loss (gain)

 

$

1.8

 

 

$

(3.3

)

 

$

0.4

 

 

$

4.9

 

 

$

 

 

$

(0.1

)

Amortization of actuarial gains (losses)

 

 

0.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

(0.1

)

 

 

(70.5

)

 

 

 

 

 

0.8

 

Prior service cost

 

 

 

 

 

(0.1

)

 

 

 

 

 

(1.1

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Effect of foreign exchange

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total recognized in other comprehensive income (loss), (pre-tax)

 

$

2.3

 

 

$

(3.4

)

 

$

0.3

 

 

$

(64.9

)

 

$

 

 

$

0.7

 

 

 

59


 

The benefit obligation, fair value of plan assets, funded status, and amounts recognized in the consolidated financial statements for our defined benefit retirement plans and postretirement plans, as of and for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, were:

 

 

 

Defined Benefit Retirement Plans

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. Plans

 

 

European Plans

 

 

Postretirement Plans

 

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Change in benefit obligation:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benefit obligation - beginning of year

 

$

18.1

 

 

$

19.9

 

 

$

17.7

 

 

$

128.8

 

 

$

1.0

 

 

$

1.2

 

Service cost

 

 

 

 

 

1.3

 

 

 

0.6

 

 

 

0.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest cost

 

 

0.9

 

 

 

0.9

 

 

 

0.6

 

 

 

4.9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plan participants’ contributions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actuarial loss (gain)

 

 

1.1

 

 

 

(3.3

)

 

 

0.3

 

 

 

(14.8

)

 

 

(0.2

)

 

 

(0.1

)

Plan amendments and acquisitions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Curtailments and settlements

 

 

0.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

(0.8

)

 

 

(99.8

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benefits and expenses paid

 

 

(0.7

)

 

 

(0.7

)

 

 

(0.8

)

 

 

(4.7

)

 

 

 

 

 

(0.1

)

Currency translation adjustments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(0.7

)

 

 

2.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benefit obligation - end of year

 

$

20.1

 

 

$

18.1

 

 

$

16.9

 

 

$

17.7

 

 

$

0.8

 

 

$

1.0

 

Change in plan assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair value of plan assets - beginning of year

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

4.6

 

 

$

122.1

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

Actual return on plan assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.1

 

 

 

(15.6

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Employer contributions

 

 

0.7

 

 

 

0.7

 

 

 

1.1

 

 

 

(0.9

)

 

 

0.1

 

 

 

0.1

 

Plan participants’ contributions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benefits and expenses paid

 

 

(0.7

)

 

 

(0.7

)

 

 

(0.8

)

 

 

(4.7

)

 

 

(0.1

)

 

 

(0.1

)

Curtailments and settlements

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(0.8

)

 

 

(99.8

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Currency translation adjustments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(0.2

)

 

 

3.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair value of plan assets - end of year

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

4.0

 

 

$

4.6

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

Amounts recognized in Consolidated Balance
   Sheets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-current assets

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

Current liabilities

 

$

16.2

 

 

$

1.3

 

 

$

1.0

 

 

$

0.8

 

 

$

0.2

 

 

$

0.2

 

Non-current liabilities

 

 

3.9

 

 

 

16.8

 

 

 

11.9

 

 

 

12.3

 

 

 

0.6

 

 

 

0.9

 

Total liabilities (a)

 

$

20.1

 

 

$

18.1

 

 

$

12.9

 

 

$

13.1

 

 

$

0.8

 

 

$

1.1

 

Amounts recognized in Accumulated Other
   Comprehensive Loss:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actuarial net gain

 

$

0.3

 

 

$

2.6

 

 

$

1.1

 

 

$

0.8

 

 

$

0.5

 

 

$

0.3

 

Prior service cost

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total amounts recognized in accumulated other
  comprehensive loss

 

$

0.3

 

 

$

2.6

 

 

$

1.1

 

 

$

0.8

 

 

$

0.5

 

 

$

0.3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(a) The current and non-current portions of the accrued benefit costs for the defined benefit retirement plans and postretirement benefit plans are included within “accrued compensation and benefits” and “retirement obligations”, respectively, in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

 

 

The measurement date used to determine the benefit obligations and plan assets of the defined benefit retirement and postretirement plans was December 31, 2024. All costs related to our pensions are included as a component of operating income in our Consolidated Statements of Operations. For the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 amounts unrelated to service costs were a benefit of $1.0 million, $2.9 million and $2.4 million, respectively.

 

The total accumulated benefit obligation (“ABO”) for the U.S. defined benefit retirement plans was $20.1 million and $17.8 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The European plans’ ABO exceeded plan assets as of December 31, 2024 by $9.6 million and in 2023 by $8.8 million. The ABO for these plans was $13.6 million and $13.4 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

 

Benefit payments for the plans are expected to be as follows:

60


 

 

 

 

 

 

European

 

 

Postretirement

 

(In millions)

 

U.S. Plans

 

 

Plans

 

 

Plans

 

2025

 

$

16.5

 

 

$

1.3

 

 

$

0.2

 

2026

 

 

0.6

 

 

 

1.4

 

 

 

0.2

 

2027

 

 

0.6

 

 

 

1.5

 

 

 

0.2

 

2028

 

 

0.5

 

 

 

1.8

 

 

 

0.1

 

2029

 

 

0.5

 

 

 

0.9

 

 

 

0.1

 

2029-2033

 

 

1.7

 

 

 

7.1

 

 

 

0.2

 

 

 

$

20.4

 

 

$

14.0

 

 

$

1.0

 

Fair Values of Pension Assets

The following table presents pension assets measured at fair value at December 31, 2024 and 2023 utilizing the fair value hierarchy discussed in Note 19:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair Value Measurements at

 

(In millions)

 

December 31,

 

 

December 31, 2024

 

Description

 

2024

 

 

Level 1

 

 

Level 2

 

 

Level 3

 

Insurance contracts

 

$

2.0

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

2.0

 

Diversified investment funds

 

 

2.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.0

 

Total assets

 

$

4.0

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

4.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair Value Measurements at

 

 

 

 

December 31,

 

 

December 31, 2023

Description

 

2023

 

 

Level 1

 

 

Level 2

 

 

Level 3

 

 

Insurance contracts

 

$

2.4

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

2.4

 

 

Diversified investment funds

 

 

2.2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.2

 

 

Total assets

 

$

4.6

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

4.6

 

 

 

Prior to the buy-out, the U.K. Plan invested funds were not exchange-listed and were, therefore, classified as Level 3.

 

 

 

Balance at

 

 

Actual

 

 

Purchases,

 

 

Changes due

 

 

Balance at

 

(In millions)

 

January 1,

 

 

return on

 

 

sales and

 

 

to exchange

 

 

December 31,

 

Reconciliation of Level 3 Assets

 

2024

 

 

plan assets

 

 

settlements

 

 

rates

 

 

2024

 

Diversified investment funds

 

$

2.2

 

 

$

 

 

$

(0.1

)

 

$

(0.1

)

 

$

2.0

 

Insurance contracts

 

 

2.4

 

 

 

0.1

 

 

 

(0.4

)

 

 

(0.1

)

 

$

2.0

 

Total level 3 assets

 

$

4.6

 

 

$

0.1

 

 

$

(0.5

)

 

$

(0.2

)

 

$

4.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance at

 

 

Actual

 

 

Purchases,

 

 

Changes due

 

 

Balance at

 

 

 

January 1,

 

 

return on

 

 

sales and

 

 

to exchange

 

 

December 31,

 

Reconciliation of Level 3 Assets

 

2023

 

 

plan assets

 

 

settlements

 

 

rates

 

 

2023

 

Diversified investment funds

 

$

1.8

 

 

$

0.1

 

 

$

0.2

 

 

$

0.1

 

 

$

2.2

 

Insurance contracts

 

 

112.9

 

 

 

(16.5

)

 

 

(97.2

)

 

 

3.2

 

 

 

2.4

 

Total level 3 assets

 

$

114.7

 

 

$

(16.4

)

 

$

(97.0

)

 

$

3.3

 

 

$

4.6

 

The insurance contracts are Level 3 investments and are valued using unobservable inputs that are based on the best information available. The fair value of the assets is equal to the total amount of all individual technical reserves plus the non-allocated employer’s financing fund reserves at the valuation date. The individual technical and financing fund reserves are equal to the accumulated paid contributions taking into account the insurance tariffication and any allocated profit-sharing return.

The index-linked gilt allocation provided a partial interest rate and inflation rate hedge against the valuation of the liabilities.

 

The diversified investment funds represent plan assets invested in a Pensionskasse (an Austrian multi-employer pension fund). The main holdings consist of equity, bonds, real estate and bank deposits.

61


 

The actual allocations for the pension assets at December 31, 2024 and 2023, and target allocations by asset class, are as follows:

 

 

 

Percentage

 

 

Target

 

 

Percentage

 

 

Target

 

 

 

of Plan Assets

 

 

Allocations

 

 

of Plan Assets

 

 

Allocations

 

Asset Class

 

2024

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2023

 

Diversified investment funds

 

 

49.4

%

 

 

49.4

%

 

 

47.0

%

 

 

47.0

%

Insurance contracts

 

 

50.6

 

 

 

50.6

 

 

 

53.0

 

 

 

53.0

 

Total

 

 

100

%

 

 

100

%

 

 

100

%

 

 

100

%

Assumptions

The assumed discount rate for pension plans reflects the market rates for high-quality fixed income debt instruments currently available. A third party provided standard yield curve was used for the U.S. non-qualified and postretirement plans. We believe that the timing and amount of cash flows related to these instruments is expected to match the estimated defined benefit payment streams of our plans. The assumed discount rate for the U.S. non-qualified plans uses individual discount rates for each plan based on their associated cash flows.

Salary increase assumptions are based on historical experience and anticipated future management actions. For the postretirement health care and life insurance benefit plans, we review external data and our historical trends for health care costs to determine the health care cost trend rates. Retirement rates are based primarily on actual plan experience and on rates from previously mentioned mortality tables. Actual results that differ from our assumptions are accumulated and amortized over future periods and therefore, generally affect the net periodic costs and recorded obligations in such future periods. While we believe that the assumptions used are appropriate, significant changes in economic or other conditions, employee demographics, retirement and mortality rates, and investment performance may materially impact such costs and obligations.

Assumptions used to estimate the actuarial present value of benefit obligations at December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 are shown in the following table. These year-end values are the basis for determining net periodic costs for the following year.

 

 

 

2024

 

2023

 

2022

U.S. defined benefit retirement plans:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discount rates

 

5.00%

 

4.7% - 4.8%

 

5.0% - 5.1%

Rate of increase in compensation

 

3%

 

3%

 

3%

European defined benefit retirement plans:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discount rates

 

3.8% - 5.2%

 

3.6% - 5.2%

 

3.1% - 3.95%

Rates of increase in compensation

 

3.1%-3.5%

 

3.2%-3.5%

 

3.2%-3.5%

Expected long-term rates of return on plan assets

 

2.0% – 3.0%

 

2.0% – 3.0%

 

2.0% – 3.95%

Postretirement benefit plans:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discount rates

 

5.0%

 

4.7%

 

2.0%

 

The following table presents the impact that a one-percentage-point increase and a one-percentage-point decrease in the expected long-term rate of return and discount rate would have on the 2024 pension expense, and the impact on our retirement obligation as of December 31, 2024 for a one-percentage-point change in the discount rate:

 

 

 

U.S. Non-Qualified

 

 

U.S. Retiree

 

 

(In millions)

 

Pension Plans

 

 

Medical Plans

 

 

Periodic pension expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One-percentage-point increase:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expected long-term rate of return

 

N/A

 

 

N/A

 

 

Discount rate

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

One-percentage-point decrease:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expected long-term rate of return

 

N/A

 

 

N/A

 

 

Discount rate

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

Retirement obligation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One-percentage-point increase in discount rate

 

$

(0.3

)

 

$

 

 

One-percentage-point decrease in discount rate

 

$

0.3

 

 

$

 

 

 

The annual rate of increase in the per capita cost of covered health care benefits is assumed to be 6.5% for medical rates and are assumed to gradually decline to 4.75% by 2031.

 

 

62


 

Note 9 — Income Taxes

Income before income taxes and the provision for income taxes, for the three years ended December 31, 2024, were as follows:

 

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

Income before income taxes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S.

 

$

97.8

 

 

$

128.5

 

 

$

110.6

 

International

 

 

57.1

 

 

 

(18.8

)

 

 

39.2

 

Total income before income taxes

 

$

154.9

 

 

$

109.7

 

 

$

149.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income tax expense (benefit):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S.

 

$

28.7

 

 

$

38.3

 

 

$

28.3

 

International

 

 

10.8

 

 

 

6.5

 

 

 

6.4

 

Current income tax expense

 

 

39.5

 

 

 

44.8

 

 

 

34.7

 

Deferred:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S.

 

 

(28.6

)

 

 

(17.0

)

 

 

(8.9

)

International

 

 

11.9

 

 

 

(15.7

)

 

 

5.8

 

Deferred income tax benefit

 

 

(16.7

)

 

 

(32.7

)

 

 

(3.1

)

Total income tax expense

 

$

22.8

 

 

$

12.1

 

 

$

31.6

 

 

A reconciliation of the provision for income taxes at the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate of 21.0% to the effective income tax rate, for the year ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 is as follows:

 

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

Provision (benefit) for taxes at U.S. federal statutory rate

 

$

32.5

 

 

$

23.0

 

 

$

31.5

 

State and local taxes, net of federal benefit

 

 

(0.3

)

 

 

(1.3

)

 

 

0.6

 

Foreign effective rate differential

 

 

2.8

 

 

 

2.0

 

 

 

1.5

 

R&D tax credits and related benefits

 

 

(16.5

)

 

 

(5.1

)

 

 

(3.4

)

Change in valuation allowance

 

 

6.2

 

 

 

1.1

 

 

 

0.7

 

Remeasurement of deferred taxes

 

 

1.5

 

 

 

(1.1

)

 

 

0.7

 

Employee benefits and related

 

 

2.2

 

 

 

1.7

 

 

 

1.5

 

Other

 

 

1.5

 

 

 

4.2

 

 

 

1.1

 

(Decrease) increase in reserves for uncertain tax positions

 

 

0.4

 

 

 

(0.1

)

 

 

(0.5

)

Pension Plan Settlement

 

 

 

 

 

(4.4

)

 

 

 

U.S. foreign derived intangible income tax benefit

 

 

(4.3

)

 

 

(3.9

)

 

 

(2.1

)

Tax Incentives

 

 

(3.2

)

 

 

(4.0

)

 

 

 

Total income tax expense

 

$

22.8

 

 

$

12.1

 

 

$

31.6

 

We do not provide for additional income or withholding taxes for any undistributed foreign earnings as we do not currently have any specific plans to repatriate funds from our international subsidiaries; however, we may do so in the future if a dividend can be remitted with no material tax impact. As of December 31, 2024, we have approximately $223.0 million of unremitted foreign earnings that we intend to keep indefinitely reinvested. Additionally, due to withholding tax, basis computations and other tax related considerations, it is not practicable to estimate any taxes to be provided on outside basis differences at this time.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (“OECD”) Pillar Two global minimum tax rules, requiring a minimum effective tax rate of 15%, are effective for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2024. Under Pillar Two, a top-up tax will be required for certain jurisdictions whose effective tax rate falls below the 15% minimum rate. Although the U.S. has not yet enacted legislation to adopt Pillar Two, nearly all European Union member states have enacted the Pillar Two legislation. After considering the applicable tax law changes associated with Pillar Two legislation, we determined there was no material impact to our provision for income taxes for the 12 months ended December 31, 2024. The Company will continue to monitor for additional guidance and legislative changes related to Pillar Two in the jurisdictions where we operate.

 

63


 

Deferred Income Taxes

Deferred income taxes result from tax attributes including foreign tax credits, net operating loss carryforwards and temporary differences between the recognition of items for income tax purposes and financial reporting purposes. Principal components of deferred income taxes as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 are:

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net operating loss carryforwards

 

$

76.0

 

 

$

89.8

 

Tax credit carryforwards

 

 

10.3

 

 

 

9.4

 

Stock-based compensation

 

 

7.7

 

 

 

9.4

 

Other comprehensive income

 

 

1.4

 

 

 

 

Inventory reserves

 

 

10.8

 

 

 

9.2

 

Right of use liability

 

 

6.0

 

 

 

6.9

 

Capitalized research and development expenditures

 

 

43.8

 

 

 

24.8

 

Reserves and other

 

 

11.2

 

 

 

12.0

 

Subtotal

 

 

167.2

 

 

 

161.5

 

Valuation allowance

 

 

(13.7

)

 

 

(7.5

)

Total assets

 

$

153.5

 

 

$

154.0

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accelerated depreciation

 

 

(164.1

)

 

 

(177.2

)

Accelerated amortization

 

 

(18.8

)

 

 

(19.3

)

Right of use asset

 

 

(6.0

)

 

 

(6.9

)

Other

 

 

(5.9

)

 

 

(9.9

)

Total liabilities

 

 

(194.8

)

 

$

(213.3

)

Net deferred tax liabilities

 

$

(41.3

)

 

$

(59.3

)

 

Deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities as presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 are as follows and are recorded in other assets and deferred income taxes in the Consolidated Balance Sheets:

 

 

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Long-term deferred tax assets, net

 

$

39.9

 

 

$

51.3

 

Long-term deferred tax liability, net

 

 

(81.2

)

 

 

(110.6

)

Net deferred tax liabilities

 

$

(41.3

)

 

$

(59.3

)

 

The deferred tax assets for the respective periods were assessed for recoverability and, where applicable, a valuation allowance was recorded to reduce the total deferred tax asset to an amount that will, more likely than not, be realized in the future. The valuation allowance as of December 31, 2024 relates to certain U.S. and foreign tax attributes for which we have determined, based upon historical results and projected future book and taxable income levels, that a valuation allowance should continue to be maintained. The valuation allowance increased by $6.2 million in 2024 primarily as a result of changes in the realization of deferred tax assets in a foreign jurisdiction. The net change in the total valuation allowance for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, was an increase of $6.2 million and a decrease of $0.8 million, respectively.

Although realization is not assured, we have concluded that it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets, for which a valuation allowance was determined to be unnecessary, will be realized in the ordinary course of operations based on the available positive and negative evidence, including scheduling of deferred tax liabilities and projected income from operating activities. The amount of the net deferred tax assets considered realizable, however, could be reduced in the near term if actual future income or income tax rates are lower than estimated, or if there are differences in the timing or amount of future reversals of existing taxable or deductible temporary differences.

Net Operating Loss & Tax Credit Carryforwards

At December 31, 2024, we had tax credit carryforwards for U.S. state tax purposes of $10.3 million available to offset future income taxes. These credits will begin to expire if not utilized in 2026. We also had net operating loss carryforwards for U.S. state and foreign income tax purposes of $2.8 million and $305.7 million, respectively, for which there were foreign valuation allowances of $15.2 million as of December 31, 2024. Our foreign net operating losses can be carried forward without limitation in Austria,

64


 

Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and the U.K. We have a valuation allowance against certain foreign net operating losses for which the Company believes it is not more likely than not that the net operating losses will be utilized.

Uncertain Tax Positions

Our unrecognized tax benefits at December 31, 2024 relate to U.S. federal and various state jurisdictions.

The following table summarizes the activity related to our unrecognized tax benefits.

 

 

 

Unrecognized Tax Benefits

 

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

Balance as of January 1,

 

$

2.4

 

 

$

2.5

 

 

$

9.7

 

Additions based on tax positions related to the current year

 

 

0.5

 

 

 

0.4

 

 

 

0.2

 

Reductions for tax positions of prior years

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expiration of the statute of limitations for the assessment of taxes

 

 

(0.1

)

 

 

(0.5

)

 

 

(7.4

)

Balance as of December 31,

 

$

2.8

 

 

$

2.4

 

 

$

2.5

 

 

We had unrecognized tax benefits of $2.8 million at December 31, 2024, of which $2.8 million, if recognized, would impact our annual effective tax rate. In addition, we recognize interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of interest expense and penalties as a component of income tax expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company did not recognize any interest expense or penalties related to the above unrecognized tax benefits in 2024 and 2023. The Company had no accrued interest as of December 31, 2024 and 2023.

 

We are subject to taxation in the U.S. and various states and foreign jurisdictions. The U.S. federal tax returns have been audited through 2016. Foreign and U.S. state jurisdictions have statutes of limitations generally ranging from 3 to 5 years. Years in major jurisdictions that remain open to examination are the U.S. (2021 onward for Federal purposes and 2020 onward for state purposes), Austria (2019 onward), Belgium (2016 onward), France (2021 onward), Spain (2020 onward), Germany (2018 onward), Luxembourg (2019 onward), and the U.K. (2020 onward). We are currently under examination in certain foreign tax jurisdictions.

 

As of December 31, 2024, we had uncertain tax positions for which it is reasonably possible that amounts of unrecognized tax benefits could significantly change over the next year. These uncertain tax positions relate to our tax returns from 2014 onward. We believe it is reasonably possible that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits disclosed as of December 31, 2024 may decrease by approximately $1.0 to $1.5 million in the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025 due to the expiration of statutes of limitation.

Note 10 — Capital Stock

Common Stock Outstanding

Common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 was as follows:

(Number of shares in millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

Common stock:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance, beginning of year

 

110.8

 

 

110.4

 

 

110.1

 

Activity under stock plans

 

 

0.8

 

 

 

0.4

 

 

 

0.3

 

Balance, end of year

 

111.6

 

 

110.8

 

 

110.4

 

Treasury stock:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance, beginning of year

 

26.7

 

 

26.2

 

 

26.1

 

Repurchased

 

 

3.9

 

 

 

0.5

 

 

 

0.1

 

Balance, end of year

 

30.6

 

 

26.7

 

 

26.2

 

Common stock outstanding

 

 

81.0

 

 

 

84.1

 

 

 

84.2

 

 

Under the share repurchase plan adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board") in May 2018 (the “2018 Repurchase Plan"), the Board authorized $500 million for the repurchase of the Company's common stock which was fully utilized as of June 30, 2024. The repurchase of the Company’s common stock under the 2018 Repurchase Plan was all made in open market transactions. On February 19, 2024, the Board approved a $300 million share repurchase plan (the “2024 Share Repurchase Plan”) which was in addition to the amount that remained available for repurchases under the 2018 Repurchase Plan. The repurchase of the Company’s common stock under the 2024 Share Repurchase Plan are anticipated to be made in open market transactions, block transactions, privately negotiated purchase transactions or other purchase techniques at the discretion of management based upon consideration of market, business, legal, accounting, and other factors.

 

65


 

Dividends per share of common stock for 2024 and 2023 were $0.60 and $0.50, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we paid $49.3 million and $42.2 million in dividends for each year, respectively.

 

During the year ended December 31, 2024, we repurchased 3,649,310 shares of common stock on the open market under the repurchase plans at an average price of $68.49 per share and at a cost of $252.2 million, including sales commissions, leaving approximately $234.9 million available for additional repurchases under the 2024 Repurchase Plan. The acquisition of these shares was accounted for under the treasury stock method.

 

Note 11 — Revenue

 

Our revenue is primarily derived from the sale of inventory under long-term contracts with our customers. The majority of our revenue is recognized at a point in time. In instances where our customers acquire our goods related to government contracts, the contracts are typically subject to terms similar, or equal to, the Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 52.249-2, which contains a termination for convenience clause ("T for C") that requires the customer to pay for the cost of both the finished and unfinished goods at the time of cancellation plus a reasonable profit.

 

We recognize revenue over time for those contracts that have a T for C clause and where the products being produced have no alternative use. As our production cycle is typically nine months or less, it is expected that goods related to the revenue recognized over time will be shipped and billed within the next twelve months.

 

We disaggregate our revenue based on market for analytical purposes. The following table details our revenue by market for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:

 

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

Consolidated Net Sales

 

$

1,903.0

 

 

$

1,789.0

 

 

$

1,577.7

 

Commercial Aerospace

 

1,194.2

 

 

1,068.2

 

 

911.8

 

Space & Defense

 

 

569.5

 

 

544.8

 

 

465.2

 

Industrial

 

 

139.3

 

 

 

176.0

 

 

 

200.7

 

 

Revenue recognized over time gives rise to contract assets, which represent revenue recognized but unbilled. Contract assets are included in our Consolidated Balance Sheets as a component of current assets. The activity related to contract assets is as follows:

 

 

Composite

 

 

Engineered

 

 

 

 

(In millions)

 

Materials

 

 

Products

 

 

Total

 

Opening adjustment - January 1, 2022

 

$

6.8

 

 

$

23.7

 

 

$

30.5

 

Net revenue billed

 

 

2.3

 

 

 

(0.8

)

 

 

1.5

 

Balance at December 31, 2022

 

$

9.1

 

 

$

22.9

 

 

$

32.0

 

Net revenue billed

 

 

(0.8

)

 

 

(6.1

)

 

 

(6.9

)

Balance at December 31, 2023

 

 

8.3

 

 

 

16.8

 

 

 

25.1

 

Net revenue billed

 

 

0.8

 

 

 

3.9

 

 

 

4.7

 

Balance at December 31, 2024

 

$

9.1

 

 

$

20.7

 

 

$

29.8

 

 

Contract assets as of December 31, 2024, will be billed and reclassified to accounts receivable during 2025. Accounts receivable, net, includes amounts billed to customers where the right to payment is unconditional.

Note 12 — Restructuring

We recognized restructuring charges of $2.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 primarily related to severance. Anticipated future cash payments as of December 31, 2024 were $1.5 million.

We recognized restructuring charges of $0.8 million and $7.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively, primarily related to severance and asset impairments. Restructuring charges are recorded in Other Operating Expense on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

66


 

 

December 31,

 

 

Restructuring

 

 

 

 

 

Cash

 

 

 

 

 

December 31,

 

(In Millions)

2023

 

 

Charge

 

 

FX Impact

 

 

Paid

 

 

Non-Cash

 

 

2024

 

Employee termination

$

1.2

 

 

$

2.3

 

 

$

(0.2

)

 

$

(2.2

)

 

$

0.4

 

 

$

1.5

 

Impairment and other

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

 

Total

$

1.2

 

 

$

2.3

 

 

$

(0.2

)

 

$

(2.2

)

 

$

0.4

 

 

$

1.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 31,

 

 

Restructuring

 

 

 

 

 

Cash

 

 

 

 

 

December 31,

 

(In Millions)

2022

 

 

Charge

 

 

FX Impact

 

 

Paid

 

 

Non-Cash

 

 

2023

 

Employee termination

$

5.4

 

 

$

0.5

 

 

$

 

 

$

(4.7

)

 

$

 

 

$

1.2

 

Impairment and other

 

 

 

 

0.3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(0.3

)

 

 

 

Total

$

5.4

 

 

$

0.8

 

 

$

 

 

$

(4.7

)

 

$

(0.3

)

 

$

1.2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 31,

 

 

Restructuring

 

 

 

 

 

Cash

 

 

 

 

 

December 31,

 

(In Millions)

2021

 

 

Charge

 

 

FX Impact

 

 

Paid

 

 

Non-Cash

 

 

2022

 

Employee termination

$

9.0

 

 

$

3.1

 

 

$

(0.3

)

 

$

(6.4

)

 

$

 

 

$

5.4

 

Impairment and other

 

 

 

 

4.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2.2

)

 

 

(2.3

)

 

 

 

Total

$

9.0

 

 

$

7.6

 

 

$

(0.3

)

 

$

(8.6

)

 

$

(2.3

)

 

$

5.4

 

 

Note 13 — Stock-Based Compensation

The following table details the stock-based compensation expense by type of award for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

Non-qualified stock options

 

$

4.6

 

 

$

4.5

 

 

$

5.4

 

Restricted stock, service based (“RSUs”)

 

 

8.4

 

 

 

7.7

 

 

 

7.2

 

Restricted stock, performance based (“PRSUs”)

 

 

8.4

 

 

 

8.0

 

 

 

6.7

 

Employee stock purchase plan

 

 

0.8

 

 

 

0.7

 

 

 

0.6

 

Stock-based compensation expense

 

$

22.2

 

 

$

20.9

 

 

$

19.9

 

Tax benefit from stock exercised and converted during the period

 

$

6.7

 

 

$

2.5

 

 

$

1.6

 

Non-Qualified Stock Options

Non-qualified stock options (“NQOs”) have been granted to our employees and directors under our stock compensation plan. Options granted generally vest over three years and expire ten years from the date of grant.

A summary of option activity under the plan for the three years ended December 31, 2024 is as follows:

 

 

 

Number of

 

 

Weighted-

 

 

Remaining

 

 

 

Options

 

 

Average

 

 

Contractual Life

 

 

 

(In millions)

 

 

Exercise Price

 

 

(in years)

 

Outstanding at December 31, 2021

 

 

1.7

 

 

$

51.28

 

 

 

6.3

 

Options granted

 

 

0.2

 

 

$

52.17

 

 

 

-

 

Options exercised

 

 

(0.1

)

 

$

37.99

 

 

 

-

 

Outstanding at December 31, 2022

 

 

1.8

 

 

$

52.01

 

 

 

5.7

 

Options granted

 

 

0.2

 

 

$

68.79

 

 

 

-

 

Options exercised

 

 

(0.2

)

 

$

42.95

 

 

 

-

 

Outstanding at December 31, 2023

 

 

1.8

 

 

$

54.58

 

 

 

5.4

 

Options granted

 

 

0.3

 

 

$

65.76

 

 

 

-

 

Options exercised

 

 

(0.3

)

 

$

45.53

 

 

 

-

 

Outstanding at December 31, 2024

 

 

1.8

 

 

$

57.54

 

 

 

5.0

 

 

67


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

(In millions, except weighted average exercise price)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Aggregate intrinsic value of outstanding options

 

$

14.2

 

 

$

33.6

 

Aggregate intrinsic value of exercisable options

 

$

13.5

 

 

$

26.4

 

Total intrinsic value of options exercised

 

$

5.6

 

 

$

5.9

 

Total number of options exercisable

 

 

1.3

 

 

 

1.3

 

Weighted average exercise price of options exercisable

 

$

55.35

 

 

$

54.05

 

Total unrecognized compensation cost on non-vested options (a)

 

$

2.9

 

 

$

1.2

 

 

 

(a)
Unrecognized compensation cost relates to non-vested stock options and is expected to be recognized over the remaining vesting period ranging from one year to three years.

Valuation Assumptions in Estimating Fair Value

We estimated the fair value of stock options at the grant date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:

 

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

Risk-free interest rate

 

3.98%--4.53%

 

 

 

3.51

%

 

 

1.74

%

Expected option life (in years)

 

 

6.09

 

 

 

6.05

 

 

 

6.03

 

Dividend yield

 

 

0.9

%

 

 

0.7

%

 

 

0.8

%

Volatility

 

33.23%--34.53%

 

 

 

37.14

%

 

 

44.21

%

Weighted-average fair value per option granted

 

$

24.32

 

 

$

26.81

 

 

$

21.40

 

 

The weighted-average expected life is derived from the average midpoint between the vesting and the contractual term and considers the effect of both the inclusion and exclusion of post-vesting cancellations during the ten-year period. Expected volatility is calculated based on a blend of both historic volatility of our common stock and implied volatility of our traded options. We weigh both volatility inputs equally and utilize the average as the volatility input for the Black-Scholes calculation. The risk-free interest rate for the expected term is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant and corresponding to the expected term.

Restricted Stock Units — Service Based

As of December 31, 2024, a total of 403,326 shares of service based restricted stock units were outstanding, which vest based on years of service under the 2003 and 2013 incentive stock plan. RSUs are granted to key employees, executives, and directors of the Company. The fair value of the RSU is based on the closing market price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant and is amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. The stock-based compensation expense recognized is based on an estimate of shares ultimately expected to vest, and therefore it has been reduced for estimated forfeitures. The total compensation expense related to awards granted to retirement-eligible employees is recognized on the grant date.

The table presented below provides a summary of the Company’s RSU activity for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RSUs

 

 

Weighted-Average

 

 

 

Number of (In millions)

 

 

Fair Value Grant Date

 

Outstanding at December 31, 2021

 

 

0.5

 

 

$

47.46

 

RSUs granted

 

 

0.1

 

 

$

53.51

 

RSUs issued

 

 

(0.1

)

 

$

54.63

 

Outstanding at December 31, 2022

 

 

0.5

 

 

$

46.93

 

RSUs granted

 

 

0.1

 

 

$

67.69

 

RSUs issued

 

 

(0.1

)

 

$

53.05

 

Outstanding at December 31, 2023

 

 

0.5

 

 

$

50.41

 

RSUs granted

 

 

0.1

 

 

$

66.02

 

RSUs issued

 

 

(0.2

)

 

$

48.22

 

Outstanding at December 31, 2024

 

 

0.4

 

 

$

57.48

 

 

68


 

As of December 31, 2024, there was total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested RSUs of $7.8 million, which is to be recognized over the remaining vesting period ranging from one year to three years.

Restricted Stock Units — Performance Based

As of December 31, 2024, a total of 424,438 shares of performance based restricted stock units were outstanding under the 2003 and 2013 incentive stock plan. The total amount of PRSUs that will ultimately vest is based on the achievement of various financial performance targets set forth by the Company’s Compensation Committee on the date of grant. PRSUs are based on a three-year performance period. The stock-based compensation expense related to awards granted to retirement-eligible employees is expensed on the grant date and is trued up as projections change. The fair value of the PRSU is based on the closing market price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant and is amortized straight-line over the total three-year period. A change in the performance measure expected to be achieved is recorded as an adjustment in the period in which the change occurs.

The table presented below provides a summary, of the Company’s PRSU activity, at original grant amounts, for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted-

 

 

 

Number of

 

 

Average

 

 

 

PRSUs

 

 

Grant Date

 

 

 

(In millions)

 

 

Fair Value

 

Outstanding at December 31, 2021

 

 

0.4

 

 

$

57.19

 

PRSUs granted

 

 

0.1

 

 

$

52.17

 

PRSUs issued

 

 

-

 

 

$

-

 

PRSUs cancelled

 

 

(0.1

)

 

$

65.56

 

Outstanding at December 31, 2022

 

 

0.4

 

 

$

53.71

 

PRSUs granted

 

 

0.1

 

 

$

68.79

 

PRSUs issued

 

 

-

 

 

$

-

 

PRSUs cancelled

 

 

(0.1

)

 

$

73.75

 

Outstanding at December 31, 2023

 

 

0.4

 

 

$

53.19

 

PRSUs granted

 

 

0.3

 

 

$

58.72

 

PRSUs issued

 

 

(0.3

)

 

$

45.05

 

PRSUs cancelled

 

 

-

 

 

$

-

 

Outstanding at December 31, 2024

 

 

0.4

 

 

$

62.56

 

 

As of December 31, 2024, there was total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested PRSUs of $4.7 million, which is to be recognized over the remaining vesting period ranging from one year to three years. The final amount of compensation cost to be recognized is dependent upon our financial performance.

Stock-Based Compensation Cash Activity

During 2024, 2023, and 2022 cash received from stock option exercises was $7.1 million, $7.8 million and $3.0 million, respectively. We used $11.3 million, $3.2 million and $2.1 million in cash related to the shares withheld to satisfy employee tax obligations for RSUs and PRSUs converted during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

We classify the cash flows resulting from these tax benefits as financing cash flows. We either issue new shares of our common stock or utilize treasury shares upon the exercise of stock options or the conversion of stock units.

Shares Authorized for Grant

In 2019, an amendment to the Hexcel Corporation 2013 Incentive Stock Plan (the “Plan”) was adopted that increased the number of shares of the Company’s common stock authorized for issuance under the Plan by 3,300,000 shares. As of December 31, 2024, an aggregate of 1.8 million shares were authorized for future grant under our stock plan, which covers stock options, RSUs, PRSUs and at the discretion of Hexcel, could result in the issuance of other types of stock-based awards.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”)

The Company offers an ESPP, which allowed for eligible employees to contribute up to 10% of their base earnings, to a maximum of $25,000 in a calendar year, toward the quarterly purchase of our common stock at a purchase price equal to 85% of the fair market value of the common stock. There were 80,589, 73,809 and 74,664 ESPP shares purchased in 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

 

69


 

Note 14 — Net Income Per Common Share

Computations of basic and diluted net income per common share for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, are as follows:

 

(In millions, except per share data)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

Basic net income per common share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

132.1

 

 

$

105.7

 

 

$

126.3

 

Weighted average common shares outstanding

 

 

82.3

 

 

 

84.6

 

 

 

84.4

 

Basic net income per common share

 

$

1.61

 

 

$

1.25

 

 

$

1.50

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diluted net income per common share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average common shares outstanding — Basic

 

 

82.3

 

 

 

84.6

 

 

 

84.4

 

Plus incremental shares from assumed conversions:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restricted stock units

 

 

0.4

 

 

 

0.5

 

 

 

0.4

 

Stock options

 

 

0.3

 

 

 

0.4

 

 

 

0.2

 

Weighted average common shares outstanding — Dilutive

 

 

83.0

 

 

 

85.5

 

 

 

85.0

 

Dilutive net income per common share

 

$

1.59

 

 

$

1.24

 

 

$

1.49

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anti-dilutive shares outstanding, excluded from computation

 

 

0.9

 

 

 

0.3

 

 

 

0.8

 

 

Note 15 — Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company had treasury lock agreements to protect against unfavorable movements in the benchmark treasury rate related to the issuance of our senior unsecured notes. These hedges were designated as cash flow hedges, thus any change in fair value was recorded as a component of other comprehensive income (loss). As part of the issuance of our senior notes, we net settled these derivatives for $10 million in cash and the deferred gains recorded in other comprehensive income (loss) will be released to interest expense over the life of the senior notes. The effect of these settled treasury locks reduces the effective interest rate on the senior notes by approximately 0.25%.

Cross Currency and Interest Rate Swap Agreements

In November 2020, we entered into a cross currency and interest rate swap which is designated as a cash flow hedge of a €270 million, 5-year amortizing, intercompany loan between one of our European subsidiaries and the U.S. parent company. Changes in the spot exchange are recorded to the general ledger and offset the fair value re-measurement of the hedged item. The net difference in the interest rates coupons is recorded as a credit to interest expense. The derivative swaps €270 million bearing interest at a fixed rate of 0.30% for $319.9 million at a fixed rate interest of 1.115%. The interest coupons settle semi-annually. The principal will amortize each year on November 15, as follows: for years 1 through 4, beginning November 15, 2021, €50 million versus $59.2 million, and a final settlement on November 15, 2025 of €70 million versus $82.9 million. The carrying value of the derivative at December 31, 2024 is a current asset of $9.5 million.

Foreign Currency Forward Exchange Contracts

A number of our European subsidiaries are exposed to the impact of exchange rate volatility between the U.S. dollar and the subsidiaries’ functional currencies, being either the Euro or the British pound sterling. We have entered into contracts to exchange U.S. dollars for Euros and British pound sterling through June 2027. The aggregate notional amount of these contracts was $386.4 million at December 31, 2024 and $393.3 million at December 31, 2023. The purpose of these contracts is to hedge a portion of the forecasted transactions of European subsidiaries under long-term sales contracts with certain customers. These contracts are expected to provide us with a more balanced matching of future cash receipts and expenditures by currency, thereby reducing our exposure to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The effective portion of the hedges was losses of $19.3 million, gains of $10.5 million and losses of $27.9 million, for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and are recorded in other comprehensive (loss) income.

 

The fair values of outstanding derivative financial instruments as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 were as follows:

 

70


 

 

Prepaid and Other Current Assets

 

Other Assets

 

Current Liabilities

 

Non-Current Liabilities

 

(In millions)

December 31, 2024

 

December 31, 2023

 

December 31, 2024

 

December 31, 2023

 

December 31, 2024

 

December 31, 2023

 

December 31, 2024

 

December 31, 2023

 

Derivative Products

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Foreign currency forward exchange contracts

$

1.5

 

$

4.8

 

$

0.1

 

$

5.5

 

$

6.8

 

$

3.2

 

$

5.2

 

$

 

  Undesignated hedges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.1

 

 

1.4

 

 

 

 

 

  Commodity swaps

 

 

0.5

 

 

 

0.2

 

 

1.1

 

 

1.5

 

 

0.3

 

 

0.2

 

  Cross currency and interest rate swap

 

13.9

 

 

4.3

 

 

 

 

3.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Derivative Products

$

15.4

 

$

9.6

 

$

0.1

 

$

9.4

 

$

8.0

 

$

6.1

 

$

5.5

 

$

0.2

 

 

During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 the net impact for the hedges recognized in sales was a loss of $1.5 million and a loss of $10.9 million, respectively. For the two years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, hedge ineffectiveness was immaterial.

In addition, we enter into foreign exchange forward contracts which are not designated as hedges. These are used to provide an offset to transactional gains or losses arising from the remeasurement of non-functional monetary assets and liabilities such as accounts receivable. The change in the fair value of the derivatives is recorded in the statement of operations. There are no credit contingency features in these derivatives. During the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, we recognized net foreign exchange gains of $4.0 million, $1.4 million, and $3.3 million, respectively, in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The carrying amount of the contracts for asset and liability derivatives not designated as hedging instruments was $0.1 million of current liabilities on our Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2024.

The activity, net of tax, in accumulated other comprehensive loss related to foreign currency forward exchange contracts for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 was as follows:

 

2024

 

2023

 

2022

 

Unrealized gain (loss) at beginning of period, net of tax

$

5.2

 

$

(10.5

)

$

(3.5

)

Loss reclassified to net sales

 

1.1

 

 

8.0

 

 

14.0

 

(Decrease) increase in fair value

 

(14.2

)

 

7.7

 

 

(21.0

)

Unrealized gain (loss) at end of period, net of taxes

$

(7.9

)

$

5.2

 

$

(10.5

)

 

Unrealized loss of $5.3 million recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax of $1.4 million, as of December 31, 2024 are expected to be reclassified into earnings over the next twelve months as the hedged sales are recorded. The impact of credit risk adjustments was immaterial for the three years.

Commodity Swap Agreements

We use commodity swap agreements to hedge against price fluctuations of raw materials, including propylene (the principal component of acrylonitrile). As of December 31, 2024, the Company had commodity swap agreements with a notional value of $19.0 million. The swaps mature monthly through December 2026. The swaps are accounted for as a cash flow hedge of our forward raw material purchases. To ensure the swaps are highly effective, all of the critical terms of the swap matched the terms of the hedged items. The fair value of the commodity swap agreements was a liability of $1.3 million (of which $0.3 million was recorded in long term liabilities) ) at December 31, 2024 and an asset of $0.7 million and a liability of $1.7 million (of which $0.2 million was recorded in long term liabilities) at December 31, 2023.

 

Note 16 — Commitments and Contingencies

We are involved in litigation, investigations and claims arising out of the normal conduct of our business, including those relating to commercial transactions, environmental, employment and health and safety matters. While it is impossible to predict the ultimate resolution of litigation, investigations and claims asserted against us, we believe, based upon our examination of currently available information, our experience to date, and advice from legal counsel, that, after taking into account our existing insurance coverage and amounts already provided for, the currently pending legal proceedings against us will not have a material adverse impact on our consolidated results of operations, financial position or cash flows.

Environmental Matters

We have been named as a potentially responsible party (“PRP”) with respect to the below and other hazardous waste disposal sites that we do not own or possess, which are included on, or proposed to be included on, the Superfund National Priority List of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) or on equivalent lists of various state governments. Because the Federal

71


 

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA” or “Superfund”) allows for joint and several liability in certain circumstances, we could be responsible for all remediation costs at such sites, even if we are one of many PRPs. We believe, based on the amount and nature of the hazardous waste at issue, and the number of other financially viable PRPs at each site, that our liability in connection with such environmental matters will not be material.

Lower Passaic River Study Area

Hexcel together with approximately 48 other PRPs that comprise the Lower Passaic Cooperating Parties Group (the “CPG”), are subject to a May 2007 Administrative Order on Consent (“AOC”) with the EPA requiring the CPG to perform a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study of environmental conditions of a 17-mile stretch of the Passaic River in New Jersey (the “Lower Passaic River”). We were included in the CPG based on our operations at our former manufacturing site in Lodi, New Jersey.

 

In March 2016, the EPA issued a Record of Decision (“ROD”) setting forth the EPA’s selected remedy for the lower eight miles of the Lower Passaic River at an expected cost ranging from $0.97 billion to $2.07 billion. In August 2017, the EPA appointed an independent third-party allocation expert to make recommendations on the relative liability of approximately 120 identified non-government PRPs for the lower eight miles of the Lower Passaic River. In December 2020, the allocator issued its non-binding report on PRP liability (including Hexcel’s) to the EPA. In October 2021, the EPA released a ROD selecting an interim remedy for the upper nine miles of the Lower Passaic River at an expected additional cost ranging from $308.7 million to $661.5 million.

 

October 2016, pursuant to a settlement agreement with the EPA, Occidental Chemical Corporation (“OCC”), one of the PRPs, commenced performance of the remedial design required by the ROD for the lower eight miles of the Lower Passaic River, reserving its right of cost contribution from all other PRPs. In June 2018, OCC filed suit against approximately 120 parties, including Hexcel, in the U.S. District Court of the District of New Jersey seeking cost recovery and contribution under CERCLA related to the Lower Passaic River. In July 2019, the court granted in part and denied in part the defendants’ motion to dismiss. In August 2020, the court granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment for certain claims. Discovery for the remaining claims has been stayed indefinitely based on agreement of the parties. On February 24, 2021, Hexcel and certain other defendants filed a third-party complaint against the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission and certain New Jersey municipalities seeking recovery of Passaic-related cleanup costs incurred by defendants, as well as contribution for any cleanup costs incurred by OCC for which the court deems the defendants liable. In March 2023, the EPA issued a Unilateral Administrative Order (“UAO”) to OCC ordering OCC to commence remedial design work for the interim remedy for the cleanup of the upper nine miles of the Lower Passaic River. On March 24, 2023, OCC filed suit against Hexcel and approximately 38 other parties claiming cost recovery under CERCLA for future costs related to its compliance with the UAO. On January 5, 2024, the U.S. District Court stayed the foregoing claim initiated by OCC until the completion of the Passaic-related Consent Decree process.

On December 16, 2022, the EPA lodged a Consent Decree with the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey requesting court approval of a $150 million settlement of the EPA’s CERCLA claims against Hexcel and 83 other PRPs for costs related to alleged contamination of the upper and lower portions of the Lower Passaic River. The 84 PRPs have collectively placed $150 million in escrow, pending District Court approval of the Consent Decree. In December 2024, the District Court granted the issuance of the Consent Decree, however, this decision has been appealed.

Environmental remediation reserve activity for the three years ended December 31, was as follows:

(In millions)

2024

 

2023

 

2022

 

Beginning remediation accrual balance

$

0.7

 

$

0.8

 

$

2.1

 

Current period expenses

 

 

0.3

 

 

Cash expenditures

 

(0.4

)

 

(0.4

)

 

(1.3

)

Ending remediation accrual balance

$

0.3

 

$

0.7

 

$

0.8

 

 

Summary of Environmental Reserves

Our estimate of liability as a PRP and our remaining costs associated with our responsibility to remediate the Lower Passaic River and other sites are accrued in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, our aggregate environmental related accruals were $0.3 million and $0.7 million, respectively. These amounts were included in non-current liabilities.

These accruals can change significantly from period to period due to such factors as additional information on the nature or extent of contamination, the methods of remediation required, changes in the apportionment of costs among responsible parties and other actions by governmental agencies or private parties, or the impact, if any, of being named in a new matter.

72


 

Product Warranty

Warranty expense for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 and accrued warranty cost, included in “other accrued liabilities” in the Consolidated Balance Sheets were as follows:

 

 

 

Product

 

(In millions)

 

Warranties

 

Balance as of December 31, 2021

 

$

 

2.5

 

Warranty expense

 

 

 

3.3

 

Deductions and other

 

 

 

(2.7

)

Balance as of December 31, 2022

 

$

 

3.1

 

Warranty expense

 

 

 

3.3

 

Deductions and other

 

 

 

(3.6

)

Balance as of December 31, 2023

 

$

 

2.8

 

Warranty expense

 

 

 

2.9

 

Deductions and other

 

 

 

(3.3

)

Balance as of December 31, 2024

 

$

 

2.4

 

 

Purchase Obligations

At December 31, 2024, purchase commitments were $15.1 million for 2025, $11.2 million for 2026, $8.9 million for 2027, $6.2 million for 2028, $5.5 million for 2029, and $42.0 million thereafter.

 

Note 17 — Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

Comprehensive income represents net income and other gains and losses affecting stockholders’ equity that are not reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The components of accumulated other comprehensive loss as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 were as follows:

 

 

Unrecognized
Net Defined
Benefit

 

 

Change in
Fair Value
of Derivatives

 

 

Foreign
Currency

 

 

 

 

(In millions)

 

Plan Costs

 

 

Products

 

 

Translation

 

 

Total

 

Balance at December 31, 2022

 

$

(49.1

)

 

$

(15.4

)

 

$

(109.9

)

 

$

(174.4

)

Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications

 

 

(4.2

)

 

 

8.6

 

 

 

29.1

 

 

 

33.5

 

Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive
   loss

 

 

54.3

 

 

 

12.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

66.8

 

Other comprehensive income (loss)

 

 

50.1

 

 

 

21.1

 

 

 

29.1

 

 

 

100.3

 

Balance at December 31, 2023

 

$

1.0

 

 

$

5.7

 

 

$

(80.8

)

 

$

(74.1

)

Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications

 

 

(1.4

)

 

 

(16.1

)

 

 

(29.1

)

 

 

(46.6

)

Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive
   loss

 

 

(0.3

)

 

 

6.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.7

 

Other comprehensive loss

 

 

(1.7

)

 

 

(10.1

)

 

 

(29.1

)

 

 

(40.9

)

Balance at December 31, 2024

 

$

(0.7

)

 

$

(4.4

)

 

$

(109.9

)

 

$

(115.0

)

 

The amount of net (gains) losses reclassified to earnings from the unrecognized net defined benefit and postretirement plan costs and derivative products components of accumulated other comprehensive loss for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 were as follows:

 

73


 

 

 

Year Ended December 31, 2024

 

 

Year Ended December 31, 2023

 

 

Year Ended December 31, 2022

 

(In millions)

 

Pre-tax (gain) loss

 

 

Net of tax (gain) loss

 

 

Pre-tax (gain) loss

 

 

Net of tax (gain) loss

 

 

Pre-tax (gain) loss

 

 

Net of tax (gain) loss

 

Defined Benefit and Postretirement Plan Costs

 

$

(0.4

)

 

$

(0.3

)

 

$

72.3

 

 

$

54.3

 

 

$

2.4

 

 

$

1.9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Derivative Products

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Foreign currency forward exchange contracts

 

 

1.5

 

 

 

1.1

 

 

 

10.9

 

 

 

8.0

 

 

 

18.7

 

 

 

14.0

 

  Commodity swaps

 

 

0.7

 

 

 

0.5

 

 

 

5.3

 

 

 

4.0

 

 

 

2.0

 

 

 

1.5

 

  Interest rate swaps

 

 

5.7

 

 

 

4.4

 

 

 

0.7

 

 

 

0.5

 

 

 

(21.9

)

 

 

(16.9

)

Total Derivative Products

 

$

7.9

 

 

$

6.0

 

 

$

16.9

 

 

$

12.5

 

 

$

(1.2

)

 

$

(1.4

)

 

Note 18 Segment Information

In November 2023, the FASB amended the guidance in ASC 280, Segment Reporting by issuing ASU No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures, which updated the disclosure requirements for reportable segments, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. The Company adopted this guidance in the fourth quarter of 2024.

We report two segments, Composite Materials and Engineered Products. Corporate and certain other expenses are not allocated to the segments, except to the extent that the expense can be directly attributable to the segment. Corporate & Other is shown to reconcile to Hexcel’s consolidated results. Hexcel’s Chief Executive Officer & President, Tom Gentile, is the Company’s Chief Operating Decision-Maker ("CODM"). He assesses the performance of the Company’s entire business, as well as the individual segments, and is the ultimate decision maker in allocating resources within the Company. The CODM has leadership teams, organized along the various functions/lines of our business, with whom he regularly reviews and assesses segment operations and performance.

The financial results for our segments are prepared using a management approach, which is consistent with the basis and manner in which we internally segregate financial information for the purpose of assisting in making internal operating decisions. We evaluate the performance of our segments based on operating income, and generally account for intersegment sales based on arm’s length prices. Specifically, the CODM uses operating income to evaluate income generated from segment assets (return on assets) and to make decisions such as whether and where to reinvest profits back into the business.

In addition to the product line-based segmentation of our business, we also monitor sales into our principal end markets as a means to understanding demand for our products.

The following tables present financial information on our segments as of December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 and for the years then ended.

 

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Composite

 

 

Engineered

 

 

Corporate &

 

 

 

 

(In millions)

 

Materials

 

 

Products

 

 

Other (a)

 

 

Total

 

Year Ended December 31, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net sales to external customers

 

$

1,531.0

 

 

$

372.0

 

 

$

 

 

$

1,903.0

 

Intersegment sales

 

 

90.0

 

 

 

1.2

 

 

 

(91.2

)

 

 

 

Total sales

 

 

1,621.0

 

 

 

373.2

 

 

 

(91.2

)

 

 

1,903.0

 

Cost of sales

 

 

1,218.8

 

 

 

299.5

 

 

 

(85.1

)

 

 

1,433.2

 

Gross margin

 

 

402.2

 

 

 

73.7

 

 

 

(6.1

)

 

 

469.8

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

 

98.3

 

 

 

21.7

 

 

 

56.6

 

 

 

176.6

 

Research and technology expenses

 

 

48.1

 

 

 

4.7

 

 

 

4.3

 

 

 

57.1

 

Other operating expense

 

 

40.8

 

 

 

7.7

 

 

 

1.5

 

 

 

50.0

 

Operating income (loss)

 

$

215.0

 

 

$

39.6

 

 

$

(68.5

)

 

$

186.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31, 2023

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net sales to external customers

 

$

1,474.2

 

 

$

314.8

 

 

$

 

 

$

1,789.0

 

Intersegment sales

 

 

70.6

 

 

 

2.4

 

 

 

(73.0

)

 

 

 

Total sales

 

 

1,544.8

 

 

 

317.2

 

 

 

(73.0

)

 

 

1,789.0

 

Cost of sales

 

 

1,165.1

 

 

 

261.1

 

 

 

(70.4

)

 

 

1,355.8

 

Gross margin

 

 

379.7

 

 

 

56.1

 

 

 

(2.6

)

 

 

433.2

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

 

95.5

 

 

 

19.0

 

 

 

49.3

 

 

 

163.8

 

Research and technology expenses

 

 

45.1

 

 

 

4.1

 

 

 

3.5

 

 

 

52.7

 

Other operating expense

 

 

1.2

 

 

 

0.2

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.4

 

Operating income (loss)

 

$

237.9

 

 

$

32.8

 

 

$

(55.4

)

 

$

215.3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net sales to external customers

 

$

1,279.7

 

 

$

298.0

 

 

$

 

 

$

1,577.7

 

Intersegment sales

 

 

66.3

 

 

 

2.8

 

 

 

(69.1

)

 

 

 

Total sales

 

 

1,346.0

 

 

 

300.8

 

 

 

(69.1

)

 

 

1,577.7

 

Cost of sales

 

 

1,039.6

 

 

 

244.0

 

 

 

(63.0

)

 

 

1,220.6

 

Gross margin

 

 

306.4

 

 

 

56.8

 

 

 

(6.1

)

 

 

357.1

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

 

82.8

 

 

 

15.7

 

 

 

49.5

 

 

 

148.0

 

Research and technology expenses

 

 

37.9

 

 

 

4.5

 

 

 

3.4

 

 

 

45.8

 

Other operating expense

 

 

7.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

(19.4

)

 

 

(11.9

)

Operating income (loss)

 

$

178.2

 

 

$

36.6

 

 

$

(39.6

)

 

$

175.2

 

 

 

75


 

(In millions)

 

Composite
Materials

 

 

Engineered
Products

 

 

Corporate &
Other

 

 

Total

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2024

 

$

109.1

 

 

$

14.9

 

 

$

 

 

$

124.0

 

2023

 

 

110.4

 

 

 

14.4

 

 

 

0.0

 

 

 

124.8

 

2022

 

 

112.0

 

 

 

14.1

 

 

 

0.1

 

 

 

126.2

 

Equity in earnings (losses) from affiliated companies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2024

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

2023

 

 

 

 

 

8.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.1

 

2022

 

 

 

 

 

8.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.1

 

Segment assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2024

 

$

2,147.6

 

 

$

541.4

 

 

$

36.6

 

 

$

2,725.6

 

2023

 

 

2,309.3

 

 

 

543.1

 

 

 

66.1

 

 

 

2,918.5

 

2022

 

 

2,269.4

 

 

 

523.2

 

 

 

44.7

 

 

 

2,837.3

 

Investments in affiliated companies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2024

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

5.0

 

 

$

5.0

 

2023

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

5.0

 

 

 

5.0

 

2022

 

 

1.5

 

 

 

38.6

 

 

 

7.5

 

 

 

47.6

 

Accrual basis additions to property, plant and equipment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2024

 

$

67.1

 

 

$

14.0

 

 

$

 

 

$

81.1

 

2023

 

 

70.9

 

 

 

50.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

121.6

 

2022

 

 

58.3

 

 

 

11.4

 

 

 

0.1

 

 

 

69.8

 

Stock-based compensation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2024

 

$

6.1

 

 

$

1.5

 

 

$

14.6

 

 

$

22.2

 

2023

 

 

6.2

 

 

 

1.7

 

 

 

13.0

 

 

 

20.9

 

2022

 

 

5.8

 

 

 

1.6

 

 

 

12.6

 

 

 

20.0

 

 

76


 

Geographic Data

Net sales and long-lived assets, by geographic area, consisted of the following for the three years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:

 

(In millions)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

Net Sales by Geography (a):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

United States

 

$

955.8

 

 

$

888.2

 

 

$

819.4

 

International

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

France

 

 

340.8

 

 

 

320.4

 

 

 

235.9

 

Spain

 

 

199.4

 

 

 

183.2

 

 

 

158.9

 

Germany

 

 

149.2

 

 

 

153.6

 

 

 

138.6

 

United Kingdom

 

 

167.8

 

 

 

150.4

 

 

 

119.0

 

Austria

 

 

38.1

 

 

 

56.1

 

 

 

72.8

 

Other

 

 

51.9

 

 

 

37.1

 

 

 

33.1

 

Total international

 

 

947.2

 

 

 

900.8

 

 

 

758.3

 

Total consolidated net sales

 

$

1,903.0

 

 

$

1,789.0

 

 

$

1,577.7

 

Net Sales to External Customers (b):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

United States

 

$

779.9

 

 

$

737.5

 

 

$

667.7

 

International

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Germany

 

 

141.0

 

 

141.2

 

 

122.3

 

France

 

 

170.1

 

 

174.7

 

 

143.4

 

Spain

 

 

147.7

 

 

138.1

 

 

124.7

 

United Kingdom

 

 

66.7

 

 

 

65.3

 

 

 

51.1

 

Other

 

 

597.6

 

 

 

532.2

 

 

 

468.5

 

Total international

 

 

1,123.1

 

 

 

1,051.5

 

 

 

910.0

 

Total consolidated net sales

 

$

1,903.0

 

 

$

1,789.0

 

 

$

1,577.7

 

Long-lived Assets (c):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

United States

 

$

1,363.8

 

 

$

1,410.3

 

 

$

1,420.9

 

International

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

France

 

$

294.8

 

 

322.7

 

 

318.1

 

United Kingdom

 

 

99.8

 

 

107.2

 

 

107.5

 

Spain

 

 

42.4

 

 

45.5

 

 

45.8

 

Other

 

 

58.2

 

 

73.6

 

 

71.2

 

Total international

 

 

495.2

 

 

 

549.0

 

 

 

542.6

 

Total consolidated long-lived assets

 

$

1,859.0

 

 

$

1,959.3

 

 

$

1,963.5

 

 

(a)
Net sales by geography based on the location in which the product sold was manufactured.
(b)
Net sales to external customers based on the location to which the product sold was delivered.
(c)
Long-lived assets primarily consist of property, plant and equipment, net and goodwill at December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022. Also included are right of use assets related to operating leases.

 

Significant Customers

 

Approximately 40%, 39% and 38% of our 2024, 2023 and 2022 net sales, respectively were to Airbus and its subcontractors and approximately 15%, 15% and 14% of our 2024, 2023 and 2022 net sales, respectively were to Boeing and its subcontractors.

77


 

Note 19— Fair Value Measurements

The fair values of our financial instruments are classified into one of the following categories:

Level 1: Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical assets or liabilities. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to Level 1 inputs.
Level 2: Observable inputs other than quoted prices in active markets but corroborated by market data.
Level 3: Unobservable inputs are used when little or no market data is available. The fair value hierarchy gives the lowest priority to Level 3 inputs.

In determining fair value, we utilize valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs to the extent possible as well as consider our own and counterparty credit risk.

For derivative assets and liabilities that utilize Level 2 inputs, we prepare estimates of future cash flows of our derivatives, which are discounted to a net present value. The estimated cash flows and the discount factors used in the valuation model are based on observable inputs and incorporate non-performance risk (the credit standing of the counterparty when the derivative is in a net asset position, and the credit standing of Hexcel when the derivative is in a net liability position). In addition, the fair value of these derivative contracts, which are subject to a master netting arrangement under certain circumstances, is presented on a gross basis in the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Below is a summary of valuation techniques for all Level 2 financial assets and liabilities:

Cross Currency and Interest Rate Swap Agreements — valued using the USD Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) curves and quoted forward foreign exchange prices at the reporting date.
Foreign exchange derivative assets and liabilities — valued using quoted forward foreign exchange prices at the reporting date.

 

Commodity swap agreements — valued using quoted forward commodity prices at the reporting date.

 

For more information regarding fair values for our financial assets and liabilities, see Note 15, Derivative Financial Instruments, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

Counterparties to the above contracts are highly rated financial institutions, none of which experienced any significant downgrades in 2024 that would reduce the receivable amount owed, if any, to the Company.

78


 

Exhibit 10.15

 

 

PERFORMANCE BASED AWARD AGREEMENT

under the

Hexcel Corporation 2013 Incentive Stock Plan

This Performance Based Award Agreement (the “Agreement”), is entered into as of the Grant Date, by and between Hexcel Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the Grantee.

The Company maintains the Hexcel Corporation 2013 Incentive Stock Plan (the “Plan”). The Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has determined that the Grantee shall be granted a Performance Based Award (“PBA”) upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter contained. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Plan.

1. Notice of Grant; Acceptance of PBA. A Notice of Grant is attached hereto as Annex A and incorporated by reference herein. The PBA awarded pursuant to this Agreement may result in the Grantee being awarded up to that number of unrestricted shares of Common Stock equal to the Maximum Share Award (as defined herein). Grantee will be deemed to accept the terms and conditions of this Agreement by clicking the “Accept” button on the Award Acceptance screen with regard to this PBA. By accepting the Agreement, the Grantee agrees to be bound by the terms of the Plan and this Agreement and further agrees that all of the decisions and determinations of the Committee shall be final and binding.

2. Incorporation of Plan. The Plan is incorporated by reference and made a part of this Agreement, and this Agreement shall be subject to the terms of the Plan, as the Plan may be amended from time to time. The PBA granted hereunder constitutes an Award within the meaning of the Plan and in the event of any conflict between the terms of the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan shall govern.

3. Performance Periods; Award of Unrestricted Shares of Common Stock.

(a) There is a Long-Term Performance Period (calendar years 2025-2027) under this PBA. The performance measures for the Long-Term Performance Period are Return on Invested Capital or “ROIC” and Relative Earnings Per Share Growth Rate or “Relative EPS Growth Rate.” The Grantee shall have the opportunity to earn (i) all, a portion or a multiple of one half of the PBA Target Share Award, as defined in the Notice of Grant, based on the extent to which the Company achieves the Return on Invested Capital Long-Term Performance Measure for the Long-Term Performance Period, and (ii) all, a portion or a multiple of one half of the PBA Target Share Award based on the extent to which the Company achieves the Relative EPS Growth Rate Long-Term Performance Measure for the Long-Term Performance Period, in each case as described in Section 3(b) below and Annex B attached hereto.

(b) (i) With respect to the portion of the PBA Target Share Award allocated to the Return on Invested Capital Long-Term Performance Measure, and subject to Section 5, if and only if the Threshold Level for the Return on Invested Capital Long-Term Performance Measure is met for the Long-Term Performance Period, and so long as the Grantee is employed by a member of the Hexcel Group at the end of the Long-Term Performance Period, or the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group terminates during the Long-Term Performance Period due to the Grantee’s Retirement, the Grantee shall, at such time as the number of PBA Shares is determined, if any, under this Section 3(b)(i), become entitled to receive that number of PBA Shares equal to the number determined in accordance with the ROIC Performance Measure Share Award Schedule that appears on Annex B.

(ii) With respect to the portion of the PBA Target Share Award allocated to the Relative EPS Growth Rate Long-Term Performance Measure, and subject to Section 5, if and only if the Threshold Level for the Relative EPS Growth Rate Long-Term Performance Measure is met for the Long-Term Performance Period, and so long as the Grantee is employed by a member of the Hexcel Group at the end of the Long-Term Performance Period, or the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group terminates during the Long-Term Performance Period due to the Grantee’s Retirement, the Grantee shall, at such time as the number of PBA Shares is determined, if any, under this Section 3(b)(ii), become entitled to receive that number of PBA Shares equal to the number determined in accordance with the Relative EPS Growth Rate Long-Term Performance Measure Share Award Schedule that appears on Annex B.

(iii) The Committee shall certify the degree of achievement of the Long-Term

Performance Measures at the end of the Long-Term Performance Period promptly (but in no event later than 60 days) after the end of the Long-Term Performance Period.

4. Termination of Employment; Pro-rata Award


(a) For purposes of the grant hereunder, any transfer of employment by the Grantee within the Hexcel Group, or any other change in employment that does not constitute a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 1.409A-1(h) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision), shall not be considered a termination of employment by the applicable member of the Hexcel Group. Any change in employment that does constitute a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 1.409A-1(h) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision) shall be considered a termination of employment.

(b) Subject to Section 4(c) and Section 5, if during the Long-Term Performance Period, the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group is involuntarily terminated without Cause or the Grantee terminates employment with a member of the Hexcel Group for Good Reason, then the Grantee shall be entitled to receive that number of PBA Shares that the Grantee would have been entitled to receive under Section 3(b) had the Grantee been employed by a member of the Hexcel Group at the end of the Long-Term Performance Period multiplied by a fraction equal to M/36, where M is the number of partial or total months the Grantee is employed by a member of the Hexcel Group during the Long-Term Performance Period.

(c) Subject to Section 5, if, at any time during the Long-Term Performance Period, the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group terminates due to the Grantee’s Retirement or Disability, then, following the completion of the Long-Term Performance Period, the Grantee shall be entitled to receive such number of PBA Shares as determined under Section 3(b) above without regard to any pro-ration under Section 4(b). If, following the Grantee’s Retirement or termination by the Hexcel Group following the Grantee’s Disability, the Grantee dies prior to the end of the Long-Term Performance Period, then the Grantee’s estate shall be entitled to receive 100% of the PBA Target Share Award, as defined in the Notice of Grant, within 60 days after the Grantee’s death (or where additional time is needed for administrative reasons, at such later time as is permitted under Section 409A of the Code).

(d) Subject to Section 5, if, at any time during the Long-Term Performance Period, the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group terminates due to the Grantee’s death, then the Grantee’s estate shall be entitled to receive 100% of the PBA Target Share Award, as defined in the Notice of Grant, within 60 days after the Grantee’s death (or where additional time is needed for administrative reasons, at such later time as is permitted under Section 409A of the Code).

(e) If, at any time during the Long-Term Performance Period the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group terminates for any reason other than due to death, Disability, Retirement, termination by the Grantee for Good Reason or involuntary termination by a member of the Hexcel Group without Cause, the Grantee shall receive no PBA Shares and this PBA shall be null and void.

(f) The Grantee (or the Grantee’s legal representative) shall become entitled to receive PBA Shares under Section 4(b) or Section 4(c) at the same time as the Grantee would have become entitled to receive PBA Shares under Section 3(b) if the Grantee were employed by a member of the Hexcel Group at the end of the Long-Term Performance Period.

5. Change in Control.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if a Change in Control occurs any time on or after the start of the Long-Term Performance Period, but prior to the last day of the Long-Term Performance Period, then the Grantee shall immediately be awarded the PBA Target Share Award, and any dividend equivalents that have been credited to the Grantee pursuant to Section 6(c). Delivery of the PBA Shares pursuant to this Section 5 shall discharge any obligation the Company has or may have to the Grantee under this Agreement in its entirety and the Grantee shall not be entitled to any additional award under this Agreement.

(b) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the provisions of the Plan applicable to an event described in Article X(d) of the Plan, which would include a Change in Control, shall apply to the PBA and, in such event, the Committee may take such actions as it deemed appropriate pursuant to the Plan, consistent with the requirements of the Applicable Regulations (as defined below).

6. Transferability of PBA; No Incidents of Ownership; Dividend Equivalents

(a) The PBA may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged, hypothecated or otherwise disposed of, except by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Any attempt to transfer the PBA in contravention of this Section 6(a) is void ab initio. The PBA shall not be subject to execution, attachment or other process.

(b) The Grantee shall not possess any incidents of ownership (including, without limitation, dividend and voting rights) in shares of Common Stock in respect of this PBA unless and until the Grantee becomes the holder of record of the PBA Shares.

(c) Should any cash dividends be declared and paid with respect to the shares of Common Stock during the period between (I) the Grant Date and (II) the last day of the Long-Term Performance Period, the Company shall credit to a dividend equivalent bookkeeping account (the “Dividend Equivalent Account”) the value of the dividends that would have been paid if the underlying PBA Target Share Award at the time of the declaration of the dividend were outstanding shares of Common Stock. At the same time that the corresponding PBA is converted to shares of Common Stock and distributed to the Grantee as set forth in Section


3(b), the Company shall pay to the Grantee a lump sum cash payment equal to the value of the cash dividends credited to the Grantee’s Dividend Equivalent Account that correspond to such PBA Shares (less withholdings for Tax-Related Items, defined in Section 9 below); provided, however, that any dividends that were credited to the Grantee’s Dividend Equivalent Account that are attributable to PBA Shares that have been forfeited as provided in this Agreement shall be forfeited and not payable to the Grantee. No interest shall accrue on any dividend equivalents credited to the Grantee’s Dividend Equivalent Account.

7. Forfeiture of PBA and PBA Shares on Certain Conditions. Grantee hereby acknowledges that the Hexcel Group has given or will give Grantee access to certain confidential, proprietary or trade secret information, which the Hexcel Group considers extremely valuable and which provides the Hexcel Group with a competitive advantage in the markets in which the Hexcel Group develops or sells its products. The Grantee further acknowledges that the use of such information by Grantee other than in furtherance of Grantee’s job responsibilities with the Hexcel Group would be extremely detrimental to the Hexcel Group and would cause immediate and irreparable harm to the Hexcel Group. In exchange for access to such confidential, proprietary or trade secret information, Grantee hereby agrees as follows:

(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, should the Grantee breach the “Protective Condition” (as defined in Section 7(b)), then (I) The PBA awarded pursuant to this Agreement shall immediately be forfeited upon such breach, (II) the Grantee shall immediately deliver to the Company the number of PBA Shares previously distributed to the Grantee during the 180-day period prior to the termination of the Grantee’s employment with any member of the Hexcel Group that have not been sold or otherwise disposed of, and (III) with respect to any PBA Shares previously distributed to the Grantee during the 180-day period prior to the termination of the Grantee’s employment with any member of the Hexcel Group that have been sold or otherwise disposed of, the Grantee shall immediately pay to the Company, in cash, an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of such PBA Shares as of the date acquired by the Grantee. The Company may elect to reduce the number of PBA Shares, or the amount of the cash payment, otherwise due under clauses (II) and (III) to reflect the Grantee’s liability for taxes payable on such PBA Shares and/or proceeds.

(b) “Protective Condition” shall mean that (I) the Grantee complies with all terms and provisions of any obligation of confidentiality contained in a written agreement with any member of the Hexcel Group signed by the Grantee, or otherwise imposed on Grantee by applicable law, and (II) during the time Grantee is employed by any member of the Hexcel Group and for a period of one year following the termination of the Grantee’s employment with any member of the Hexcel Group, the Grantee does not (1) engage, directly or indirectly, in any substantially similar or related capacity, as the Grantee was engaged or employed by any member of the Hexcel Group during the Grantee’s employment, including but not limited to as employee, agent, consultant, manager, executive, owner or stockholder (except as a passive investor holding less than a 5% equity interest in any enterprise), in any business enterprise then engaged in competition with the business conducted by the Hexcel Group anywhere in the world where the Grantee performed services for any member of the Hexcel Group during the preceding 24 months of the Grantee’s employment or engagement with Hexcel Group if the Hexcel Group carries out or engaged in a like business therein at such time (notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent the Grantee is a Louisiana based employee, the geographic scope of this non-compete provision shall apply only to Union Parish); provided, however, that the Grantee may be employed by a competitor of the Hexcel Group within such one year period so long as the duties and responsibilities of Grantee’s position with such competitor do not involve the same or substantially similar duties and responsibilities as those performed by the Grantee for any member of the Hexcel Group in a business segment of the new employer which competes with the business segment(s) with which the Grantee worked or had supervisory authority over while employed by any member of the Hexcel Group during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the date on which the Grantee’s employment terminates, (2) employ or attempt to employ, solicit or attempt to solicit, or negotiate or arrange the employment or engagement with Grantee or any other Person, of any Person who was at the date of termination of the Grantee’s employment, or within twelve (12) months prior to that date had been, a member of the senior management of any member of the Hexcel Group with whom the Grantee worked closely or was an employee with whom the Grantee worked closely or had supervisory authority over during the twelve months immediately preceding the date on which the Grantee’s employment terminates or (3) disparage any member of the Hexcel Group, any of its respective current or former directors, officers or employees or any of its respective products (notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent Grantee is a California based employee, then foregoing clauses (1) and (2) shall not apply). The Grantee acknowledges that the business of the Hexcel Group is conducted nationwide and worldwide. The Grantee also acknowledges that the restrictions in this section are therefore reasonably restricted geographically to the entire United States of America, as well as all countries in which any member of the Hexcel Group does business. The Grantee also acknowledges and agrees that (A) complying with the restrictions contained in Section 7(a) and Section 7(b) would not prevent the Grantee from earning a living and (B) such restrictions are necessary and reasonable (including, without limitation, with respect to geographic scope and duration, as applicable) to protect the Hexcel Group’s valid business interests (including, without limitation, relationships with customers, goodwill, the protection of trade secrets and other confidential and proprietary Information, protection from unfair competition, and other protectable interests).

(c) Nothing in this Agreement prevents the Grantee from providing, without prior notice to the Company, information to any governmental or administrative authorities regarding possible violations of law or otherwise testifying or participating in any investigation or proceeding by any governmental or administrative authorities regarding possible violations of law or filing a charge or complaint with any securities regulatory agency or authority. This Agreement does not limit the Grantee’s right to receive an award for information provided to any securities regulatory agency or authority. Moreover, this Agreement does not, in any way, restrict or


impede the Grantee from exercising protected rights to the extent that such rights cannot be waived by agreement, including but not limited to the Grantee’s Section 7 rights under the National Labor Relations Act. The Grantee represents and acknowledges that he or she had a reasonable opportunity to consult with counsel of the Grantee’s choice prior to signing this Agreement.

(d) This paragraph (d) shall apply if the Grantee is an executive officer or officer (as defined in Rule 3b-7or Rule 3b-2 under the Exchange Act). In accordance with the Company’s policy adopted by the Board on the Potential Impact on Compensation from Executive Misconduct, if it is determined, within eighteen (18) full calendar months after the date on which the Grantee became entitled to receive any PBA Shares, that the Grantee engaged in misconduct resulting in the inaccurate reporting of the Company’s financial results, and the number of PBA Shares the Grantee became entitled to receive (the “Incorrect Number of Shares”) was greater than the number of PBA Shares that would have been awarded, paid or delivered to, or realized by, the Grantee, if calculated based on the accurate reporting of financial results (the “Correct Number of Shares”), then (I) if the Grantee has not yet received the PBA Shares, the number of PBA Shares to which the Grantee shall be entitled shall be immediately reduced from the Incorrect Number of Shares to the Correct Number of Shares, (II) if the Grantee has received the PBA Shares, then the Grantee shall immediately deliver to the Company that number of PBA Shares equal to the difference between the Incorrect Number of Shares and the Correct Number of Shares (the “Forfeited Shares”), and (III) if the Grantee has received the PBA Shares and sold any of the Forfeited Shares in an arms’ length transaction or disposed of such shares in any other manner, the Grantee shall immediately deliver to the Company all proceeds from the arms’ length sales of such Forfeited Shares and, if disposed of otherwise than in an arms’ length sale, the Fair Market Value of such shares determined at the time of disposition. The PBA Shares and proceeds to be delivered under clauses (II) and (III) may be reduced to reflect the Grantee’s liability for taxes payable on such PBA Shares and/or proceeds.

(e) In the event any of Section 7(a), Section 7(b) or Section 7(d) is unenforceable in the jurisdiction in which the Grantee is employed on the date hereof, such section nevertheless shall be enforceable to the full extent permitted by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Company shall have the ability to seek remedies against the Grantee arising from any activity prohibited by this Section 7.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision in the Plan or this Agreement to the contrary, whenever the Company may be entitled or required by law, Company policy, including, without limitation, any applicable clawback, recoupment or other policies of the Company relating to the PBA Shares, or the requirements of an exchange on which the Company’s shares are listed for trading, to cause an Award to be forfeited or to recoup compensation received by the Grantee pursuant to the Plan, including recovery of shares distributed or the proceeds of shares sold or transferred, the Grantee shall accept such forfeiture and comply with any Company request or demand for recoupment of compensation received. Without limiting the preceding sentence, the PBA granted hereunder shall be subject to the Company’s Clawback Policy (CP No. 1.7) or any similar successor policy adopted by the Company.

8. Issuance of PBA Shares. Subject to the last sentence of Section 4(c) above, the provisions of Section 4(d) above or Section 11(e) below, any PBA Shares to be issued to the Grantee under this PBA (i) shall be delivered to the Grantee promptly after the Committee certifies achievement of the Long-Term Performance Measures (but in no event later than 60 days following the end of the Long-Term Performance Period), and (ii) may be issued in either certificated form or in uncertificated form (via the Direct Registration System or otherwise).

9. Taxes. The Company shall not be obligated to deliver any PBA Shares (or any other amounts hereunder) to the Grantee or the Grantee’s legal representative unless and until the Grantee or the Grantee’s legal representative shall have paid or otherwise satisfied in full the amount of all federal, state, local, foreign or other tax required to be withheld by the Company or a Subsidiary in connection with the grant, vesting or payment of the PBA (the “Tax-Related Items”). In this regard, at the time of distribution of PBA Shares, the Grantee hereby authorizes the Company and/or a Subsidiary, or their respective agents, to satisfy any applicable withholding obligations for Tax-Related Items by withholding PBA Shares otherwise issuable to the Grantee upon the settlement of the Restricted Units with a value equal to the required withholding, provided that (a) to the extent necessary to qualify for an exemption from application of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, if applicable, such share withholding procedure will be subject to the express prior approval of the Board or the Committee; and (b) in no event shall the value of the PBA Shares retained exceed the amount of taxes required to be withheld based on the maximum statutory tax rates in the Grantee’s applicable taxing jurisdictions. If the obligation for Tax-Related Items is satisfied by withholding PBA Shares, for tax purposes, the Grantee is deemed to have been issued the full number of PBA Shares otherwise payable upon settlement of the Restricted Units, notwithstanding that a number of the PBA Shares is held back solely for the purpose of satisfying the withholding obligations for Tax-Related Items. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company may permit (in accordance with procedures established by the Company) or require the Grantee to pay an amount equal to all or any portion of the applicable Tax-Related Items directly to the Company or a Subsidiary by check or wire transfer, or the Company may satisfy the Tax Related Items by withholding from the Grantee’s salary, wages, or any other amounts payable to the Grantee, in accordance with applicable law.

10. No Guarantee of Employment. Nothing set forth herein or in the Plan shall confer upon the Grantee any right of continued employment for any period by the Hexcel Group, or shall interfere in any way with the right of the Hexcel Group to terminate such employment.

11. Section 409A.


(a) It is intended that this Agreement comply in all respects with the requirements of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and applicable Treasury Regulations and other generally applicable guidance issued thereunder (collectively, the “Applicable Regulations”), and this Agreement shall be interpreted for all purposes in accordance with this intent.

(b) Notwithstanding any term or provision of this Agreement (including any term or provision of the Plan incorporated in this Agreement by reference), the parties hereto agree that, from time to time, the Company may, without prior notice to or consent of the Grantee, amend this Agreement to the extent determined by the Company, in the exercise of its discretion in good faith, to be necessary or advisable to prevent the inclusion in the Grantee’s gross income pursuant to the Applicable Regulations of any compensation intended to be deferred hereunder. The Company shall notify the Grantee as soon as reasonably practicable of any such amendment affecting the Grantee.

(c) In the event that the PBA Shares issuable or amounts payable under this Agreement are subject to any taxes, penalties or interest under the Applicable Regulations, the Grantee shall be solely liable for the payment of any such taxes, penalties or interest. Although the Company intends to administer the Plan and this Agreement to prevent adverse taxation under the Applicable Regulations, the Company does not represent nor warrant that the Plan or this Agreement complies with any provision of federal, state, local or other tax law.

(d) Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, the time for distribution of PBA Shares under this PBA shall not be accelerated or delayed for any reason, unless to the extent necessary to comply with or permitted under the Applicable Regulations.

(e) Notwithstanding any term or provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if the Grantee is a specified employee (as defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code) as of the date of his or her termination of employment, then any PBA Shares issuable or amounts payable to the Grantee under this PBA on account of his or her termination of employment (including without limitation any dividend equivalents payable to the Grantee pursuant to Section 6(c) if payable on account of his or her termination of employment) shall be paid to the Grantee upon the later of (i) the date such PBA Shares would otherwise be issuable or such amounts would otherwise be payable to the Grantee under this PBA without regard to this Section 11(e) and (ii) the date which is six months following the date of the Grantee’s termination of employment. The preceding sentence shall not apply in the event Grantee’s termination of employment is due to his or her death. If the Grantee should terminate employment for a reason other than his or her death but subsequently die during the six-month period described in subclause (ii) of the first sentence above, such six-month period shall be deemed to end on the date of the Grantee’s death.

12. Notices. Any notice required or permitted under this Agreement shall be deemed given when delivered personally, or when deposited in a United States Post Office, postage prepaid, addressed, as appropriate, to the Grantee at the last address specified in Grantee’s employment records, or such other address as the Grantee may designate in writing to the Company, Attention: Corporate Secretary, or such other address as the Company may designate in writing to the Grantee.

13. Amendment; Waiver. The Committee may modify this Agreement upon written notice to the Grantee. Any amendment to the Plan shall be deemed to be an amendment to this Agreement to the extent that the amendment is applicable hereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amendment of the Plan or this Agreement shall adversely affect the rights of the Grantee under this Agreement without the Grantee’s consent, unless Section 11(b) applies. The failure of either party hereto to enforce at any time any provision of this Agreement shall in no way be construed to be a waiver of such provision or of any other provision hereof.

14. Governing Law/Jurisdiction/Resolution of Disputes. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed according to the laws of the State of Delaware, USA without regard to the conflicts of laws provisions thereof. Any disputes arising under or in connection with this Agreement shall be resolved by binding arbitration before three arbitrators constituting an Employment Dispute Tribunal, to be held in the state of Connecticut, USA in accordance with the commercial rules and procedures of the American Arbitration Association. Judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator shall be final and subject to appeal only to the extent permitted by law. Each party shall bear such party’s own expenses incurred in connection with any arbitration. Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, each party hereto has the right to proceed with a court action for injunctive relief or relief from violations of law not within the jurisdiction of an arbitrator.

15. Miscellaneous. This Agreement cannot be changed or terminated orally. This Agreement and the Plan contain the entire agreement between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement inures to the benefit of, and is binding upon, the Company and its successors-in-interest and its assigns, and the Grantee, the Grantee’s heirs, executors, administrators and legal representatives. The section headings herein are intended for reference only and shall not affect the interpretation hereof.

16. Severability. The provisions of this Agreement are severable and if any one or more provisions are determined to be illegal or otherwise unenforceable, in whole or in part, the remaining provisions shall nevertheless be binding and enforceable.

17. Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:


(a) “Cause” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Executive Severance Agreement or Executive Severance Policy, as applicable;

(b) “Change in Control” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Executive Severance Agreement or Executive Severance Policy, as applicable; provided that the transactions or events also constitute a “change in control event,” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5);

(c) “Disability” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Executive Severance Agreement or Executive Severance Policy, as applicable;

(d) “Exchange Act” shall mean the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended;

(e) “Executive Severance Agreement” shall mean the Executive Severance Agreement between the Company or its Subsidiary and the Grantee, as amended from time to time;

(f) “Executive Severance Policy” shall mean the Executive Severance Policy adopted by the Committee, and which applies to a termination of employment of a Grantee who has received an offer letter of employment from the Company or its Subsidiary that expressly extends the provisions of such Policy to such Grantee;

(g) “Good Reason” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Executive Severance Agreement or Executive Severance Policy, as applicable;

(h) “Hexcel Group” shall mean the Company and its Subsidiaries;

(j) “Long-Term Performance Measures” shall mean ROIC and Relative EPS Growth Rate each as defined on Annex B attached hereto;

(k) “Long-Term Performance Period” shall mean the period beginning on January 1, 2025 and ending on December 31, 2027;

(l) “Maximum Share Award” is the maximum amount of unrestricted shares of Common Stock that can be awarded to the Grantee under this PBA, which is 200% of the PBA Target Share Award, exclusive of any amounts credited as dividend equivalents to Grantee pursuant to Section 6(c);

(m) “PBA Shares” shall mean the unrestricted shares of Common Stock that Grantee is entitled to receive under this Agreement pursuant to Section 3, Section 4 or Section 5.

(n) “PBA Target Share Award” shall mean the number of unrestricted shares of Common Stock set forth on Annex A (which number represents the number of unrestricted shares that can be awarded to the Grantee under this PBA if the Target Level of 100% for each of the Long-Term Performance Measures is achieved as set forth in Annex B);

(o) “Person” shall have the meaning given in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act, as modified and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act and shall include “persons acting as a group” within the meaning of Section 1.409A-3(i)(5)(v)(B) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision);

(p) “Relative Earnings Per Share Growth Rate” or “Relative EPS Growth Rate” is defined on Annex B attached hereto;

(q) “Retirement” shall mean termination of the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group, other than by reason of death or Cause, either (A) at or after age 65 or (B) at or after age 55 after five (5) years of employment by the Hexcel Group;

(r) “Return on Invested Capital” or “ROIC” is defined on Annex B attached hereto;

(s) “Subsidiary” shall mean any “subsidiary” of the Company within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act;

(t) “Target Level” for each of the Long-Term Performance Measures is defined on Annex B; and

(u) “Threshold Level” for each of the Long-Term Performance Measures is defined on Annex B.

 


Annex A

NOTICE OF GRANT

PERFORMANCE BASED AWARD

HEXCEL CORPORATION 2013 INCENTIVE STOCK PLAN

The following employee of Hexcel Corporation, a Delaware corporation, or a Subsidiary, has been granted a Performance Based Award in accordance with the terms of this Notice of Grant and the Agreement to which this Notice of Grant is attached.

The terms below shall have the meanings ascribed to them below when used in the Agreement.

Grantee

Participant Name

Grant Date

January ___, 2025

Target number of unrestricted shares of Common Stock which may be granted as a result of this PBA (“PBA Target Share Award”)

Number of Awards Granted

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereby agree to the terms of this Notice of Grant and the Agreement to which this Notice of Grant is attached and execute this Notice of Grant and the Agreement as of the Grant Date

.

__________________________ HEXCEL CORPORATION

Grantee

By:_________________________

Gail E. Lehman

Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Sustainability Officer and Secretary

 

 

 


 

Exhibit 10.16

 

 

PERFORMANCE BASED AWARD AGREEMENT

under the

Hexcel Corporation 2013 Incentive Stock Plan

This Performance Based Award Agreement (the “Agreement”), is entered into as of the Grant Date, by and between Hexcel Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the Grantee.

The Company maintains the Hexcel Corporation 2013 Incentive Stock Plan (the “Plan”). The Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has determined that the Grantee shall be granted a Performance Based Award (“PBA”) upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter contained. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Plan.

1. Notice of Grant; Acceptance of PBA. A Notice of Grant is attached hereto as Annex A and incorporated by reference herein. The PBA awarded pursuant to this Agreement may result in the Grantee being awarded up to that number of unrestricted shares of Common Stock equal to the Maximum Share Award (as defined herein). Grantee will be deemed to accept the terms and conditions of this Agreement by clicking the “Accept” button on the Award Acceptance screen with regard to this PBA. By accepting the Agreement, the Grantee agrees to be bound by the terms of the Plan and this Agreement and further agrees that all of the decisions and determinations of the Committee shall be final and binding.

2. Incorporation of Plan. The Plan is incorporated by reference and made a part of this Agreement, and this Agreement shall be subject to the terms of the Plan, as the Plan may be amended from time to time. The PBA granted hereunder constitutes an Award within the meaning of the Plan and in the event of any conflict between the terms of the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan shall govern.

3. Performance Periods; Award of Unrestricted Shares of Common Stock.

(a) There is a Long-Term Performance Period (calendar years 2025-2027) under this PBA. The performance measures for the Long-Term Performance Period are Return on Invested Capital or “ROIC” and Relative Earnings Per Share Growth Rate or “Relative EPS Growth Rate.” The Grantee shall have the opportunity to earn (i) all, a portion or a multiple of one half of the PBA Target Share Award, as defined in the Notice of Grant, based on the extent to which the Company achieves the Return on Invested Capital Long-Term Performance Measure for the Long-Term Performance Period, and (ii) all, a portion or a multiple of one half of the PBA Target Share Award based on the extent to which the Company achieves the Relative EPS Growth Rate Long-Term Performance Measure for the Long-Term Performance Period, in each case as described in Section 3(b) below and Annex B attached hereto.

(b) (i) With respect to the portion of the PBA Target Share Award allocated to the Return on Invested Capital Long-Term Performance Measure, and subject to Section 5, if and only if the Threshold Level for the Return on Invested Capital Long-Term Performance Measure is met for the Long-Term Performance Period, and so long as the Grantee is employed by a member of the Hexcel Group at the end of the Long-Term Performance Period, or the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group terminates during the Long-Term Performance Period due to the Grantee’s Retirement, the Grantee shall, at such time as the number of PBA Shares is determined, if any, under this Section 3(b)(i), become entitled to receive that number of PBA Shares equal to the number determined in accordance with the ROIC Performance Measure Share Award Schedule that appears on Annex B.

(ii) With respect to the portion of the PBA Target Share Award allocated to the Relative EPS Growth Rate Long-Term Performance Measure, and subject to Section 5, if and only if the Threshold Level for the Relative EPS Growth Rate Long-Term Performance Measure is met for the Long-Term Performance Period, and so long as the Grantee is employed by a member of the Hexcel Group at the end of the Long-Term Performance Period, or the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group terminates during the Long-Term Performance Period due to the Grantee’s Retirement, the Grantee shall, at such time as the number of PBA Shares is determined, if any, under this Section 3(b)(ii), become entitled to receive that number of PBA Shares equal to the number determined in accordance with the Relative EPS Growth Rate Long-Term Performance Measure Share Award Schedule that appears on Annex B.

(iii) The Committee shall certify the degree of achievement of the Long-Term

Performance Measures at the end of the Long-Term Performance Period promptly (but in no event later than 60 days) after the end of the Long-Term Performance Period.

4. Termination of Employment; Pro-rata Award


(a) For purposes of the grant hereunder, any transfer of employment by the Grantee within the Hexcel Group, or any other change in employment that does not constitute a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 1.409A-1(h) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision), shall not be considered a termination of employment by the applicable member of the Hexcel Group. Any change in employment that does constitute a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 1.409A-1(h) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision) shall be considered a termination of employment.

(b) Subject to Section 4(c) and Section 5, if during the Long-Term Performance Period, the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group is involuntarily terminated without Cause or the Grantee terminates employment with a member of the Hexcel Group for Good Reason, then the Grantee shall be entitled to receive that number of PBA Shares that the Grantee would have been entitled to receive under Section 3(b) had the Grantee been employed by a member of the Hexcel Group at the end of the Long-Term Performance Period multiplied by a fraction equal to M/36, where M is the number of partial or total months the Grantee is employed by a member of the Hexcel Group during the Long-Term Performance Period.

(c) Subject to Section 5, if, at any time during the Long-Term Performance Period, the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group terminates due to the Grantee’s Retirement or Disability, then, following the completion of the Long-Term Performance Period, the Grantee shall be entitled to receive such number of PBA Shares as determined under Section 3(b) above without regard to any pro-ration under Section 4(b). If, following the Grantee’s Retirement or termination by the Hexcel Group following the Grantee’s Disability, the Grantee dies prior to the end of the Long-Term Performance Period, then the Grantee’s estate shall be entitled to receive 100% of the PBA Target Share Award, as defined in the Notice of Grant, within 60 days after the Grantee’s death (or where additional time is needed for administrative reasons, at such later time as is permitted under Section 409A of the Code).

(d) Subject to Section 5, if, at any time during the Long-Term Performance Period, the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group terminates due to the Grantee’s death, then the Grantee’s estate shall be entitled to receive 100% of the PBA Target Share Award, as defined in the Notice of Grant, within 60 days after the Grantee’s death (or where additional time is needed for administrative reasons, at such later time as is permitted under Section 409A of the Code).

(e) If, at any time during the Long-Term Performance Period the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group terminates for any reason other than due to death, Disability, Retirement, termination by the Grantee for Good Reason or involuntary termination by a member of the Hexcel Group without Cause, the Grantee shall receive no PBA Shares and this PBA shall be null and void.

(f) The Grantee (or the Grantee’s legal representative) shall become entitled to receive PBA Shares under Section 4(b) or Section 4(c) at the same time as the Grantee would have become entitled to receive PBA Shares under Section 3(b) if the Grantee were employed by a member of the Hexcel Group at the end of the Long-Term Performance Period.

5. Change in Control.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if a Change in Control occurs any time on or after the start of the Long-Term Performance Period, but prior to the last day of the Long-Term Performance Period, then the Grantee shall immediately be awarded the PBA Target Share Award, and any dividend equivalents that have been credited to the Grantee pursuant to Section 6(c). Delivery of the PBA Shares pursuant to this Section 5 shall discharge any obligation the Company has or may have to the Grantee under this Agreement in its entirety and the Grantee shall not be entitled to any additional award under this Agreement.

(b) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the provisions of the Plan applicable to an event described in Article X(d) of the Plan, which would include a Change in Control, shall apply to the PBA and, in such event, the Committee may take such actions as it deemed appropriate pursuant to the Plan, consistent with the requirements of the Applicable Regulations (as defined below).

6. Transferability of PBA; No Incidents of Ownership; Dividend Equivalents

(a) The PBA may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged, hypothecated or otherwise disposed of, except by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Any attempt to transfer the PBA in contravention of this Section 6(a) is void ab initio. The PBA shall not be subject to execution, attachment or other process.

(b) The Grantee shall not possess any incidents of ownership (including, without limitation, dividend and voting rights) in shares of Common Stock in respect of this PBA unless and until the Grantee becomes the holder of record of the PBA Shares.

(c) Should any cash dividends be declared and paid with respect to the shares of Common Stock during the period between (I) the Grant Date and (II) the last day of the Long-Term Performance Period, the Company shall credit to a dividend equivalent bookkeeping account (the “Dividend Equivalent Account”) the value of the dividends that would have been paid if the underlying PBA Target Share Award at the time of the declaration of the dividend were outstanding shares of Common Stock. At the same time that the corresponding PBA is converted to shares of Common Stock and distributed to the Grantee as set forth in Section


3(b), the Company shall pay to the Grantee a lump sum cash payment equal to the value of the cash dividends credited to the Grantee’s Dividend Equivalent Account that correspond to such PBA Shares (less withholdings for Tax-Related Items, defined in Section 9 below); provided, however, that any dividends that were credited to the Grantee’s Dividend Equivalent Account that are attributable to PBA Shares that have been forfeited as provided in this Agreement shall be forfeited and not payable to the Grantee. No interest shall accrue on any dividend equivalents credited to the Grantee’s Dividend Equivalent Account.

7. Forfeiture of PBA and PBA Shares on Certain Conditions. Grantee hereby acknowledges that the Hexcel Group has given or will give Grantee access to certain confidential, proprietary or trade secret information, which the Hexcel Group considers extremely valuable and which provides the Hexcel Group with a competitive advantage in the markets in which the Hexcel Group develops or sells its products. The Grantee further acknowledges that the use of such information by Grantee other than in furtherance of Grantee’s job responsibilities with the Hexcel Group would be extremely detrimental to the Hexcel Group and would cause immediate and irreparable harm to the Hexcel Group. In exchange for access to such confidential, proprietary or trade secret information, Grantee hereby agrees as follows:

(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, should the Grantee breach the “Protective Condition” (as defined in Section 7(b)), then (I) The PBA awarded pursuant to this Agreement shall immediately be forfeited upon such breach, (II) the Grantee shall immediately deliver to the Company the number of PBA Shares previously distributed to the Grantee during the 180-day period prior to the termination of the Grantee’s employment with any member of the Hexcel Group that have not been sold or otherwise disposed of, and (III) with respect to any PBA Shares previously distributed to the Grantee during the 180-day period prior to the termination of the Grantee’s employment with any member of the Hexcel Group that have been sold or otherwise disposed of, the Grantee shall immediately pay to the Company, in cash, an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of such PBA Shares as of the date acquired by the Grantee. The Company may elect to reduce the number of PBA Shares, or the amount of the cash payment, otherwise due under clauses (II) and (III) to reflect the Grantee’s liability for taxes payable on such PBA Shares and/or proceeds.

(b) “Protective Condition” shall mean that (I) the Grantee complies with all terms and provisions of any obligation of confidentiality contained in a written agreement with any member of the Hexcel Group signed by the Grantee, or otherwise imposed on Grantee by applicable law, and (II) during the time Grantee is employed by any member of the Hexcel Group and for a period of one year following the termination of the Grantee’s employment with any member of the Hexcel Group, the Grantee does not (1) engage, directly or indirectly, in any substantially similar or related capacity, as the Grantee was engaged or employed by any member of the Hexcel Group during the Grantee’s employment, including but not limited to as employee, agent, consultant, manager, executive, owner or stockholder (except as a passive investor holding less than a 5% equity interest in any enterprise), in any business enterprise then engaged in competition with the business conducted by the Hexcel Group anywhere in the world where the Grantee performed services for any member of the Hexcel Group during the preceding 24 months of the Grantee’s employment or engagement with Hexcel Group if the Hexcel Group carries out or engaged in a like business therein at such time; provided, however, that the Grantee may be employed by a competitor of the Hexcel Group within such one year period so long as the duties and responsibilities of Grantee’s position with such competitor do not involve the same or substantially similar duties and responsibilities as those performed by the Grantee for any member of the Hexcel Group in a business segment of the new employer which competes with the business segment(s) with which the Grantee worked or had supervisory authority over while employed by any member of the Hexcel Group during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the date on which the Grantee’s employment terminates, (2) employ or attempt to employ, solicit or attempt to solicit, or negotiate or arrange the employment or engagement with Grantee or any other Person, of any Person who was at the date of termination of the Grantee’s employment, or within twelve (12) months prior to that date had been, a member of the senior management of any member of the Hexcel Group with whom the Grantee worked closely or was an employee with whom the Grantee worked closely or had supervisory authority over during the twelve months immediately preceding the date on which the Grantee’s employment terminates or (3) disparage any member of the Hexcel Group, any of its respective current or former directors, officers or employees or any of its respective products (notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent Grantee is a California based employee, then foregoing clauses (1) and (2) shall not apply). The Grantee acknowledges that the business of the Hexcel Group is conducted nationwide and worldwide. The Grantee also acknowledges that the restrictions in this section are therefore reasonably restricted geographically to the entire United States of America, as well as all countries in which any member of the Hexcel Group does business. The Grantee also acknowledges and agrees that (A) complying with the restrictions contained in Section 7(a) and Section 7(b) would not prevent the Grantee from earning a living and (B) such restrictions are necessary and reasonable (including, without limitation, with respect to geographic scope and duration, as applicable) to protect the Hexcel Group’s valid business interests (including, without limitation, relationships with customers, goodwill, the protection of trade secrets and other confidential and proprietary Information, protection from unfair competition, and other protectable interests).

(c) Nothing in this Agreement prevents the Grantee from providing, without prior notice to the Company, information to any governmental or administrative authorities regarding possible violations of law or otherwise testifying or participating in any investigation or proceeding by any governmental or administrative authorities regarding possible violations of law or filing a charge or complaint with any securities regulatory agency or authority. This Agreement does not limit the Grantee’s right to receive an award for information provided to any securities regulatory agency or authority. Moreover, this Agreement does not, in any way, restrict or impede the Grantee from exercising protected rights to the extent that such rights cannot be waived by agreement, including but not


limited to the Grantee’s Section 7 rights under the National Labor Relations Act. The Grantee represents and acknowledges that he or she had a reasonable opportunity to consult with counsel of the Grantee’s choice prior to signing this Agreement.

(d) This paragraph (d) shall apply if the Grantee is an executive officer or officer (as defined in Rule 3b-7or Rule 3b-2 under the Exchange Act). In accordance with the Company’s policy adopted by the Board on the Potential Impact on Compensation from Executive Misconduct, if it is determined, within eighteen (18) full calendar months after the date on which the Grantee became entitled to receive any PBA Shares, that the Grantee engaged in misconduct resulting in the inaccurate reporting of the Company’s financial results, and the number of PBA Shares the Grantee became entitled to receive (the “Incorrect Number of Shares”) was greater than the number of PBA Shares that would have been awarded, paid or delivered to, or realized by, the Grantee, if calculated based on the accurate reporting of financial results (the “Correct Number of Shares”), then (I) if the Grantee has not yet received the PBA Shares, the number of PBA Shares to which the Grantee shall be entitled shall be immediately reduced from the Incorrect Number of Shares to the Correct Number of Shares, (II) if the Grantee has received the PBA Shares, then the Grantee shall immediately deliver to the Company that number of PBA Shares equal to the difference between the Incorrect Number of Shares and the Correct Number of Shares (the “Forfeited Shares”), and (III) if the Grantee has received the PBA Shares and sold any of the Forfeited Shares in an arms’ length transaction or disposed of such shares in any other manner, the Grantee shall immediately deliver to the Company all proceeds from the arms’ length sales of such Forfeited Shares and, if disposed of otherwise than in an arms’ length sale, the Fair Market Value of such shares determined at the time of disposition. The PBA Shares and proceeds to be delivered under clauses (II) and (III) may be reduced to reflect the Grantee’s liability for taxes payable on such PBA Shares and/or proceeds.

(e) In the event any of Section 7(a), Section 7(b) or Section 7(d) is unenforceable in the jurisdiction in which the Grantee is employed on the date hereof, such section nevertheless shall be enforceable to the full extent permitted by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Company shall have the ability to seek remedies against the Grantee arising from any activity prohibited by this Section 7.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision in the Plan or this Agreement to the contrary, whenever the Company may be entitled or required by law, Company policy, including, without limitation, any applicable clawback, recoupment or other policies of the Company relating to the PBA Shares, or the requirements of an exchange on which the Company’s shares are listed for trading, to cause an Award to be forfeited or to recoup compensation received by the Grantee pursuant to the Plan, including recovery of shares distributed or the proceeds of shares sold or transferred, the Grantee shall accept such forfeiture and comply with any Company request or demand for recoupment of compensation received. Without limiting the preceding sentence, the PBA granted hereunder shall be subject to the Company’s Clawback Policy (CP No. 1.7) or any similar successor policy adopted by the Company.

8. Issuance of PBA Shares. Subject to the last sentence of Section 4(c) above, the provisions of Section 4(d) above or Section 14(e) below, any PBA Shares to be issued to the Grantee under this PBA (i) shall be delivered to the Grantee promptly after the Committee certifies achievement of the Long-Term Performance Measures (but in no event later than 60 days following the end of the Long-Term Performance Period), and (ii) may be issued in either certificated form or in uncertificated form (via the Direct Registration System or otherwise).

9. Taxes.

(a) The Company shall not be obligated to deliver any PBA Shares (or any other amounts hereunder) to the Grantee or the Grantee’s legal representative unless and until the Grantee or the Grantee’s legal representative shall have paid or otherwise satisfied in full the amount of all federal, state, local, foreign or other tax required to be withheld by the Company or a Subsidiary in connection with the grant, vesting or payment of the PBA (the “Tax-Related Items”). In this regard, at the time of distribution of PBA Shares, the Grantee hereby authorizes the Company and/or a Subsidiary, or their respective agents, to satisfy any applicable withholding obligations for Tax-Related Items by withholding PBA Shares otherwise issuable to the Grantee upon the settlement of the Restricted Units with a value equal to the required withholding, provided that (a) to the extent necessary to qualify for an exemption from application of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, if applicable, such share withholding procedure will be subject to the express prior approval of the Board or the Committee; and (b) in no event shall the value of the PBA Shares retained exceed the amount of taxes required to be withheld based on the maximum statutory tax rates in the Grantee’s applicable taxing jurisdictions. If the obligation for Tax-Related Items is satisfied by withholding PBA Shares, for tax purposes, the Grantee is deemed to have been issued the full number of PBA Shares otherwise payable upon settlement of the Restricted Units, notwithstanding that a number of the PBA Shares is held back solely for the purpose of satisfying the withholding obligations for Tax-Related Items. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company may permit (in accordance with procedures established by the Company) or require the Grantee to pay an amount equal to all or any portion of the applicable Tax-Related Items directly to the Company or a Subsidiary by check or wire transfer, or the Company may satisfy the Tax Related Items by withholding from the Grantee’s salary, wages, or any other amounts payable to the Grantee, in accordance with applicable law.

(b) Regardless of any action the Company or its Subsidiary takes with respect to any such Tax-Related Items, the Grantee acknowledges that the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items legally due by the Grantee is and remains the Grantee’s responsibility and may exceed the amount actually withheld by the Company or its Subsidiary. The Grantee further acknowledges that the Company and its Subsidiary (i) make no representations or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in


connection with any aspect of the PBA, including the grant, vesting or settlement of the PBA and the subsequent sale of any PBA Shares acquired at settlement; and (ii) do not commit to structure the terms of the grant or any aspect of the PBA to reduce or eliminate the Grantee’s liability for Tax-Related Items. Further, if the Grantee has become subject to tax in more than one jurisdiction between the Grant Date and the date of any relevant taxable event, the Grantee acknowledges that the Company or its Subsidiaries may be required to collect, withhold or account for Tax-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction.

10. No Guarantee of Employment. Nothing set forth herein or in the Plan shall confer upon the Grantee any right of continued employment for any period by the Hexcel Group, or shall interfere in any way with the right of the Hexcel Group to terminate such employment.

11. No Entitlement or Claims for Compensation. In connection with the acceptance of the grant of the PBA under this Agreement, the Grantee acknowledges the following:

(a) The Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, the grant of performance based awards under the Plan is made at the discretion of the Committee and the Plan may be modified, amended, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time.

(b) The grant of the PBA is voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future grants of performance based awards, or benefits in lieu of performance based awards, even if performance based awards have been granted repeatedly in the past.

(c) All decisions with respect to future grants of performance based awards, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Committee.

(d) The Grantee is voluntarily participating in the Plan.

(e) This grant of the PBA and any PBA Shares acquired under the Plan in connection with the PBA are extraordinary items that do not constitute compensation of any kind for services of any kind rendered to the Company or any Subsidiary and which are outside the scope of the Grantee’s employment contract, if any.

(f) This grant of the PBA and any shares acquired under the Plan and their value are not to be considered part of the Grantee’s normal or expected compensation or salary for any purpose, including, but not limited to, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, payment in lieu of notice, redundancy, end of service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, pension or retirement benefits or similar payments.

(g) This grant of the PBA and any PBA Shares acquired under the Plan in connection with the PBA are not intended to replace any pension rights or compensation.

(h) The future value of PBA Shares is unknown and cannot be predicted with certainty. If the Grantee vests in the PBA and receives PBA Shares, the value of the acquired shares may increase or decrease. The Grantee acknowledges and agrees that neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall be liable for any foreign exchange rate fluctuation between the Grantee’s local currency and the United States Dollar that may affect the value of the PBA or of any amounts received by the Grantee pursuant to the PBA or the subsequent sale of any PBA Shares acquired in connection with the PBA.

(i) The Grantee shall have no rights, claim or entitlement to compensation or damages as a result of the Grantee’s termination of employment or service for any reason whatsoever, whether or not in breach of contract or local labor law, insofar as these rights, claim or entitlement arise or may arise from the Grantee’s ceasing to have rights under or be entitled to the PBA as a result of such termination or loss or diminution in value of the PBA or any of the PBA Shares received in connection with the PBA as a result of such termination, and the Grantee irrevocably releases the Company and its Subsidiaries, as applicable, from any such rights, entitlement or claim that may arise. If, notwithstanding the foregoing, any such right or claim is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to have arisen, then, by accepting this Agreement, the Grantee shall be deemed to have irrevocably waived the Grantee’s entitlement to pursue such rights or claim.

12. Data Privacy.

(a) The Grantee hereby acknowledges and understands that the Grantee’s personal data is collected, retained, used, processed, disclosed and transferred, in electronic or other form, as described in this Agreement by and among, as applicable, the Grantee’s employer, the Company and its Subsidiaries, and third parties assisting in the implementation, administration and management of the Plan for the exclusive purpose of implementing, administering and managing the Grantee’s participation in the Plan.

(b) The Grantee understands that the Grantee’s employer, the Company and its Subsidiaries hold certain personal information about the Grantee regarding the Grantee’s employment, the nature and amount of the Grantee’s compensation and the fact


and conditions of the Grantee’s participation in the Plan, including, but not limited to, the Grantee’s name, home address, telephone number and e-mail address, date of birth, social insurance number or other identification number, salary, nationality, job title, any equity or directorships held in the Company or its Subsidiaries, and details of all performance based awards or any other entitlement to equity awarded, canceled, exercised, vested, unvested or outstanding in the Grantee’s favor, in connection with the implementation, management and administration of the Plan (the “Data”).

(c) The Grantee understands that the Data may be transferred to the Company, its Subsidiaries and any third parties assisting in the implementation, administration and management of the Plan, that these recipients may be located in the Grantee’s country, or elsewhere, and that the recipient’s country may have a lower standard of data privacy rights and protections than the Grantee’s country of residence. The Grantee understands that the Grantee may request a list with the names and addresses of any recipients of the Data by contacting the Grantee’s local human resources representative. The Grantee understands that the recipients receive, possess, use, retain and transfer the Data, in electronic or other form, for the purposes of implementing, administering and managing the Grantee’s participation in the Plan, including transfers of such Data to a broker or other third party. The Grantee understands that the Data will be held only as long as is necessary to implement, administer and manage the Grantee’s participation in the Plan in accordance with applicable law. The Grantee understands that the Grantee may, at any time, request to access or be provided the Data, request additional information about the storage and processing of the Data, require any corrections or amendments to the Data, in any case without cost and to the extent permitted by law, by contacting in writing the Grantee’s local human resources representative. The Grantee may also refuse or withdraw the consents in the Agreement; the Grantee understands, however, that not providing or withdrawing consent to the processing of his/her Data may affect the Grantee’s ability to participate in the Plan. For more information on the processing of his or her Data and other personal data, the Grantee is referred to the Privacy Notice made available provided to him/her by his/her employer.

13. Country Specific Terms. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the PBA shall be subject to the Country-Specific Terms attached hereto as an Addendum to this Agreement. In addition, if the Grantee relocates to one of the countries included in the Country-Specific Terms, the special terms and conditions for such country will apply to the Grantee to the extent the Company determines that the application of such terms and conditions is necessary or advisable in order to comply with local law or facilitate the administration of the Plan. The Country-Specific Terms constitute part of this Agreement and are incorporated herein by reference.

14. Section 409A.

(a) It is intended that this Agreement comply in all respects with the requirements of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and applicable Treasury Regulations and other generally applicable guidance issued thereunder (collectively, the “Applicable Regulations”), and this Agreement shall be interpreted for all purposes in accordance with this intent.

(b) Notwithstanding any term or provision of this Agreement (including any term or provision of the Plan incorporated in this Agreement by reference), the parties hereto agree that, from time to time, the Company may, without prior notice to or consent of the Grantee, amend this Agreement to the extent determined by the Company, in the exercise of its discretion in good faith, to be necessary or advisable to prevent the inclusion in the Grantee’s gross income pursuant to the Applicable Regulations of any compensation intended to be deferred hereunder. The Company shall notify the Grantee as soon as reasonably practicable of any such amendment affecting the Grantee.

(c) In the event that the PBA Shares issuable or amounts payable under this Agreement are subject to any taxes, penalties or interest under the Applicable Regulations, the Grantee shall be solely liable for the payment of any such taxes, penalties or interest. Although the Company intends to administer the Plan and this Agreement to prevent adverse taxation under the Applicable Regulations, the Company does not represent nor warrant that the Plan or this Agreement complies with any provision of federal, state, local or other tax law.

(d) Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, the time for distribution of PBA Shares under this PBA shall not be accelerated or delayed for any reason, unless to the extent necessary to comply with or permitted under the Applicable Regulations.

(e) Notwithstanding any term or provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if the Grantee is a specified employee (as defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code) as of the date of his or her termination of employment, then any PBA Shares issuable or amounts payable to the Grantee under this PBA on account of his or her termination of employment (including without limitation any dividend equivalents payable to the Grantee pursuant to Section 6(c) if payable on account of his or her termination of employment) shall be paid to the Grantee upon the later of (i) the date such PBA Shares would otherwise be issuable or such amounts would otherwise be payable to the Grantee under this PBA without regard to this Section 14(e) and (ii) the date which is six months following the date of the Grantee’s termination of employment. The preceding sentence shall not apply in the event Grantee’s termination of employment is due to his or her death. If the Grantee should terminate employment for a reason other than his or her death but subsequently die during the six-month period described in subclause (ii) of the first sentence above, such six-month period shall be deemed to end on the date of the Grantee’s death.


15. Notices. Any notice required or permitted under this Agreement shall be deemed given when delivered personally, or when deposited in a United States Post Office, postage prepaid, addressed, as appropriate, to the Grantee at the last address specified in Grantee’s employment records, or such other address as the Grantee may designate in writing to the Company, Attention: Corporate Secretary, or such other address as the Company may designate in writing to the Grantee.

16. Amendment; Waiver. The Committee may modify this Agreement upon written notice to the Grantee. Any amendment to the Plan shall be deemed to be an amendment to this Agreement to the extent that the amendment is applicable hereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amendment of the Plan or this Agreement shall adversely affect the rights of the Grantee under this Agreement without the Grantee’s consent, unless Section 11(b) applies. The failure of either party hereto to enforce at any time any provision of this Agreement shall in no way be construed to be a waiver of such provision or of any other provision hereof.

17. Governing Law/Jurisdiction/Resolution of Disputes. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed according to the laws of the State of Delaware, USA without regard to the conflicts of laws provisions thereof. Any disputes arising under or in connection with this Agreement shall be resolved by binding arbitration before three arbitrators constituting an Employment Dispute Tribunal, to be held in the state of Connecticut, USA in accordance with the commercial rules and procedures of the American Arbitration Association. Judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator shall be final and subject to appeal only to the extent permitted by law. Each party shall bear such party’s own expenses incurred in connection with any arbitration. Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, each party hereto has the right to proceed with a court action for injunctive relief or relief from violations of law not within the jurisdiction of an arbitrator.

18. Miscellaneous. This Agreement cannot be changed or terminated orally. This Agreement and the Plan contain the entire agreement between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement inures to the benefit of, and is binding upon, the Company and its successors-in-interest and its assigns, and the Grantee, the Grantee’s heirs, executors, administrators and legal representatives. The section headings herein are intended for reference only and shall not affect the interpretation hereof.

19. Severability. The provisions of this Agreement are severable and if any one or more provisions are determined to be illegal or otherwise unenforceable, in whole or in part, the remaining provisions shall nevertheless be binding and enforceable.

20. Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:

(a) “Cause” shall mean:

(i)
the willful and continued failure by the Grantee to substantially perform his

duties or discharge his responsibilities to the Company, or to follow the reasonable requests of his supervisor to undertake actions falling within the scope of such duties and responsibilities; or

(ii)
any fraudulent or intentional misconduct by the Grantee that causes or might

reasonably be expected to cause material reputational, financial or other harm to the Company, or any improper or grossly negligent failure by the Grantee, including in a supervisory capacity, to identify, escalate, monitor or manage, in a timely manner and as reasonably expected, risks that cause or might reasonably be expected to cause material reputational, financial or other harm to the Company; or

(iii)
any conduct that violates the covenants set forth in Section 3(c) hereof or

restrictive covenants in any other written agreement between the Grantee and the Company, or violates requirements of the Company embodied in its employee policies adopted from time to time including, but not limited to, policies directed to ethical business conduct, insider trading, anti-corruption, harassment, and other policies proscribing or prohibiting conduct as an employee of the Company; or

(iv)
the Grantee becomes subject to a suspension or debarment proceeding, or

related investigations, conducted in connection with any actual or suspected violations of any United States Government procurement laws or regulations, or is for any other reason ineligible to participate in the discussion, negotiation and entering into of contracts with respect to United States government procurement, or fails to obtain or maintain any professional license reasonably required for the Grantee lawfully to perform her duties and responsibilities.

No act, or failure to act, on the Grantee's part shall be considered "willful" unless done, or omitted to be done, not in good faith and without reasonable belief that the action or omission was in the best interest of the Company. The Grantee shall not be deemed to have been terminated for Cause without delivery to the Grantee of a written notice of termination from the Chief Executive Officer specifying the grounds for Cause.


(b) “Change in Control” shall mean:

(i)
any person (as defined in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange

Act, as modified and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) (a "Person") is or becomes the Beneficial Owner (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of either (A) the combined fair market value of the then outstanding stock of the Company (the “Total Fair Market Value”) or (B) the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the Company (the “Total Voting Power”); excluding, however, the following: (I) any acquisition by the Company or any of its affiliates, (II) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any of its affiliates, (III) any Person who becomes such a Beneficial Owner in connection with a transaction described in the exclusion within paragraph (4) below and (IV) any acquisition of additional stock or securities by a Person who owns more than 50% of the Total Fair Market Value or Total Voting Power of the Company immediately prior to such acquisition; or

(ii)
any Person is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of

securities of the Company that, together with any securities acquired directly or indirectly by such Person within the immediately preceding twelve-consecutive month period, represent 40% or more of the Total Voting Power of the Company; excluding, however, any acquisition described in sub-clauses (I) through (IV) of subsection (1) above; or

(iii)
a change in the composition of the Board such that the individuals who, as of

the original effective date of this Agreement, constitute the Board (such individuals shall be hereinafter referred to as the “Incumbent Directors”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board; provided, however, for purposes of this definition, that any individual who becomes a director subsequent to such effective date, whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders, was made or approved by a vote of at least a majority of the Incumbent Directors (or directors whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved) shall be considered an Incumbent Director; but, provided, further, that any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of either an actual or threatened election contest or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a person or legal entity other than the Board shall not be considered an Incumbent Director; provided finally, however, that, as of any time, any member of the Board who has been a director for at least twelve consecutive months immediately prior to such time shall be considered an Incumbent Director for purposes of this definition, other than for the purpose of the first proviso of this definition; or

(iv)
there is consummated a merger or consolidation of the Company or any

direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company or a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company (“Corporate Transaction”); excluding, however, such a Corporate Transaction (A) pursuant to which all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who are the Beneficial Owners, respectively, of the outstanding Common Stock of the Company and Total Voting Power immediately prior to such Corporate Transaction will Beneficially Own, directly or indirectly, more than 50%, respectively, of the outstanding common stock and the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the company resulting from such Corporate Transaction (including, without limitation, a company which as a result of such transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries) in substantially the same proportions as their ownership immediately prior to such Corporate Transaction of the Outstanding Common Stock and Total Voting Power, as the case may be, and (B) immediately following which the individuals who comprise the Board immediately prior thereto constitute at least a majority of the board of directors of the company resulting from such Corporate Transaction (including, without limitation, a company which as a result of such transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries); provided, however, that notwithstanding anything to the contrary in subsections (1) through (4) above, an event which does not constitute a change in the ownership of the Company, a change in the effective control of the Company, or a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company, each as defined in Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision), shall not be considered a Change in Control for purposes of this Agreement.

(c) “Disability” shall mean Disability as determined under the Company’s then-existing long-term disability compensation programs.

(d) “Exchange Act” shall mean the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended;

(e) “Good Reason” shall mean a termination by the Grantee after a reduction of more than 10% in the Grantee’s annual Total Direct Compensation (“TDC”) as in effect on the date hereof or as his TDC may be increased from time to time hereafter (except for across-the-board reductions in TDC affecting all similarly situated officers of the Company which reductions shall not count toward the 10%). TDC means the sum of the Grantee’s annual base salary, annual target award under MICP, and the grant date


value of an annual equity award under the Company’s Incentive Stock Plan, as may be amended hereafter (the determination of grant date value shall be conclusively determined by the Compensation Committee for grants to the Grantee and all similarly situated officers of the Company). The Grantee shall be deemed to have waived any assertion of Good Reason unless the Grantee shall have delivered a written notice of termination to the Company, and specifying the reasons therefor, within 20 days after the effective date of such reduction. The Company shall have 10 days from the receipt of such notice to rescind or reverse the effect of such reduction and, upon doing so, both the grounds for Good Reason and the Grantee’s notice of termination automatically shall be deemed void with retroactive effect.

(f) “Hexcel Group” shall mean the Company and its Subsidiaries;

(g) “Long-Term Performance Measures” shall mean ROIC and Relative EPS Growth Rate each as defined on Annex B attached hereto;

(h) “Long-Term Performance Period” shall mean the period beginning on January 1, 2025 and ending on December 31, 2027;

(i) “Maximum Share Award” is the maximum amount of unrestricted shares of Common Stock that can be awarded to the Grantee under this PBA, which is 200% of the PBA Target Share Award, exclusive of any amounts credited as dividend equivalents to Grantee pursuant to Section 6(c);

(j) “PBA Shares” shall mean the unrestricted shares of Common Stock that Grantee is entitled to receive under this Agreement pursuant to Section 3, Section 4 or Section 5.

(k) “PBA Target Share Award” shall mean the number of unrestricted shares of Common Stock set forth on Annex A (which number represents the number of unrestricted shares that can be awarded to the Grantee under this PBA if the Target Level of 100% for each of the Long-Term Performance Measures is achieved as set forth in Annex B);

(l) “Person” shall have the meaning given in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act, as modified and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act and shall include “persons acting as a group” within the meaning of Section 1.409A-3(i)(5)(v)(B) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision);

(m) “Relative Earnings Per Share Growth Rate” or “Relative EPS Growth Rate” is defined on Annex B attached hereto;

(n) “Retirement” shall mean termination of the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group, other than by reason of death or Cause, either (A) at or after age 65 or (B) at or after age 55 after five (5) years of employment by the Hexcel Group;

(o) “Return on Invested Capital” or “ROIC” is defined on Annex B attached hereto;

(p) “Subsidiary” shall mean any “subsidiary” of the Company within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act;

(q) “Target Level” for each of the Long-Term Performance Measures is defined on Annex B; and

(r) “Threshold Level” for each of the Long-Term Performance Measures is defined on Annex B.


ADDENDUM TO PERFORMANCE BASED AWARD AGREEMENT

COUNTRY-SPECIFIC TERMS

FOR PARTICIPANTS OUTSIDE THE U.S.

These Country-Specific Terms include additional terms and conditions that govern the PBA awarded to the Grantee under the Plan if the Grantee resides in one of the countries listed below. Capitalized terms used but not defined in these Country-Specific Terms are defined in the Plan or this Agreement and have the meanings set forth therein.

FRANCE

French Sub-Plan

The PBA is intended to qualify for specific treatment under French tax and social security laws and is subject to the provisions below and the Specific and Additional Terms and Conditions for French Employees (the “French Sub-Plan”), which has been provided to the


Grantee and is incorporated herein. Capitalized terms below shall have the same definitions assigned to them under the French Sub-Plan and the Agreement.

No Dividend Equivalents. The Grantee shall not be entitled to any dividend equivalents with respect to the PBA and accordingly, no dividend equivalents shall be credited to the Grantee.

Closed Periods

The Grantee may be subject to restrictions on sale of PBA Shares during Closed Periods as set forth in the French Sub-Plan.

UNITED KINGDOM

PBA Payable Only in Shares. Notwithstanding any discretion in the Plan or anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the grant of the PBA does not provide the Grantee any right to receive a cash payment and the PBA may be settled only in shares of Common Stock.

Termination of Service. The Grantee has no right to compensation or damages on account of any loss in respect of the PBA under the Plan where the loss arises or is claimed to arise in whole or part from: (a) the termination of the Grantee’s office or employment; or (b) notice to terminate the Grantee’s office or employment. This exclusion of liability shall apply however termination of office or employment, or the giving of notice, is caused, and however compensation or damages are claimed. For the purpose of the Plan, the implied duty of trust and confidence is expressly excluded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 


Annex A

NOTICE OF GRANT

PERFORMANCE BASED AWARD

HEXCEL CORPORATION 2013 INCENTIVE STOCK PLAN

The following employee of Hexcel Corporation, a Delaware corporation, or a Subsidiary, has been granted a Performance Based Award in accordance with the terms of this Notice of Grant and the Agreement to which this Notice of Grant is attached.

The terms below shall have the meanings ascribed to them below when used in the Agreement.

Grantee

Participant Name

Grant Date

January ___, 2025

Target number of unrestricted shares of Common Stock which may be granted as a result of this PBA (“PBA Target Share Award”)

Number of Awards Granted

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereby agree to the terms of this Notice of Grant and the Agreement to which this Notice of Grant is attached and execute this Notice of Grant and the Agreement as of the Grant Date.

__________________________ HEXCEL CORPORATION

Grantee

By:_________________________

Gail E. Lehman

Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Sustainability Officer

and Secretary

 

 

 

 

 


 

Exhibit 10.17

 

 

EMPLOYEE OPTION AGREEMENT

under the

Hexcel Corporation 2013 Incentive Stock Plan

This Employee Option Agreement (the “Agreement”), is entered into as of the Grant Date, by and between the Optionee and Hexcel Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”).

The Company maintains the Hexcel Corporation 2013 Incentive Stock Plan (the “Plan”). The Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has determined that the Optionee shall be granted an Option (as defined below) upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter contained. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meaning assigned to them in the Plan.

1. Notice of Grant; Acceptance of Agreement. Pursuant to the Plan and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and therein, the Company hereby grants to the Optionee the number of Options indicated on the Notice of Grant attached hereto as Annex A, which Notice of Grant is incorporated by reference herein. Optionee will be deemed to accept the terms and conditions of this Agreement by clicking the “Accept” button on the Award Acceptance screen with regard to the Option. By accepting the Agreement, the Optionee agrees to be bound by the terms of the Plan and this Agreement and further agrees that all of the decisions and determinations of the Committee shall be final and binding.

2. Incorporation of Plan. The Plan is incorporated by reference and made a part of this Agreement, and this Agreement shall be subject to the terms of the Plan, as the Plan may be amended from time to time. The Option granted herein constitutes an Award within the meaning of the Plan and in the event of any conflict between the terms of the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan shall govern.

3. Grant of Option. Pursuant to the Plan and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and therein, the Company hereby grants to the Optionee the right and option (the “Option”) to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock, $.01 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), which Option is not intended to qualify as an incentive stock option, as defined in Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). Each Option entitles the Optionee to purchase one share of Common Stock in accordance with, and subject to the terms of, this Agreement, and the aggregate number of shares purchasable is equal to the number of Options hereby granted (“Option Shares”).

4. Purchase Price. The Purchase Price per share of the Option Shares is the Fair Market Value per share of Common Stock as of the Grant Date, and is set forth on Annex A.

5. Terms of Option.

(a) Expiration Date; Term. Subject to Section 5(c) below, the Option shall have a term of ten (10) years from the Grant Date and shall terminate at the expiration of that period, unless it is terminated at an earlier date pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement and the Plan. The ten-year period from the Grant Date to its tenth anniversary shall constitute the “Term” of the Option.

(b) Vesting Period; Exercisability. Subject to Section 5(c) below, the Option shall vest and become exercisable at the rate of 33-1/3% of the Option Shares on each of the first three anniversaries of the Grant Date (each such date a “Vesting Date”). The vesting and exercisability of the Option is cumulative, but shall not exceed 100% of the Option Shares subject to the Option. If the foregoing schedule would produce fractional Option Shares on a Vesting Date, the number of Option Shares for which the Option becomes vested and exercisable on such Vesting Date shall be rounded down to the nearest whole Option Share, with the portion that did not become vested and exercisable as provided above, because of the rounding down, shall become vested and exercisable on the third anniversary of the Grant Date so that the entire portion of such Option is vested and exercisable on the third anniversary of the Grant Date, provided that the Optionee has not had a termination of employment prior to such date.

(c) Termination of Employment; Change in Control.

(i) For purposes of the grant hereunder, any transfer of employment by the Optionee within the Hexcel Group shall not be considered a termination of employment by the applicable member of the Hexcel Group.

(x) If the Optionee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group is terminated for Cause (as defined in the last Section hereof), the Option, whether or not then vested and exercisable, shall be automatically terminated as of the date of such termination of employment. Subject to Section 5(c)(ii), if the Optionee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group shall terminate other than by reason of Retirement (as defined in the last Section hereof), Disability (as defined in the last Section hereof),


death or Cause, the Option (to the extent then vested and exercisable) may be exercised at any time within ninety (90) days after such termination (but not beyond the Term of the Option). The Option, to the extent not then vested and exercisable, shall immediately expire upon such termination.

(y) If, while employed by a member of the Hexcel Group, the Optionee dies or is terminated by a member of the Hexcel Group following Disability, the Option shall (I) become fully and immediately vested and exercisable and (II) remain exercisable for one year from the date of termination of employment on account of death or following Disability (but not beyond the Term of the Option).

(z) Subject to Section 5(c)(ii), if the Optionee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group terminates by reason of Retirement, (A) the Option shall, if not fully vested and exercisable at the time of such termination, continue to vest and become exercisable in accordance with Section 5(b) above, and (B) the Option shall expire upon the earlier to occur of the five-year anniversary date of such Retirement and the expiration of the Term. If the Optionee dies during the five-year period immediately following the Retirement of the Optionee, the Option shall (I) become fully and immediately vested and exercisable and (II) remain exercisable for the remainder of the five-year period from the date of Retirement (but not beyond the Term of the Option).

(ii) In the event of a Change in Control (as defined in the last Section hereof), provided the Optionee has been continuously employed by the Hexcel Group from the Grant Date through the date of such Change in Control or has terminated employment prior to the date of such Change in Control due to Retirement, the Option shall immediately become fully vested and exercisable.

(x) Following a Change in Control, the post-termination period of exercisability of the Option held by an Optionee that was not employed by a member of the Hexcel Group as of the date of such Change in Control, shall not be extended, but shall be as set forth in Section 5(c)(i)(x), Section 5(c)(i)(y) or Section 5(c)(i)(z), as applicable.

(y) Following a Change in Control, the post-termination period of exercisability of the Option held by an Optionee who was employed by the Hexcel Group as of the date of such Change in Control, but whose employment with the Hexcel Group is terminated within two years following such Change in Control, (A) other than by reason of Retirement, Cause, Disability or death (for which the period of exercisability is set forth in Section 5(c)(i)(x), Section 5(c)(i)(y) or Section 5(c)(i)(z), as applicable) or (B) for Good Reason (as defined in the last Section hereof) shall in either case be extended and the Option shall remain exercisable for a period of two years from the date of such termination of employment (but not beyond the Term of the Option).

(iii) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the provisions of the Plan applicable to an event described in Article X(d) of the Plan, which would include a Change in Control, shall apply to the Option and, in such event, the Committee may take such actions as it deemed appropriate pursuant to the Plan.

(d) Forfeiture of Option on Certain Conditions. Optionee hereby acknowledges that the Hexcel Group has given or will give Optionee access to certain confidential, proprietary or trade secret information, which the Hexcel Group considers extremely valuable and which provides the Hexcel Group with a competitive advantage in the markets in which the Hexcel Group develops or sells its products. The Optionee further acknowledges that the use of such information by Optionee other than in furtherance of Optionee’s job responsibilities with the Hexcel Group would be extremely detrimental to the Hexcel Group and would cause immediate and irreparable harm to the Hexcel Group. In exchange for access to such confidential, proprietary or trade secret information, Optionee hereby agrees as follows:

(i) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, should the Optionee breach the “Protective Condition” (as defined in Section 5(d)(ii)), then (A) the Option, to the extent not previously exercised, shall immediately be forfeited upon such breach, (B) the Optionee shall immediately deliver to the Company the number of Option Shares previously acquired by the Optionee during the 180-day period prior to the termination of the Optionee’s employment with any member of the Hexcel Group that have not been sold or otherwise disposed of in exchange for payment by the Company of any amount actually paid therefor by the Optionee, and (C) with respect to any Option Shares previously acquired the Optionee during the 180-day period prior to the termination of the Optionee’s employment with any member of the Hexcel Group that have been sold or otherwise disposed of, the Optionee shall immediately pay to the Company, in cash, an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of such Option Shares as of the date acquired by the Optionee, less any amount actually paid therefor by the Optionee. The Company may elect to reduce the number of Option Shares, or the amount of the cash payment, otherwise due under clauses (B) and (C) to reflect the Optionee’s liability for taxes payable on the exercise of the Option.

(ii) “Protective Condition” shall mean that (A) the Optionee complies with all terms and provisions of any obligation of confidentiality contained in a written agreement with any member of the Hexcel Group signed by the Optionee, or otherwise imposed on Optionee by applicable law, and (B) during the time Optionee is employed by any member of the Hexcel Group and for a period of one year following the termination of the Optionee’s employment with any member of the Hexcel Group, the Optionee does not (1) engage, directly or indirectly, in any substantially similar or related capacity, as the Optionee was engaged or employed by any member of the Hexcel Group during the Optionee’s employment, including but not limited to as employee, agent,


consultant, manager, executive, owner or stockholder (except as a passive investor holding less than a 5% equity interest in any enterprise), in any business enterprise then engaged in competition with the business conducted by the Hexcel Group anywhere in the world where the Optionee performed services for any member of the Hexcel Group during the preceding 24 months of the Optionee’s employment or engagement with Hexcel Group if the Hexcel Group carries out or engaged in a like business therein at such time (notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent the Optionee is a Louisiana based employee, the geographic scope of this non-compete provision shall apply only to Union Parish); provided, however, that the Optionee may be employed by a competitor of the Hexcel Group within such one year period so long as the duties and responsibilities of Optionee’s position with such competitor do not involve the same or substantially similar duties and responsibilities as those performed by the Optionee for any member of the Hexcel Group in a business segment of the new employer which competes with the business segment(s) with which the Optionee worked or had supervisory authority over while employed by any member of the Hexcel Group during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the date on which the Optionee’s employment terminates, (2) employ or attempt to employ, solicit or attempt to solicit, or negotiate or arrange the employment or engagement with Optionee or any other Person, of any Person who was at the date of termination of the Optionee’s employment, or within twelve (12) months prior to that date had been, a member of the senior management of any member of the Hexcel Group with whom the Optionee worked closely or was an employee with whom the Optionee worked closely or had supervisory authority over during the twelve months immediately preceding the date on which the Optionee’s employment terminates or (3) disparage any member of the Hexcel Group, any of its respective current or former directors, officers or employees or any of its respective products (notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent Optionee is a California based employee, then foregoing clauses (1) and (2) shall not apply). The Optionee acknowledges that the business of the Hexcel Group is conducted nationwide and worldwide. The Optionee also acknowledges that the restrictions in this section are therefore reasonably restricted geographically to the entire United States of America, as well as all countries in which any member of the Hexcel Group does business. The Optionee also acknowledges and agrees that (I) complying with the restrictions contained in Section 5(d)(i) and Section 5(d)(ii) would not prevent the Optionee from earning a living and (II) such restrictions are necessary and reasonable (including, without limitation, with respect to geographic scope and duration, as applicable) to protect the Hexcel Group’s valid business interests (including, without limitation, relationships with customers, goodwill, the protection of trade secrets and other confidential and proprietary Information, protection from unfair competition, and other protectable interests).

(iii) Nothing in this Agreement prevents the Optionee from providing, without prior notice to the Company, information to any governmental or administrative authorities regarding possible violations of law or otherwise testifying or participating in any investigation or proceeding by any governmental or administrative authorities regarding possible violations of law or filing a charge or complaint with any securities regulatory agency or authority. This Agreement does not limit the Optionee’s right to receive an award for information provided to any securities regulatory agency or authority. Moreover, this Agreement does not, in any way, restrict or impede the Optionee from exercising protected rights to the extent that such rights cannot be waived by agreement, including but not limited to the Optionee’s Section 7 rights under the National Labor Relations Act. The Optionee represents and acknowledges that he or she had a reasonable opportunity to consult with counsel of the Optionee’s choice prior to signing this Agreement.

(iv) In the event any of Section 5(d)(i) or Section 5(d)(ii) is unenforceable in the jurisdiction in which the Optionee is employed on the date hereof, such section nevertheless shall be enforceable to the full extent permitted by the laws of any jurisdiction(s) in which the Company shall have the ability to seek remedies against the Optionee arising from any activity prohibited by this Section 5(d).

(v) Notwithstanding any other provision in the Plan or this Agreement to the contrary, whenever the Company may be entitled or required by law, Company policy, including, without limitation, any applicable clawback, recoupment or other policies of the Company relating to Option Shares, or the requirements of an exchange on which the Company’s shares are listed for trading, to cause an Award to be forfeited or to recoup compensation received by the Optionee pursuant to the Plan, including recovery of shares distributed or the proceeds of shares sold or transferred, the Optionee shall accept such forfeiture and comply with any Company request or demand for recoupment of compensation received. Without limiting the preceding sentence, the Option granted hereunder shall be subject to the Company’s Clawback Policy (CP No. 1.7) or any similar successor policy adopted by the Company.

6. Method of Exercising Option and Withholding.

(a) Subject to Section 6(b) below, the Option shall be exercised by the delivery by the Optionee to the Company at its principal office (or at such other address as may be established by the Company) of written notice of the number of Option Shares with respect to which the Option is exercised, accompanied by payment in full of the aggregate Purchase Price for such Option Shares. Payment for such Option Shares shall be made (i) in U.S. dollars by personal check, bank draft or money order payable to the order of the Company, or by money transfers or direct account debits to an account designated by the Company; (ii) through the delivery of shares of Common Stock with a Fair Market Value equal to the total payment due from the Optionee; (iii) pursuant to a “cashless exercise” program if such a program is established by the Company; (iv) by the Company withholding shares of Common Stock with a Fair Market Value equal to all or any part of the payment due from the Optionee; or (v) by any combination of the methods described in (i) through (iv) above.


(b) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, in the event the Option has not been exercised on or before the last business day of the Term (the “Automatic Exercise Date”), and the Fair Market Value per share of Common Stock on the Automatic Exercise Date exceeds its Purchase Price per share by U.S. $0.01 or more, as determined by the Company (or its agent), the vested portion of the Option shall be exercised automatically on the Automatic Exercise Date without further action by the Optionee (or the person or persons to whom this Option is transferred pursuant to a permitted transfer under Section 7 below). The Purchase Price with respect to such Option shall be satisfied via the net exercise procedures set forth in Section 6(a)(iv) above and the related tax withholding obligations shall be satisfied via the procedures set forth in Section 6(c) below. The Optionee specifically agrees and consents to the automatic exercise of the Option as provided in this Section 6(b).

(c) The Company shall not be obligated to deliver any Option Shares (or any other amounts hereunder) to the Optionee or the Optionee’s legal representative unless and until the Optionee or the Optionee’s legal representative shall have paid or otherwise satisfied in full the amount of all federal, state, local, foreign or other tax required to be withheld by the Company or a Subsidiary in connection with the grant, vesting or exercise of the Option (the “Tax-Related Items”). In this regard, at the time of exercise of the Option, the Optionee hereby authorizes the Company and/or a Subsidiary, or their respective agents, to satisfy any applicable withholding obligations for Tax-Related Items by withholding Option Shares otherwise issuable to the Optionee upon the exercise of the Option with a value equal to the required withholding, provided that (a) to the extent necessary to qualify for an exemption from application of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, if applicable, such share withholding procedure will be subject to the express prior approval of the Board or the Committee; and (b) in no event shall the value of the Option Shares retained exceed the amount of taxes required to be withheld based on the maximum statutory tax rates in the Optionee’s applicable taxing jurisdictions. If the obligation for Tax-Related Items is satisfied by withholding of Option Shares, for tax purposes, the Optionee is deemed to have been issued the full number of Option Shares otherwise payable upon exercise of the Option, notwithstanding that a number of the Option Shares is held back solely for the purpose of satisfying the withholding obligations for Tax-Related Items. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company may permit (in accordance with procedures established by the Company) or require the Optionee to pay an amount equal to all or any portion of the applicable Tax-Related Items directly to the Company or a Subsidiary by check or wire transfer, or the Company may satisfy the Tax Related Items by withholding from the Optionee’s salary, wages, or any other amounts payable to the Optionee, in accordance with applicable law.

7. Exercise; Transfer. Except as provided in this Section 7, the Option is not transferable, and the Option may be exercised during the Optionee’s lifetime only by the Optionee. Upon the death of the Optionee, the Option may be exercised by the Optionee’s designated authorized person or permitted transferee, provided that such authorized person or permitted transferee has been designated prior to the Optionee’s death. Each such designation shall revoke all prior designations by the Optionee and shall be effective only if given in a form and manner acceptable to the Committee. In the absence of any such effective designation, the Option may be exercised only by the executors or administrators of the Optionee’s estate or by any person or persons who shall have acquired such right to exercise by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. No transfer of the Option or the right to exercise the Option, whether by will, the laws of descent and distribution, or to any permitted transferee or authorized person, shall be effective to bind the Company unless the Committee shall have been furnished with (i) written notice thereof and with a copy of the will and/or such evidence as the Committee may deem necessary to establish the validity of the transfer and (ii) an agreement by the transferee to comply with all the terms and conditions of the Option that are or would have been applicable to the Optionee and to be bound by the acknowledgements made by the Optionee in connection with the grant of the Option. Any attempt to transfer the Option in contravention of this Section 7 is void ab initio. The Option shall not be subject to execution, attachment or other process. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Optionee and, after the death of the Optionee, the estate or any estate beneficiary of the Optionee, shall be permitted to transfer the Option to members of his or her immediate family (i.e., children, grandchildren or spouse), trusts for the benefit of such family members, and partnerships or other entities whose only partners or other equity owners are such family members; provided, however, that no consideration can be paid for the transfer of the Option and the transferee of the Option must agree to be subject to all conditions applicable to the Option prior to its transfer.

8. No Rights in Option Shares. The Optionee shall have none of the rights of a stockholder with respect to the Option Shares unless and until shares of Common Stock are issued upon exercise of the Option.

9. Issuance of Shares. Any shares of Common Stock to be issued to the Optionee under this Agreement may be issued in either certificated form, or in uncertificated form (via the Direct Registration System or otherwise).

10. No Guarantee of Employment. Nothing set forth herein or in the Plan shall confer upon the Optionee any right of continued employment for any period by the Hexcel Group, or shall interfere in any way with the right of the Hexcel Group to terminate such employment.

11. Section 409A.

(a) It is intended that this Agreement comply in all respects with an exemption from the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and applicable Treasury Regulations and other generally applicable guidance issued thereunder (collectively, the “Applicable Regulations”), and this Agreement shall be interpreted for all purposes in accordance with this intent.


(b) In the event that the Option Shares issuable under this Agreement are subject to any taxes, penalties or interest under the Applicable Regulations, the Optionee shall be solely liable for the payment of any such taxes, penalties or interest. Although the Company intends to administer the Plan and this Agreement to prevent adverse taxation under the Applicable Regulations, the Company does not represent nor warrant that the Plan or this Agreement complies with any provision of federal, state, local or other tax law.

12. Governing Law/Jurisdiction/Resolution of Disputes. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed according to the laws of the State of Delaware, USA, without regard to the conflicts of laws provisions thereof. Any disputes arising under or in connection with this Agreement shall be resolved by binding arbitration before three arbitrators constituting an Employment Dispute Tribunal, to be held in the state of Connecticut, USA in accordance with the commercial rules and procedures of the American Arbitration Association. Judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator shall be final and subject to appeal only to the extent permitted by law. Each party shall bear such party’s own expenses incurred in connection with any arbitration. Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, each party hereto has the right to proceed with a court action for injunctive relief or relief from violations of law not within the jurisdiction of an arbitrator.

13. Notices. Any notice required or permitted under this Agreement shall be deemed given when delivered personally, or when deposited in a United States Post Office, postage prepaid, addressed, as appropriate, to the Optionee at the last address specified in Optionee’s employment records, or such other address as the Optionee may designate in writing to the Company, Attention: Corporate Secretary, or such other address as the Company may designate in writing to the Optionee.

14. Amendment; Waiver. The Committee may modify this Agreement upon written notice to the Optionee. Any amendment to the Plan shall be deemed to be an amendment to this Agreement to the extent that the amendment is applicable hereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amendment of the Plan or this Agreement shall adversely affect the rights of the Optionee under this Agreement without the Optionee’s consent. The failure of either party hereto to enforce at any time any provision of this Agreement shall in no way be construed to be a waiver of such provision or of any other provision hereof.

15. Miscellaneous. This Agreement cannot be changed or terminated orally. This Agreement and the Plan contain the entire agreement between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement inures to the benefit of, and is binding upon, the Company and its successors-in-interest and its assigns, and the Optionee, the Optionee’s heirs, executors, administrators and legal representatives. The section headings herein are intended for reference only and shall not affect the interpretation hereof.

16. Severability. The provisions of this Agreement are severable and if any one or more provisions are determined to be illegal or otherwise unenforceable, in whole or in part, the remaining provisions shall nevertheless be binding and enforceable.

17. Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:

(I) “Cause” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Executive Severance Agreement or Executive Severance Policy, as applicable;

(II) “Change in Control” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Executive Severance Agreement or Executive Severance Policy, as applicable;

(III) “Disability” (or becoming “Disabled”) shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Executive Severance Agreement or Executive Severance Policy, as applicable;

(IV) “Exchange Act” shall mean the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended;

(V) “Executive Severance Agreement” shall mean the Executive Severance Agreement between the Company and the Optionee, as amended from time to time;

(VI) “Executive Severance Policy” shall mean the Executive Severance Policy adopted by the Committee, and which applies to a termination of employment of an Optionee who has received an offer letter of employment from the Company that expressly extends the provisions of such Policy to such Optionee;

(VII) “Good Reason” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Executive Severance Agreement or Executive Severance Policy, as applicable;

(VIII) “Hexcel Group” shall mean the Company and its Subsidiaries;

(IX) “Person” shall have the meaning given in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act, as modified and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act and shall include “persons acting as a group” within the meaning of Section 1.409A-3(i)(5)(v)(B) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision);


(X) “Retirement” shall mean termination of the Optionee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group, other than by reason of death or Cause, either (A) at or after age 65 or (B) at or after age 55 after five (5) years of employment by the Hexcel Group; and

(XI) “Subsidiary” shall mean any “subsidiary” of the Company within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Annex A

NOTICE OF GRANT

EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION

HEXCEL CORPORATION 2013 INCENTIVE STOCK PLAN

The following employee of Hexcel Corporation, a Delaware corporation or a Subsidiary, has been granted an option to purchase shares of the Common Stock of Hexcel, $.01 par value, in accordance with the terms of this Notice of Grant and the Employee Option Agreement to which this Notice of Grant is attached.

The terms below shall have the meanings ascribed to them below when used in the Employee Option Agreement.

Optionee

Participant Name

Grant Date

January ___, 2025

Purchase Price

$_____

Aggregate Number of Shares

Granted (the "Option Shares")

Number of Awards Granted

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereby agree to the terms of this Notice of Grant and the Employee Option Agreement to which this Notice of Grant is attached and execute this Notice of Grant and Employee Option Agreement as of the Grant Date.

HEXCEL CORPORATION

Optionee

By:

Gail E. Lehman

Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Sustainability Officer and Secretary

 

 


 

Exhibit 10.18

 

 

EMPLOYEE OPTION AGREEMENT

under the

Hexcel Corporation 2013 Incentive Stock Plan

This Employee Option Agreement (the “Agreement”), is entered into as of the Grant Date, by and between the Optionee and Hexcel Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”).

The Company maintains the Hexcel Corporation 2013 Incentive Stock Plan (the “Plan”). The Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has determined that the Optionee shall be granted an Option (as defined below) upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter contained. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meaning assigned to them in the Plan.

1. Notice of Grant; Acceptance of Agreement. Pursuant to the Plan and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and therein, the Company hereby grants to the Optionee the number of Options indicated on the Notice of Grant attached hereto as Annex A, which Notice of Grant is incorporated by reference herein. Optionee will be deemed to accept the terms and conditions of this Agreement by clicking the “Accept” button on the Award Acceptance screen with regard to the Option. By accepting the Agreement, the Optionee agrees to be bound by the terms of the Plan and this Agreement and further agrees that all of the decisions and determinations of the Committee shall be final and binding.

2. Incorporation of Plan. The Plan is incorporated by reference and made a part of this Agreement, and this Agreement shall be subject to the terms of the Plan, as the Plan may be amended from time to time. The Option granted herein constitutes an Award within the meaning of the Plan and in the event of any conflict between the terms of the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan shall govern.

3. Grant of Option. Pursuant to the Plan and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and therein, the Company hereby grants to the Optionee the right and option (the “Option”) to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock, $.01 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), which Option is not intended to qualify as an incentive stock option, as defined in Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). Each Option entitles the Optionee to purchase one share of Common Stock in accordance with, and subject to the terms of, this Agreement, and the aggregate number of shares purchasable is equal to the number of Options hereby granted (“Option Shares”).

4. Purchase Price. The Purchase Price per share of the Option Shares is the Fair Market Value per share of Common Stock as of the Grant Date, and is set forth on Annex A.

5. Terms of Option.

(a) Expiration Date; Term. Subject to Section 5(c) below, the Option shall have a term of ten (10) years from the Grant Date and shall terminate at the expiration of that period, unless it is terminated at an earlier date pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement and the Plan. The ten-year period from the Grant Date to its tenth anniversary shall constitute the “Term” of the Option.

(b) Vesting Period; Exercisability. Subject to Section 5(c) below, the Option shall vest and become exercisable at the rate of 33-1/3% of the Option Shares on each of the first three anniversaries of the Grant Date (each such date a “Vesting Date”). The vesting and exercisability of the Option is cumulative, but shall not exceed 100% of the Option Shares subject to the Option. If the foregoing schedule would produce fractional Option Shares on a Vesting Date, the number of Option Shares for which the Option becomes vested and exercisable on such Vesting Date shall be rounded down to the nearest whole Option Share, with the portion that did not become vested and exercisable as provided above, because of the rounding down, shall become vested and exercisable on the third anniversary of the Grant Date so that the entire portion of such Option is vested and exercisable on the third anniversary of the Grant Date, provided that the Optionee has not had a termination of employment prior to such date.

(c) Termination of Employment; Change in Control.

(i) For purposes of the grant hereunder, any transfer of employment by the Optionee within the Hexcel Group shall not be considered a termination of employment by the applicable member of the Hexcel Group.

(x) If the Optionee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group is terminated for Cause (as defined in the last Section hereof), the Option, whether or not then vested and exercisable, shall be automatically terminated as of the date of such termination of employment. Subject to Section 5(c)(ii), if the Optionee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group shall terminate other than by reason of Retirement (as defined in the last Section hereof), Disability (as defined in the last Section hereof),


death or Cause, the Option (to the extent then vested and exercisable) may be exercised at any time within ninety (90) days after such termination (but not beyond the Term of the Option). The Option, to the extent not then vested and exercisable, shall immediately expire upon such termination.

(y) If, while employed by a member of the Hexcel Group, the Optionee dies or is terminated by a member of the Hexcel Group following Disability, the Option shall (I) become fully and immediately vested and exercisable and (II) remain exercisable for one year from the date of termination of employment on account of death or following Disability (but not beyond the Term of the Option).

(z) Subject to Section 5(c)(ii), if the Optionee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group terminates by reason of Retirement, (A) the Option shall, if not fully vested and exercisable at the time of such termination, continue to vest and become exercisable in accordance with Section 5(b) above, and (B) the Option shall expire upon the earlier to occur of the five-year anniversary date of such Retirement and the expiration of the Term. If the Optionee dies during the five-year period immediately following the Retirement of the Optionee, the Option shall (I) become fully and immediately vested and exercisable and (II) remain exercisable for the remainder of the five-year period from the date of Retirement (but not beyond the Term of the Option).

(ii) In the event of a Change in Control (as defined in the last Section hereof), provided the Optionee has been continuously employed by the Hexcel Group from the Grant Date through the date of such Change in Control or has terminated employment prior to the date of such Change in Control due to Retirement, the Option shall immediately become fully vested and exercisable.

(x) Following a Change in Control, the post-termination period of exercisability of the Option held by an Optionee that was not employed by a member of the Hexcel Group as of the date of such Change in Control, shall not be extended, but shall be as set forth in Section 5(c)(i)(x), Section 5(c)(i)(y) or Section 5(c)(i)(z), as applicable.

(y) Following a Change in Control, the post-termination period of exercisability of the Option held by an Optionee who was employed by the Hexcel Group as of the date of such Change in Control, but whose employment with the Hexcel Group is terminated within two years following such Change in Control, (A) other than by reason of Retirement, Cause, Disability or death (for which the period of exercisability is set forth in Section 5(c)(i)(x), Section 5(c)(i)(y) or Section 5(c)(i)(z), as applicable) or (B) for Good Reason (as defined in the last Section hereof) shall in either case be extended and the Option shall remain exercisable for a period of two years from the date of such termination of employment (but not beyond the Term of the Option).

(iii) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the provisions of the Plan applicable to an event described in Article X(d) of the Plan, which would include a Change in Control, shall apply to the Option and, in such event, the Committee may take such actions as it deemed appropriate pursuant to the Plan.

(d) Forfeiture of Option on Certain Conditions. Optionee hereby acknowledges that the Hexcel Group has given or will give Optionee access to certain confidential, proprietary or trade secret information, which the Hexcel Group considers extremely valuable and which provides the Hexcel Group with a competitive advantage in the markets in which the Hexcel Group develops or sells its products. The Optionee further acknowledges that the use of such information by Optionee other than in furtherance of Optionee’s job responsibilities with the Hexcel Group would be extremely detrimental to the Hexcel Group and would cause immediate and irreparable harm to the Hexcel Group. In exchange for access to such confidential, proprietary or trade secret information, Optionee hereby agrees as follows:

(i) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, should the Optionee breach the “Protective Condition” (as defined in Section 5(d)(ii)), then (A) the Option, to the extent not previously exercised, shall immediately be forfeited upon such breach, (B) the Optionee shall immediately deliver to the Company the number of Option Shares previously acquired by the Optionee during the 180-day period prior to the termination of the Optionee’s employment with any member of the Hexcel Group that have not been sold or otherwise disposed of in exchange for payment by the Company of any amount actually paid therefor by the Optionee, and (C) with respect to any Option Shares previously acquired the Optionee during the 180-day period prior to the termination of the Optionee’s employment with any member of the Hexcel Group that have been sold or otherwise disposed of, the Optionee shall immediately pay to the Company, in cash, an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of such Option Shares as of the date acquired by the Optionee, less any amount actually paid therefor by the Optionee. The Company may elect to reduce the number of Option Shares, or the amount of the cash payment, otherwise due under clauses (B) and (C) to reflect the Optionee’s liability for taxes payable on the exercise of the Option.

(ii) “Protective Condition” shall mean that (A) the Optionee complies with all terms and provisions of any obligation of confidentiality contained in a written agreement with any member of the Hexcel Group signed by the Optionee, or otherwise imposed on Optionee by applicable law, and (B) during the time Optionee is employed by any member of the Hexcel Group and for a period of one year following the termination of the Optionee’s employment with any member of the Hexcel Group, the Optionee does not (1) engage, directly or indirectly, in any substantially similar or related capacity, as the Optionee was engaged or employed by any member of the Hexcel Group during the Optionee’s employment, including but not limited to as employee, agent,


consultant, manager, executive, owner or stockholder (except as a passive investor holding less than a 5% equity interest in any enterprise), in any business enterprise then engaged in competition with the business conducted by the Hexcel Group anywhere in the world where the Optionee performed services for any member of the Hexcel Group during the preceding 24 months of the Optionee’s employment or engagement with Hexcel Group if the Hexcel Group carries out or engaged in a like business therein at such time; provided, however, that the Optionee may be employed by a competitor of the Hexcel Group within such one year period so long as the duties and responsibilities of Optionee’s position with such competitor do not involve the same or substantially similar duties and responsibilities as those performed by the Optionee for any member of the Hexcel Group in a business segment of the new employer which competes with the business segment(s) with which the Optionee worked or had supervisory authority over while employed by any member of the Hexcel Group during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the date on which the Optionee’s employment terminates, (2) employ or attempt to employ, solicit or attempt to solicit, or negotiate or arrange the employment or engagement with Optionee or any other Person, of any Person who was at the date of termination of the Optionee’s employment, or within twelve (12) months prior to that date had been, a member of the senior management of any member of the Hexcel Group with whom the Optionee worked closely or was an employee with whom the Optionee worked closely or had supervisory authority over during the twelve months immediately preceding the date on which the Optionee’s employment terminates or (3) disparage any member of the Hexcel Group, any of its respective current or former directors, officers or employees or any of its respective products (notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent Optionee is a California based employee, then foregoing clauses (1) and (2) shall not apply). The Optionee acknowledges that the business of the Hexcel Group is conducted nationwide and worldwide. The Optionee also acknowledges that the restrictions in this section are therefore reasonably restricted geographically to the entire United States of America, as well as all countries in which any member of the Hexcel Group does business. The Optionee also acknowledges and agrees that (I) complying with the restrictions contained in Section 5(d)(i) and Section 5(d)(ii) would not prevent the Optionee from earning a living and (II) such restrictions are necessary and reasonable (including, without limitation, with respect to geographic scope and duration, as applicable) to protect the Hexcel Group’s valid business interests (including, without limitation, relationships with customers, goodwill, the protection of trade secrets and other confidential and proprietary Information, protection from unfair competition, and other protectable interests).

(iii) Nothing in this Agreement prevents the Optionee from providing, without prior notice to the Company, information to any governmental or administrative authorities regarding possible violations of law or otherwise testifying or participating in any investigation or proceeding by any governmental or administrative authorities regarding possible violations of law or filing a charge or complaint with any securities regulatory agency or authority. This Agreement does not limit the Optionee’s right to receive an award for information provided to any securities regulatory agency or authority. Moreover, this Agreement does not, in any way, restrict or impede the Optionee from exercising protected rights to the extent that such rights cannot be waived by agreement, including but not limited to the Optionee’s Section 7 rights under the National Labor Relations Act. The Optionee represents and acknowledges that he or she had a reasonable opportunity to consult with counsel of the Optionee’s choice prior to signing this Agreement.

(iv) In the event any of Section 5(d)(i) or Section 5(d)(ii) is unenforceable in the jurisdiction in which the Optionee is employed on the date hereof, such section nevertheless shall be enforceable to the full extent permitted by the laws of any jurisdiction(s) in which the Company shall have the ability to seek remedies against the Optionee arising from any activity prohibited by this Section 5(d).

(v) Notwithstanding any other provision in the Plan or this Agreement to the contrary, whenever the Company may be entitled or required by law, Company policy, including, without limitation, any applicable clawback, recoupment or other policies of the Company relating to Option Shares, or the requirements of an exchange on which the Company’s shares are listed for trading, to cause an Award to be forfeited or to recoup compensation received by the Optionee pursuant to the Plan, including recovery of shares distributed or the proceeds of shares sold or transferred, the Optionee shall accept such forfeiture and comply with any Company request or demand for recoupment of compensation received. Without limiting the preceding sentence, the Option granted hereunder shall be subject to the Company’s Clawback Policy (CP No. 1.7) or any similar successor policy adopted by the Company.

6. Method of Exercising Option and Withholding.

(a) Subject to Section 6(b) below, the Option shall be exercised by the delivery by the Optionee to the Company at its principal office (or at such other address as may be established by the Company) of written notice of the number of Option Shares with respect to which the Option is exercised, accompanied by payment in full of the aggregate Purchase Price for such Option Shares. Payment for such Option Shares shall be made (i) in U.S. dollars by personal check, bank draft or money order payable to the order of the Company, or by money transfers or direct account debits to an account designated by the Company; (ii) through the delivery of shares of Common Stock with a Fair Market Value equal to the total payment due from the Optionee; (iii) pursuant to a “cashless exercise” program if such a program is established by the Company; (iv) by the Company withholding shares of Common Stock with a Fair Market Value equal to all or any part of the payment due from the Optionee; or (v) by any combination of the methods described in (i) through (iv) above.

(b) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, in the event the Option has not been exercised on or before the last business day of the Term (the “Automatic Exercise Date”), and the Fair Market Value per share of Common Stock on


the Automatic Exercise Date exceeds its Purchase Price per share by U.S. $0.01 or more, as determined by the Company (or its agent), the vested portion of the Option shall be exercised automatically on the Automatic Exercise Date without further action by the Optionee (or the person or persons to whom this Option is transferred pursuant to a permitted transfer under Section 7 below). The Purchase Price with respect to such Option shall be satisfied via the net exercise procedures set forth in Section 6(a)(iv) above and the related tax withholding obligations shall be satisfied via the procedures set forth in Section 6(c) and (d) below. The Optionee specifically agrees and consents to the automatic exercise of the Option as provided in this Section 6(b).

(c) The Company shall not be obligated to deliver any Option Shares (or any other amounts hereunder) to the Optionee or the Optionee’s legal representative unless and until the Optionee or the Optionee’s legal representative shall have paid or otherwise satisfied in full the amount of all federal, state, local, foreign or other tax required to be withheld by the Company or a Subsidiary in connection with the grant, vesting or exercise of the Option (the “Tax-Related Items”). In this regard, at the time of exercise of the Option, the Optionee hereby authorizes the Company and/or a Subsidiary, or their respective agents, to satisfy any applicable withholding obligations for Tax-Related Items by withholding Option Shares otherwise issuable to the Optionee upon the exercise of the Option with a value equal to the required withholding, provided that (a) to the extent necessary to qualify for an exemption from application of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, if applicable, such share withholding procedure will be subject to the express prior approval of the Board or the Committee; and (b) in no event shall the value of the Option Shares retained exceed the amount of taxes required to be withheld based on the maximum statutory tax rates in the Optionee’s applicable taxing jurisdictions. If the obligation for Tax-Related Items is satisfied by withholding of Option Shares, for tax purposes, the Optionee is deemed to have been issued the full number of Option Shares otherwise payable upon exercise of the Option, notwithstanding that a number of the Option Shares is held back solely for the purpose of satisfying the withholding obligations for Tax-Related Items. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company may permit (in accordance with procedures established by the Company) or require the Optionee to pay an amount equal to all or any portion of the applicable Tax-Related Items directly to the Company or a Subsidiary by check or wire transfer, or the Company may satisfy the Tax Related Items by withholding from the Optionee’s salary, wages, or any other amounts payable to the Optionee, in accordance with applicable law.

(d) Regardless of any action the Company or its Subsidiary takes with respect to any such Tax-Related Items, the Optionee acknowledges that the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items legally due by the Optionee is and remains the Optionee’s responsibility and may exceed the amount actually withheld by the Company or its Subsidiary. The Optionee further acknowledges that the Company and its Subsidiary (i) make no representations or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with any aspect of the Option, including the grant, vesting or exercise of the Option and the subsequent sale of any Option Shares acquired at exercise; and (ii) do not commit to structure the terms of the grant or any aspect of the Option to reduce or eliminate the Optionee’s liability for Tax-Related Items. Further, if the Optionee has become subject to tax in more than one jurisdiction between the Grant Date and the date of any relevant taxable event, the Optionee acknowledges that the Company or its Subsidiaries may be required to collect, withhold or account for Tax-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction.

7. Exercise; Transfer. Except as provided in this Section 7, the Option is not transferable, and the Option may be exercised during the Optionee’s lifetime only by the Optionee. Upon the death of the Optionee, the Option may be exercised by the Optionee’s designated authorized person or permitted transferee, provided that such authorized person or permitted transferee has been designated prior to the Optionee’s death. Each such designation shall revoke all prior designations by the Optionee and shall be effective only if given in a form and manner acceptable to the Committee. In the absence of any such effective designation, the Option may be exercised only by the executors or administrators of the Optionee’s estate or by any person or persons who shall have acquired such right to exercise by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. No transfer of the Option or the right to exercise the Option, whether by will, the laws of descent and distribution, or to any permitted transferee or authorized person, shall be effective to bind the Company unless the Committee shall have been furnished with (i) written notice thereof and with a copy of the will and/or such evidence as the Committee may deem necessary to establish the validity of the transfer and (ii) an agreement by the transferee to comply with all the terms and conditions of the Option that are or would have been applicable to the Optionee and to be bound by the acknowledgements made by the Optionee in connection with the grant of the Option. Any attempt to transfer the Option in contravention of this Section 7 is void ab initio. The Option shall not be subject to execution, attachment or other process.

8. No Rights in Option Shares. The Optionee shall have none of the rights of a stockholder with respect to the Option Shares unless and until shares of Common Stock are issued upon exercise of the Option.

9. Issuance of Shares. Any shares of Common Stock to be issued to the Optionee under this Agreement may be issued in either certificated form, or in uncertificated form (via the Direct Registration System or otherwise).

10. No Guarantee of Employment. Nothing set forth herein or in the Plan shall confer upon the Optionee any right of continued employment for any period by the Hexcel Group, or shall interfere in any way with the right of the Hexcel Group to terminate such employment.

11. No Entitlement or Claims for Compensation. In accepting the grant of the Option, the Optionee acknowledges the following:


(a) The Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, the grant of options under the Plan is made at the discretion of the Committee and the Plan may be modified, amended, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time.

(b) The grant of the Option is voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future grants of options, or benefits in lieu of options, even if options have been granted repeatedly in the past.

(c) All decisions with respect to future option grants, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Committee.

(d) The Optionee is voluntarily participating in the Plan.

(e) This grant of the Option and any shares of Common Stock acquired under the Plan in connection with the Option are extraordinary items that do not constitute compensation of any kind for services of any kind rendered to the Company or any Subsidiary and which are outside the scope of the Optionee’s employment contract, if any.

(f) This grant of the Option and any shares of Common Stock acquired under the Plan and their value are not to be considered part of the Optionee’s normal or expected compensation or salary for any purpose, including, but not limited to, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, payment in lieu of notice, redundancy, end of service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, pension or retirement benefits or similar payments.

(g) The future value of the Option Shares is unknown and cannot be predicted with certainty. If the Option Shares do not increase in value, the Option will have no value. If the Optionee exercises the Option and obtains Option Shares, the value of those Option Shares obtained upon exercise may increase or decrease in value, even below the purchase price. The Optionee acknowledges and agrees that neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall be liable for any foreign exchange rate fluctuation between the Optionee’s local currency and the United States Dollar that may affect the value of the Option or of any amounts due to the Optionee pursuant to the exercise of the Option or the subsequent sale of any Option Shares purchased upon exercise.

(h) The Optionee shall have no rights, claim or entitlement to compensation or damages as a result of the Optionee’s cessation of employment for any reason whatsoever, whether or not in breach of contract or local labor law, insofar as these rights, claim or entitlement arise or may arise from the Optionee ceasing to have rights under or be entitled to exercise this Option as a result of such cessation or loss or diminution in value of this Option or any of the Option Shares purchased through exercise of the Option as a result of such cessation, and the Optionee irrevocably release the Optionee’s employer, the Company and its Subsidiaries, as applicable, from any such rights, entitlement or claim that may arise. If, notwithstanding the foregoing, any such right or claim is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to have arisen, then, by accepting this Agreement, the Optionee shall be deemed to have irrevocably waived his or her entitlement to pursue such rights or claim.

12. Data Privacy.

(a) The Optionee hereby acknowledges and understands that the Optionee’s personal data is collected, retained, used, processed, disclosed and transferred, in electronic or other form, as described in this Agreement by and among, as applicable, the Optionee’s employer, the Company and its Subsidiaries, and third parties assisting in the implementation, administration and management of the Plan for the exclusive purpose of implementing, administering and managing the Optionee’s participation in the Plan.

(b) The Optionee understands that the Optionee’s employer, the Company and its Subsidiaries hold certain personal information about the Optionee regarding the Optionee’s employment, the nature and amount of the Optionee’s compensation and the fact and conditions of the Optionee’s participation in the Plan, including, but not limited to, the Optionee’s name, home address, telephone number and e-mail address, date of birth, social insurance number or other identification number, salary, nationality, job title, any equity or directorships held in the Company or its Subsidiaries, and details of all stock units or any other entitlement to equity awarded, canceled, exercised, vested, unvested or outstanding in the Optionee’s favor, in connection with the implementation, management and administration of the Plan (the “Data”).

(c) The Optionee understands that the Data may be transferred to the Company, its Subsidiaries and any third parties assisting in the implementation, administration and management of the Plan, that these recipients may be located in the Optionee’s country, or elsewhere, and that the recipient’s country may have a lower standard of data privacy rights and protections than the Optionee’s country of residence. The Optionee understands that the Optionee may request a list with the names and addresses of any recipients of the Data by contacting the Optionee’s local human resources representative. The Optionee understands that the recipients receive, possess, use, retain and transfer the Data, in electronic or other form, for the purposes of implementing, administering and managing the Optionee’s participation in the Plan, including transfers of such Data to a broker or other third party. The Optionee understands that the Data will be held only as long as is necessary to implement, administer and manage the Optionee’s participation in the Plan in accordance with applicable law. The Optionee understands that the Optionee may, at any time, request to access or be provided the Data, request additional information about the storage and processing of the Data, require any corrections or amendments to the Data, in any case without cost and to the extent permitted by law, by contacting in writing the


Optionee’s local human resources representative. The Optionee may also refuse or withdraw the consents in the Agreement; the Optionee understands, however, that not providing or withdrawing consent to the processing of his/her Data may affect the Optionee’s ability to participate in the Plan. For more information on the processing of his or her Data and other personal data, the Optionee is referred to the Privacy Notice made available provided to him/her by his/her employer.

13. Country Specific Terms. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Option shall be subject to the Country-Specific Terms attached hereto as an Addendum to this Agreement. In addition, if the Optionee relocates to one of the countries included in the Country-Specific Terms, the special terms and conditions for such country will apply to the Optionee to the extent the Company determines that the application of such terms and conditions is necessary or advisable in order to comply with local law or facilitate the administration of the Plan. The Country-Specific Terms constitute part of this Agreement and are incorporated herein by reference.

14. Section 409A.

(a) It is intended that this Agreement comply in all respects with an exemption from the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and applicable Treasury Regulations and other generally applicable guidance issued thereunder (collectively, the “Applicable Regulations”), and this Agreement shall be interpreted for all purposes in accordance with this intent.

(b) In the event that the Option Shares issuable under this Agreement are subject to any taxes, penalties or interest under the Applicable Regulations, the Optionee shall be solely liable for the payment of any such taxes, penalties or interest. Although the Company intends to administer the Plan and this Agreement to prevent adverse taxation under the Applicable Regulations, the Company does not represent nor warrant that the Plan or this Agreement complies with any provision of federal, state, local or other tax law.

15. Governing Law/Jurisdiction/Resolution of Disputes. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed according to the laws of the State of Delaware, USA, without regard to the conflicts of laws provisions thereof. Any disputes arising under or in connection with this Agreement shall be resolved by binding arbitration before three arbitrators constituting an Employment Dispute Tribunal, to be held in the state of Connecticut, USA in accordance with the commercial rules and procedures of the American Arbitration Association. Judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator shall be final and subject to appeal only to the extent permitted by law. Each party shall bear such party’s own expenses incurred in connection with any arbitration. Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, each party hereto has the right to proceed with a court action for injunctive relief or relief from violations of law not within the jurisdiction of an arbitrator.

16. Notices. Any notice required or permitted under this Agreement shall be deemed given when delivered personally, or when deposited in a United States Post Office, postage prepaid, addressed, as appropriate, to the Optionee at the last address specified in Optionee’s employment records, or such other address as the Optionee may designate in writing to the Company, Attention: Corporate Secretary, or such other address as the Company may designate in writing to the Optionee.

17. Amendment; Waiver. The Committee may modify this Agreement upon written notice to the Optionee. Any amendment to the Plan shall be deemed to be an amendment to this Agreement to the extent that the amendment is applicable hereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amendment of the Plan or this Agreement shall adversely affect the rights of the Optionee under this Agreement without the Optionee’s consent. The failure of either party hereto to enforce at any time any provision of this Agreement shall in no way be construed to be a waiver of such provision or of any other provision hereof.

18. Miscellaneous. This Agreement cannot be changed or terminated orally. This Agreement and the Plan contain the entire agreement between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement inures to the benefit of, and is binding upon, the Company and its successors-in-interest and its assigns, and the Optionee, the Optionee’s heirs, executors, administrators and legal representatives. The section headings herein are intended for reference only and shall not affect the interpretation hereof.

19. Severability. The provisions of this Agreement are severable and if any one or more provisions are determined to be illegal or otherwise unenforceable, in whole or in part, the remaining provisions shall nevertheless be binding and enforceable.

20. Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:

(a)
“Cause” shall mean

(a)
the willful and continued failure by the Grantee to substantially perform his

duties or discharge his responsibilities to the Company, or to follow the reasonable requests of his supervisor to undertake actions falling within the scope of such duties and responsibilities; or


(b)
any fraudulent or intentional misconduct by the Grantee that causes or might

reasonably be expected to cause material reputational, financial or other harm to the Company, or any improper or grossly negligent failure by the Grantee, including in a supervisory capacity, to identify, escalate, monitor or manage, in a timely manner and as reasonably expected, risks that cause or might reasonably be expected to cause material reputational, financial or other harm to the Company; or

(c)
any conduct that violates the covenants set forth in Section 3(c) hereof or

restrictive covenants in any other written agreement between the Grantee and the Company, or violates requirements of the Company embodied in its employee policies adopted from time to time including, but not limited to, policies directed to ethical business conduct, insider trading, anti-corruption, harassment, and other policies proscribing or prohibiting conduct as an employee of the Company; or

(d)
the Grantee becomes subject to a suspension or debarment proceeding, or

related investigations, conducted in connection with any actual or suspected violations of any United States Government procurement laws or regulations, or is for any other reason ineligible to participate in the discussion, negotiation and entering into of contracts with respect to United States government procurement, or fails to obtain or maintain any professional license reasonably required for the Grantee lawfully to perform her duties and responsibilities.

No act, or failure to act, on the Grantee's part shall be considered "willful" unless done, or omitted to be done, not in good faith and without reasonable belief that the action or omission was in the best interest of the Company. The Grantee shall not be deemed to have been terminated for Cause without delivery to the Grantee of a written notice of termination from the Chief Executive Officer specifying the grounds for Cause.

(b)
“Change in Control” shall mean:

(a)
any person (as defined in Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Exchange

Act of1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), as modified and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) (a "Person") is or becomes the Beneficial Owner (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of either (A) the combined fair market value of the then outstanding stock of the Company (the “Total Fair Market Value”) or (B) the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the Company (the “Total Voting Power”); excluding, however, the following: (I) any acquisition by the Company or any of its affiliates, (II) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any of its affiliates, (III) any Person who becomes such a Beneficial Owner in connection with a transaction described in the exclusion within paragraph (4) below and (IV) any acquisition of additional stock or securities by a Person who owns more than 50% of the Total Fair Market Value or Total Voting Power of the Company immediately prior to such acquisition; or

(b)
any Person is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of

securities of the Company that, together with any securities acquired directly or indirectly by such Person within the immediately preceding twelve-consecutive month period, represent 40% or more of the Total Voting Power of the Company; excluding, however, any acquisition described in sub-clauses (I) through (IV) of subsection (1) above; or

(c)
a change in the composition of the Board such that the individuals who, as of

the original effective date of this Agreement, constitute the Board (such individuals shall be hereinafter referred to as the “Incumbent Directors”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board; provided, however, for purposes of this definition, that any individual who becomes a director subsequent to such effective date, whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders, was made or approved by a vote of at least a majority of the Incumbent Directors (or directors whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved) shall be considered an Incumbent Director; but, provided, further, that any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of either an actual or threatened election contest or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a person or legal entity other than the Board shall not be considered an Incumbent Director; provided finally, however, that, as of any time, any member of the Board who has been a director for at least twelve consecutive months immediately prior to such time shall be considered an Incumbent Director for purposes of this definition, other than for the purpose of the first proviso of this definition; or

(d)
there is consummated a merger or consolidation of the Company or any

direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company or a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company (“Corporate Transaction”); excluding, however, such a Corporate Transaction (A) pursuant to which all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who are the Beneficial Owners, respectively, of the outstanding Common Stock of the Company and Total Voting Power immediately prior to such Corporate Transaction will Beneficially Own, directly or indirectly, more than 50%, respectively, of the outstanding common stock and the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities entitled to vote


generally in the election of directors of the company resulting from such Corporate Transaction (including, without limitation, a company which as a result of such transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries) in substantially the same proportions as their ownership immediately prior to such Corporate Transaction of the Outstanding Common Stock and Total Voting Power, as the case may be, and (B) immediately following which the individuals who comprise the Board immediately prior thereto constitute at least a majority of the board of directors of the company resulting from such Corporate Transaction (including, without limitation, a company which as a result of such transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries); provided, however, that notwithstanding anything to the contrary in subsections (1) through (4) above, an event which does not constitute a change in the ownership of the Company, a change in the effective control of the Company, or a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company, each as defined in Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision), shall not be considered a Change in Control for purposes of this Agreement.

(III) “Disability” (or becoming “Disabled”) shall mean Disability as determined under the Company’s then-existing long-term disability compensation programs;

(IV) “Exchange Act” shall mean the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended;

(V) “Good Reason” shall mean a termination by the Grantee after a reduction of more than 10% in the Grantee’s annual Total Direct Compensation (“TDC”) as in effect on the date hereof or as his TDC may be increased from time to time hereafter (except for across-the-board reductions in TDC affecting all similarly situated officers of the Company which reductions shall not count toward the 10%). TDC means the sum of the Grantee’s annual base salary, annual target award under MICP, and the grant date value of an annual equity award under the Company’s Incentive Stock Plan, as may be amended hereafter (the determination of grant date value shall be conclusively determined by the Compensation Committee for grants to the Grantee and all similarly situated officers of the Company). The Grantee shall be deemed to have waived any assertion of Good Reason unless the Grantee shall have delivered a written notice of termination to the Company, and specifying the reasons therefor, within 20 days after the effective date of such reduction. The Company shall have 10 days from the receipt of such notice to rescind or reverse the effect of such reduction and, upon doing so, both the grounds for Good Reason and the Grantee’s notice of termination automatically shall be deemed void with retroactive effect;

(VI) “Hexcel Group” shall mean the Company and its Subsidiaries;

(VII) “Person” shall have the meaning given in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act, as modified and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act and shall include “persons acting as a group” within the meaning of Section 1.409A-3(i)(5)(v)(B) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision);

(VIII) “Retirement” shall mean termination of the Optionee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group, other than by reason of death or Cause, either (A) at or after age 65 or (B) at or after age 55 after five (5) years of employment by the Hexcel Group; and

(IX) “Subsidiary” shall mean any “subsidiary” of the Company within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.


ADDENDUM TO EMPLOYEE OPTION AGREEMENT

COUNTRY-SPECIFIC TERMS

FOR OPTIONEES OUTSIDE THE U.S.

These Country-Specific Terms include additional terms and conditions that govern the Option awarded to the Optionee under the Plan if the Optionee resides in one of the countries listed below. Capitalized terms used but not defined in these Country-Specific Terms are defined in the Plan or this Agreement and have the meanings set forth therein.

FRANCE

Tax Treatment

The Options are intended to qualify for specific treatment under French tax and social security laws and are subject to the Specific and Additional Terms and Conditions for French Employees (the “French Sub-Plan”), which has been provided to the Grantee and is incorporated herein.

UNITED KINGDOM

Termination of Service. The Optionee has no right to compensation or damages on account of any loss in respect of the Option under the Plan where the loss arises or is claimed to arise in whole or part from: (a) the termination of the Optionee’s office or


employment; or (b) notice to terminate the Optionee’s office or employment. This exclusion of liability shall apply however termination of office or employment, or the giving of notice, is caused, and however compensation or damages are claimed. For the purpose of the Plan, the implied duty of trust and confidence is expressly excluded.


Annex A

NOTICE OF GRANT

EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION

HEXCEL CORPORATION 2013 INCENTIVE STOCK PLAN

The following employee of Hexcel Corporation, a Delaware corporation or a Subsidiary, has been granted an option to purchase shares of the Common Stock of Hexcel, $.01 par value, in accordance with the terms of this Notice of Grant and the Employee Option Agreement to which this Notice of Grant is attached.

The terms below shall have the meanings ascribed to them below when used in the Employee Option Agreement.

Optionee

Participant Name

Grant Date

Grant Date

Purchase Price

Grant Price

Aggregate Number of Shares

Granted (the "Option Shares")

Number of Awards Granted

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereby agree to the terms of this Notice of Grant and the Employee Option Agreement to which this Notice of Grant is attached and execute this Notice of Grant and Employee Option Agreement as of the Grant Date.

HEXCEL CORPORATION

Optionee

By:

Gail E. Lehman

Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Sustainability Officer and Secretary

E

 

 


 

 

Exhibit 10.19

 

 

RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT

under the

Hexcel Corporation 2013 Incentive Stock Plan

This Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (the “Agreement”), is entered into as of the Grant Date, by and between Hexcel Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the Grantee.

The Company maintains the Hexcel Corporation 2013 Incentive Stock Plan (the “Plan”). The Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has determined that the Grantee shall be granted Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”) upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter contained. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Plan.

1. Notice of Grant; Acceptance of Agreement. Pursuant to the Plan and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and therein, the Company hereby grants to the Grantee the number of RSUs indicated on the Notice of Grant attached hereto as Annex A, which Notice of Grant is incorporated by reference herein. Grantee will be deemed to accept the terms and conditions of this Agreement by clicking the “Accept” button on the Award Acceptance screen with regard to the RSUs. By accepting the Agreement, the Grantee agrees to be bound by the terms of the Plan and this Agreement and further agrees that all the decisions and determinations of the Committee shall be final and binding.

2. Incorporation of Plan. The Plan is incorporated by reference and made a part of this Agreement, and this Agreement shall be subject to the terms of the Plan, as the Plan may be amended from time to time. The RSUs granted herein constitute an Award within the meaning of the Plan and in the event of any conflict between the terms of the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan shall govern.

3. Terms of Restricted Stock Units. The grant of RSUs provided in Section 1 hereof shall be subject to the following terms, conditions and restrictions:

(a) To the extent vested, each RSU (collectively “Restricted Units”) shall convert into one share of the Company’s common stock, $.01 par value per share (the “Common Stock”). The Grantee shall not possess any incidents of ownership (including, without limitation, dividend and voting rights) in shares of the Common Stock in respect of the RSUs until such RSUs have vested and converted into shares of Common Stock (hereinafter “RSU Shares”).

(b) Should any cash dividends be declared and paid with respect to the shares of Common Stock during the period between (i) the Grant Date and (ii) the Vesting Date (i.e., shares of Common Stock issuable under the Restricted Units are not issued and outstanding for purposes of entitlement to the dividend), the Company shall credit to a dividend equivalent bookkeeping account (the “Dividend Equivalent Account”) the value of the dividends that would have been paid if the outstanding Restricted Units at the time of the declaration of the dividend were outstanding shares of Common Stock. At the same time that the corresponding Restricted Units are converted to shares of Common Stock and distributed to the Grantee as set forth in Section 4, the Company shall pay to the Grantee a lump sum cash payment equal to the value of the cash dividends credited to the Grantee’s Dividend Equivalent Account that correspond to such Restricted Units (less withholdings for Tax-Related Items, defined in Section 7 below); provided, however, that any dividends that were credited to the Grantee’s Dividend Equivalent Account that are attributable to Restricted Units that have been forfeited as provided in this Agreement shall be forfeited and not payable to the Grantee. No interest shall accrue on any dividend equivalents credited to the Grantee’s Dividend Equivalent Account.

(c) The Restricted Units may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged, hypothecated or otherwise disposed of, except by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Any attempt to transfer Restricted Units in contravention of this Section is void ab initio. Restricted Units shall not be subject to execution, attachment or other process.

(d) Forfeiture of Restricted Units and RSU Shares on Certain Conditions. Grantee hereby acknowledges that the Hexcel Group has given or will give Grantee access to certain confidential, proprietary or trade secret information, which the Hexcel Group considers extremely valuable and which provides the Hexcel Group with a competitive advantage in the markets in which the Hexcel Group develops or sells its products. The Grantee further acknowledges that the use of such information by Grantee other than in furtherance of Grantee’s job responsibilities with the Hexcel Group would be extremely detrimental to the Hexcel Group and would cause immediate and irreparable harm to the Hexcel Group. In exchange for access to such confidential, proprietary or trade secret information, Grantee hereby agrees as follows:


(i) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, should the Grantee breach the “Protective Condition” (as defined in Section 3(d)(ii)), then (A) any Restricted Units, to the extent not previously converted into RSU Shares and distributed to the Grantee, shall immediately be forfeited upon such breach, (B) the Grantee shall immediately deliver to the Company the number of RSU Shares previously distributed to the Grantee during the 180-day period prior to the termination of the Grantee’s employment with any member of the Hexcel Group that have not been sold or otherwise disposed of, and (C) with respect to any RSU Shares previously distributed to the Grantee during the 180-day period prior to the termination of the Grantee’s employment with any member of the Hexcel Group that have been sold or otherwise disposed of, the Grantee shall immediately pay to the Company, in cash, an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of such RSU Shares as of the date acquired by the Grantee. The Company may elect to reduce the number of RSU Shares, or the amount of the cash payment, otherwise due under clauses (B) and (C) to reflect the Grantee’s liability for taxes payable on such RSU Shares and/or proceeds.

(ii) “Protective Condition” shall mean that (A) the Grantee complies with all terms and provisions of any obligation of confidentiality contained in a written agreement with any member of the Hexcel Group signed by the Grantee, or otherwise imposed on Grantee by applicable law, and (B) during the time Grantee is employed by any member of the Hexcel Group and for a period of one year following the termination of the Grantee’s employment with any member of the Hexcel Group, the Grantee does not (1) engage, directly or indirectly, in any substantially similar or related capacity, as the Grantee was engaged or employed by any member of the Hexcel Group during the Grantee’s employment, including but not limited to as employee, agent, consultant, manager, executive, owner or stockholder (except as a passive investor holding less than a 5% equity interest in any enterprise), in any business enterprise then engaged in competition with the business conducted by the Hexcel Group anywhere in the world where the Grantee performed services for any member of the Hexcel Group during the preceding 24 months of the Grantee’s employment or engagement with Hexcel Group if the Hexcel Group carries out or engaged in a like business therein at such time (notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent the Grantee is a Louisiana based employee, the geographic scope of this non-compete provision shall apply only to Union Parish); provided, however, that the Grantee may be employed by a competitor of the Hexcel Group within such one year period so long as the duties and responsibilities of Grantee’s position with such competitor do not involve the same or substantially similar duties and responsibilities as those performed by the Grantee for any member of the Hexcel Group in a business segment of the new employer which competes with the business segment(s) with which the Grantee worked or had supervisory authority over while employed by any member of the Hexcel Group during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the date on which the Grantee’s employment terminates, (2) employ or attempt to employ, solicit or attempt to solicit, or negotiate or arrange the employment or engagement with Grantee or any other Person, of any Person who was at the date of termination of the Grantee’s employment, or within twelve (12) months prior to that date had been, a member of the senior management of any member of the Hexcel Group with whom the Grantee worked closely or was an employee with whom the Grantee worked closely or had supervisory authority over during the twelve months immediately preceding the date on which the Grantee’s employment terminates or (3) disparage any member of the Hexcel Group, any of its respective current or former directors, officers or employees or any of its respective products (notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent Grantee is a California based employee, then foregoing clauses (1) and (2) shall not apply). The Grantee acknowledges that the business of the Hexcel Group is conducted nationwide and worldwide. The Grantee also acknowledges that the restrictions in this section are therefore reasonably restricted geographically to the entire United States of America, as well as all countries in which any member of the Hexcel Group does business. The Grantee also acknowledges and agrees that (I) complying with the restrictions contained in Section 3(d)(i) and Section 3(d)(ii) would not prevent the Grantee from earning a living and (II) such restrictions are necessary and reasonable (including, without limitation, with respect to geographic scope and duration, as applicable) to protect the Hexcel Group’s valid business interests (including, without limitation, relationships with customers, goodwill, the protection of trade secrets and other confidential and proprietary Information, protection from unfair competition, and other protectable interests).

(iii) Nothing in this Agreement prevents the Grantee from providing, without prior notice to the Company, information to any governmental or administrative authorities regarding possible violations of law or otherwise testifying or participating in any investigation or proceeding by any governmental or administrative authorities regarding possible violations of law or filing a charge or complaint with any securities regulatory agency or authority. This Agreement does not limit the Grantee’s right to receive an award for information provided to any securities regulatory agency or authority. Moreover, this Agreement does not, in any way, restrict or impede the Grantee from exercising protected rights to the extent that such rights cannot be waived by agreement, including but not limited to the Grantee’s Section 7 rights under the National Labor Relations Act. The Grantee represents and acknowledges that he or she had a reasonable opportunity to consult with counsel of the Grantee’s choice prior to signing this Agreement.

(iv) In the event Section 3(d)(i) or Section 3(d)(ii) is unenforceable in the jurisdiction in which the Grantee is employed on the date hereof, such section nevertheless shall be enforceable to the full extent permitted by the laws of any jurisdiction in which the Company shall have the ability to seek remedies against the Grantee arising from any activity prohibited by this Section 3(d).

(v) Notwithstanding any other provision in the Plan or this Agreement to the contrary, whenever the Company may be entitled or required by law, Company policy, including, without limitation, any applicable clawback, recoupment or other policies of the Company relating to the RSU Shares, or the requirements of an exchange on which the Company’s shares are listed for


trading, to cause an Award to be forfeited or to recoup compensation received by the Grantee pursuant to the Plan, including recovery of shares distributed or the proceeds of shares sold or transferred, the Grantee shall accept such forfeiture and comply with any Company request or demand for recoupment of compensation received. Without limiting the preceding sentence, the RSUs granted hereunder shall be subject to the Company’s Clawback Policy (CP No. 1.7) or any similar successor policy adopted by the Company.

4. Vesting and Conversion of Restricted Units. Subject to Section 5, the Restricted Units shall vest and be converted into an equivalent number of RSU Shares that will be immediately distributed to the Grantee at the rate of one-third (1/3) of the Restricted Units on each of the first three anniversaries of the Grant Date (each such date a “Vesting Date”). The vesting of the Restricted Units is cumulative but shall not exceed 100% of the RSU Shares subject to the Restricted Units. If the foregoing schedule would produce fractional RSU Shares on a Vesting Date, the number of RSU Shares for which the Restricted Units becomes vested on such Vesting Date shall be rounded down to the nearest whole RSU Share, with the portion that did not become vested as provided above, because of the rounding down, shall become vested on the third anniversary of the Grant Date so that the entire portion of the Restricted Units is vested on the third anniversary of the Grant Date, provided that the Grantee has not had a termination of employment prior to such date, except as provided in Section 5 below.

5. Termination of Employment; Change in Control.

(a) For purposes of the grant hereunder, any transfer of employment by the Grantee within the Hexcel Group or any other change in employment that does not constitute a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 1.409A-1(h) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision), shall not be considered a termination of employment by the applicable member of the Hexcel Group. Any change in employment that does constitute a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 1.409A-1(h) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision) shall be considered a termination of employment.

(b) If the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group terminates due to death, all Restricted Units shall immediately vest, be converted into RSU Shares and be distributed to the Grantee’s estate within 60 days after the Grantee’s death (or where additional time is needed for administrative reasons, at such later time as is permitted under Section 409A of the Code). Subject to Section 5(d), if the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group terminates due to the Grantee’s Retirement (as defined in the last Section hereof) or termination by the Hexcel Group following the Grantee’s Disability (as defined in the last Section hereof), all Restricted Units shall continue to vest (and be converted into an equivalent number of RSU Shares that will be distributed to the Grantee) in accordance with Section 4 above. If, following Grantee’s Retirement or termination by the Hexcel Group following the Grantee’s Disability, the Grantee dies prior to the third anniversary of the Grant Date, then all Restricted Units shall immediately vest, be converted into RSU Shares and be distributed to the Grantee’s estate within 60 days after the Grantee’s death (or where additional time is needed for administrative reasons, at such later time as is permitted under Section 409A of the Code).

(c) If the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group terminates for any reason other than due to death, Disability or Retirement, the Grantee shall forfeit all unvested Restricted Units.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision contained herein or in the Plan, in the event of a Change in Control (as defined in the last Section hereof), and provided Grantee has been continuously employed with the Hexcel Group from the Grant Date through the date of such event or has terminated employment prior to the date of such event due to Retirement or termination by the Hexcel Group following the Grantee’s Disability, then all Restricted Units shall immediately vest, be converted into RSU Shares and be distributed to the Grantee within 30 days after the date of such Change in Control. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the provisions of the Plan applicable to an event described in Article X(d) of the Plan, which would include a Change in Control, shall apply to the Restricted Units and, in such event, the Committee may take such actions as it deemed appropriate pursuant to the Plan, consistent with the requirements of the Applicable Regulations (as defined below).

6. Issuance of Shares. Any RSU Shares to be issued to the Grantee under this Agreement may be issued in either certificated form, or in uncertificated form (via the Direct Registration System or otherwise).

7. Taxes. The Company shall not be obligated to deliver any RSU Shares (or any other amounts hereunder) to the Grantee or the Grantee’s legal representative unless and until the Grantee or the Grantee’s legal representative shall have paid or otherwise satisfied in full the amount of all federal, state, local, foreign or other tax required to be withheld by the Company or a Subsidiary in connection with the grant, vesting or payment of the Restricted Units (the “Tax-Related Items”). In this regard, at the time of conversion of Restricted Units into RSU Shares, in whole or in part, the Grantee hereby authorizes the Company and/or a Subsidiary, or their respective agents, to satisfy any applicable withholding obligations for Tax-Related Items by withholding RSU Shares otherwise issuable to the Grantee upon the settlement of the Restricted Units with a value equal to the required withholding, provided that (a) to the extent necessary to qualify for an exemption from application of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, if applicable, such share withholding procedure will be subject to the express prior approval of the Board or the Committee; and (b) in no event shall the value of the RSU Shares retained exceed the amount of taxes required to be withheld based on the maximum statutory tax rates in the Grantee’s applicable taxing jurisdictions. If the obligation for Tax-Related Items is satisfied by withholding RSU Shares, for tax purposes, the Grantee is deemed to have been issued the full number of RSU Shares otherwise payable upon


settlement of the Restricted Units, notwithstanding that a number of the RSU Shares is held back solely for the purpose of satisfying the withholding obligations for Tax-Related Items. If a withholding event for Tax-Related Items occurs with respect to the RSUs at any time other than in connection with the conversion of the Restricted Units (for example, if the Grantee is Retirement-eligible on the Grant Date or becomes Retirement-eligible during the vesting period), then the Grantee hereby authorizes the Company and/or a Subsidiary, or their respective agents, to satisfy any applicable withholding obligations for Tax-Related Items by withholding from the Grantee’s salary, wages, or any other amounts payable to the Grantee, in accordance with applicable law. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company may permit (in accordance with procedures established by the Company) or require the Grantee to pay an amount equal to all or any portion of the applicable Tax-Related Items directly to the Company or a Subsidiary by check or wire transfer.

8. No Guarantee of Employment. Nothing set forth herein or in the Plan shall confer upon the Grantee any right of continued employment for any period by the Hexcel Group, or shall interfere in any way with the right of the Hexcel Group to terminate such employment.

9. Section 409A.

(a) It is intended that this Agreement comply in all respects with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and applicable Treasury Regulations and other generally applicable guidance issued thereunder (collectively, the “Applicable Regulations”), and this Agreement shall be interpreted for all purposes in accordance with this intent.

(b) Notwithstanding any term or provision of this Agreement (including any term or provision of the Plan incorporated in this Agreement by reference), the parties hereto agree that, from time to time, the Company may, without prior notice to or consent of the Grantee, amend this Agreement to the extent determined by the Company, in the exercise of its discretion in good faith, to be necessary or advisable to prevent the inclusion in the Grantee’s gross income pursuant to the Applicable Regulations of any compensation intended to be deferred hereunder. The Company shall notify the Grantee as soon as reasonably practicable of any such amendment affecting the Grantee.

(c) In the event that the RSU Shares issuable or amounts payable under this Agreement are subject to any taxes, penalties or interest under the Applicable Regulations, the Grantee shall be solely liable for the payment of any such taxes, penalties or interest. Although the Company intends to administer the Plan and this Agreement to prevent adverse taxation under the Applicable Regulations, the Company does not represent nor warrant that the Plan or this Agreement complies with any provision of federal, state, local or other tax law.

(d) Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, the time for distribution of the RSU Shares as provided in Sections 4, 5(b) and 5(d) shall not be accelerated or delayed for any reason, unless to the extent necessary to comply with or permitted under the Applicable Regulations.

(e) Notwithstanding any term or provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if the Grantee is a specified employee (as defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code) as of the date of his or her termination of employment, then any RSU Shares issuable or amounts payable to the Grantee under this Agreement on account of his or her termination of employment shall be issued or paid to the Grantee upon the later of (i) the date such RSU Shares or amounts would otherwise be issuable or payable to the Grantee under this Agreement without regard to this Section 9(e) and (ii) the date which is six months following the date of the Grantee’s termination of employment. The preceding sentence shall not apply in the event Grantee’s termination of employment is due to his or her death. If the Grantee should terminate employment for a reason other than his or her death but subsequently die during the six-month period described in subclause (ii) of the first sentence above, such six-month period shall be deemed to end on the date of the Grantee’s death.

10. Notices. Any notice required or permitted under this Agreement shall be deemed given when delivered personally, or when deposited in a United States Post Office, postage prepaid, addressed, as appropriate, to the Grantee at the last address specified in Grantee’s employment records, or such other address as the Grantee may designate in writing to the Company, Attention: Corporate Secretary, or such other address as the Company may designate in writing to the Grantee.

11. Amendment; Waiver. The Committee may modify this Agreement upon written notice to the Grantee. Any amendment to the Plan shall be deemed to be an amendment to this Agreement to the extent that the amendment is applicable hereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amendment of the Plan or this Agreement shall adversely affect the rights of the Grantee under this Agreement without the Grantee’s consent, unless Section 9(b) applies. The failure of either party hereto to enforce at any time any provision of this Agreement shall in no way be construed to be a waiver of such provision or of any other provision hereof.

12. Governing Law/Jurisdiction/Resolution of Disputes. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed according to the laws of the State of Delaware, USA, without regard to the conflicts of laws provisions thereof. Any disputes arising under or in connection with this Agreement shall be resolved by binding arbitration before three arbitrators constituting an Employment Dispute Tribunal, to be held in the state of Connecticut, USA in accordance with the commercial rules and procedures of the American


Arbitration Association. Judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator shall be final and subject to appeal only to the extent permitted by law. Each party shall bear such party’s own expenses incurred in connection with any arbitration. Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, each party hereto has the right to proceed with a court action for injunctive relief or relief from violations of law not within the jurisdiction of an arbitrator.

13. Miscellaneous. This Agreement cannot be changed or terminated orally. This Agreement and the Plan contain the entire agreement between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement inures to the benefit of, and is binding upon, the Company and its successors-in-interest and its assigns, and the Grantee, the Grantee’s heirs, executors, administrators and legal representatives. The section headings herein are intended for reference only and shall not affect the interpretation hereof.

14. Severability. The provisions of this Agreement are severable and if any one or more provisions are determined to be illegal or otherwise unenforceable, in whole or in part, the remaining provisions shall nevertheless be binding and enforceable.

15. Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:

(a) “Cause” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Executive Severance Agreement or Executive Severance Policy, as applicable;

(b) “Change in Control” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Executive Severance Agreement or Executive Severance Policy, as applicable; provided that the transactions or events also constitute a “change in control event,” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5);

(c) “Disability” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Executive Severance Agreement or Executive Severance Policy, as applicable;

(d) “Exchange Act” shall mean the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended;

(e) “Executive Severance Agreement” shall mean the Executive Severance Agreement between the Company and the Grantee, as amended from time to time;

(f) “Executive Severance Policy” shall mean the Executive Severance Policy adopted by the Committee, and which applies to a termination of employment of a Grantee who has received an offer letter of employment from the Company that expressly extends the provisions of such Policy to such Grantee;

(g) “Hexcel Group” shall mean the Company and its Subsidiaries;

(h) “Person” shall have the meaning given in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act, as modified and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act and shall include “persons acting as a group” within the meaning of Section 1.409A-3(i)(5)(v)(B) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision);

(i) “Retirement” shall mean termination of the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group, other than by reason of death or Cause, either (A) at or after age 65 or (B) at or after age 55 after five (5) years of employment by the Hexcel Group; and

(j) “Subsidiary” shall mean any “subsidiary” of the Company within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Annex A

NOTICE OF GRANT

RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT

HEXCEL CORPORATION 2013 INCENTIVE STOCK PLAN

The following employee of Hexcel Corporation, a Delaware corporation, or a Subsidiary, has been granted Restricted Stock Units in accordance with the terms of this Notice of Grant and the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement to which this Notice of Grant is attached.

The terms below shall have the meanings ascribed to them below when used in the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement.

 

 

Grantee

Participant Name

Grant Date

January ___, 2025

Aggregate Number of RSUs

Granted

Number of Awards Granted

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereby agree to the terms of this Notice of Grant and the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement to which this Notice of Grant is attached and execute this Notice of Grant and Restricted Stock Unit Agreement as of the Grant Date.

HEXCEL CORPORATION

Grantee

By:

Gail E. Lehman

Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Sustainability Officer and Secretary

 

 


 

Exhibit 10.20

 

 

RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT

under the

Hexcel Corporation 2013 Incentive Stock Plan

This Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (the “Agreement”), is entered into as of the Grant Date, by and between Hexcel Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the Grantee.

The Company maintains the Hexcel Corporation 2013 Incentive Stock Plan (the “Plan”). The Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has determined that the Grantee shall be granted Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”) upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter contained. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Plan.

1. Notice of Grant; Acceptance of Agreement. Pursuant to the Plan and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and therein, the Company hereby grants to the Grantee the number of RSUs indicated on the Notice of Grant attached hereto as Annex A, which Notice of Grant is incorporated by reference herein. Grantee will be deemed to accept the terms and conditions of this Agreement by clicking the “Accept” button on the Award Acceptance screen with regard to the RSUs. By accepting the Agreement, the Grantee agrees to be bound by the terms of the Plan and this Agreement and further agrees that all the decisions and determinations of the Committee shall be final and binding.

2. Incorporation of Plan. The Plan is incorporated by reference and made a part of this Agreement, and this Agreement shall be subject to the terms of the Plan, as the Plan may be amended from time to time. The RSUs granted herein constitute an Award within the meaning of the Plan and in the event of any conflict between the terms of the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan shall govern.

3. Terms of Restricted Stock Units. The grant of RSUs provided in Section 1 hereof shall be subject to the following terms, conditions and restrictions:

(a) To the extent vested, each RSU (collectively “Restricted Units”) shall convert into one share of the Company’s common stock, $.01 par value per share (the “Common Stock”). The Grantee shall not possess any incidents of ownership (including, without limitation, dividend and voting rights) in shares of the Common Stock in respect of the RSUs until such RSUs have vested and converted into shares of Common Stock (hereinafter “RSU Shares”).

(b) Should any cash dividends be declared and paid with respect to the shares of Common Stock during the period between (i) the Grant Date and (ii) the Vesting Date (i.e., shares of Common Stock issuable under the Restricted Units are not issued and outstanding for purposes of entitlement to the dividend), the Company shall credit to a dividend equivalent bookkeeping account (the “Dividend Equivalent Account”) the value of the dividends that would have been paid if the outstanding Restricted Units at the time of the declaration of the dividend were outstanding shares of Common Stock. At the same time that the corresponding Restricted Units are converted to shares of Common Stock and distributed to the Grantee as set forth in Section 4, the Company shall pay to the Grantee a lump sum cash payment equal to the value of the cash dividends credited to the Grantee’s Dividend Equivalent Account that correspond to such Restricted Units (less withholdings for Tax-Related Items, defined in Section 7 below); provided, however, that any dividends that were credited to the Grantee’s Dividend Equivalent Account that are attributable to Restricted Units that have been forfeited as provided in this Agreement shall be forfeited and not payable to the Grantee. No interest shall accrue on any dividend equivalents credited to the Grantee’s Dividend Equivalent Account.

(c) The Restricted Units may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged, hypothecated or otherwise disposed of, except by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Any attempt to transfer Restricted Units in contravention of this Section is void ab initio. Restricted Units shall not be subject to execution, attachment or other process.

(d) Forfeiture of Restricted Units and RSU Shares on Certain Conditions. Grantee hereby acknowledges that the Hexcel Group has given or will give Grantee access to certain confidential, proprietary or trade secret information, which the Hexcel Group considers extremely valuable and which provides the Hexcel Group with a competitive advantage in the markets in which the Hexcel Group develops or sells its products. The Grantee further acknowledges


that the use of such information by Grantee other than in furtherance of Grantee’s job responsibilities with the Hexcel Group would be extremely detrimental to the Hexcel Group and would cause immediate and irreparable harm to the Hexcel Group. In exchange for access to such confidential, proprietary or trade secret information, Grantee hereby agrees as follows:

(i) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, should the Grantee breach the “Protective Condition” (as defined in Section 3(d)(ii)), then (A) any Restricted Units, to the extent not previously converted into RSU Shares and distributed to the Grantee, shall immediately be forfeited upon such breach, (B) the Grantee shall immediately deliver to the Company the number of RSU Shares previously distributed to the Grantee during the 180-day period prior to the termination of the Grantee’s employment with any member of the Hexcel Group that have not been sold or otherwise disposed of, and (C) with respect to any RSU Shares previously distributed to the Grantee during the 180-day period prior to the termination of the Grantee’s employment with any member of the Hexcel Group that have been sold or otherwise disposed of, the Grantee shall immediately pay to the Company, in cash, an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of such RSU Shares as of the date acquired by the Grantee. The Company may elect to reduce the number of RSU Shares, or the amount of the cash payment, otherwise due under clauses (B) and (C) to reflect the Grantee’s liability for taxes payable on such RSU Shares and/or proceeds.

(ii) “Protective Condition” shall mean that (A) the Grantee complies with all terms and provisions of any obligation of confidentiality contained in a written agreement with any member of the Hexcel Group signed by the Grantee, or otherwise imposed on Grantee by applicable law, and (B) during the time Grantee is employed by any member of the Hexcel Group and for a period of one year following the termination of the Grantee’s employment with any member of the Hexcel Group, the Grantee does not (1) engage, directly or indirectly, in any substantially similar or related capacity, as the Grantee was engaged or employed by any member of the Hexcel Group during the Grantee’s employment, including but not limited to as employee, agent, consultant, manager, executive, owner or stockholder (except as a passive investor holding less than a 5% equity interest in any enterprise), in any business enterprise then engaged in competition with the business conducted by the Hexcel Group anywhere in the world where the Grantee performed services for any member of the Hexcel Group during the preceding 24 months of the Grantee’s employment or engagement with Hexcel Group if the Hexcel Group carries out or engaged in a like business therein at such time; provided, however, that the Grantee may be employed by a competitor of the Hexcel Group within such one year period so long as the duties and responsibilities of Grantee’s position with such competitor do not involve the same or substantially similar duties and responsibilities as those performed by the Grantee for any member of the Hexcel Group in a business segment of the new employer which competes with the business segment(s) with which the Grantee worked or had supervisory authority over while employed by any member of the Hexcel Group during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the date on which the Grantee’s employment terminates, (2) employ or attempt to employ, solicit or attempt to solicit, or negotiate or arrange the employment or engagement with Grantee or any other Person, of any Person who was at the date of termination of the Grantee’s employment, or within twelve (12) months prior to that date had been, a member of the senior management of any member of the Hexcel Group with whom the Grantee worked closely or was an employee with whom the Grantee worked closely or had supervisory authority over during the twelve months immediately preceding the date on which the Grantee’s employment terminates or (3) disparage any member of the Hexcel Group, any of its respective current or former directors, officers or employees or any of its respective products (notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent Grantee is a California based employee, then foregoing clauses (1) and (2) shall not apply). The Grantee acknowledges that the business of the Hexcel Group is conducted nationwide and worldwide. The Grantee also acknowledges that the restrictions in this section are therefore reasonably restricted geographically to the entire United States of America, as well as all countries in which any member of the Hexcel Group does business. The Grantee also acknowledges and agrees that (I) complying with the restrictions contained in Section 3(d)(i) and Section 3(d)(ii) would not prevent the Grantee from earning a living and (II) such restrictions are necessary and reasonable (including, without limitation, with respect to geographic scope and duration, as applicable) to protect the Hexcel Group’s valid business interests (including, without limitation, relationships with customers, goodwill, the protection of trade secrets and other confidential and proprietary Information, protection from unfair competition, and other protectable interests).

(iii) Nothing in this Agreement prevents the Grantee from providing, without prior notice to the Company, information to any governmental or administrative authorities regarding possible violations of law or otherwise testifying or participating in any investigation or proceeding by any governmental or administrative authorities regarding possible violations of law or filing a charge or complaint with any securities regulatory agency or authority. This Agreement does not limit the Grantee’s right to receive an award for information provided to any securities regulatory


agency or authority. Moreover, this Agreement does not, in any way, restrict or impede the Grantee from exercising protected rights to the extent that such rights cannot be waived by agreement, including but not limited to the Grantee’s Section 7 rights under the National Labor Relations Act. The Grantee represents and acknowledges that he or she had a reasonable opportunity to consult with counsel of the Grantee’s choice prior to signing this Agreement.

(iv) In the event Section 3(d)(i) or Section 3(d)(ii) is unenforceable in the jurisdiction in which the Grantee is employed on the date hereof, such section nevertheless shall be enforceable to the full extent permitted by the laws of any jurisdiction in which the Company shall have the ability to seek remedies against the Grantee arising from any activity prohibited by this Section 3(d).

(v) Notwithstanding any other provision in the Plan or this Agreement to the contrary, whenever the Company may be entitled or required by law, Company policy, including, without limitation, any applicable clawback, recoupment or other policies of the Company relating to the RSU Shares, or the requirements of an exchange on which the Company’s shares are listed for trading, to cause an Award to be forfeited or to recoup compensation received by the Grantee pursuant to the Plan, including recovery of shares distributed or the proceeds of shares sold or transferred, the Grantee shall accept such forfeiture and comply with any Company request or demand for recoupment of compensation received. Without limiting the preceding sentence, the RSUs granted hereunder shall be subject to the Company’s Clawback Policy (CP No. 1.7) or any similar successor policy adopted by the Company.

4. Vesting and Conversion of Restricted Units. Subject to Section 5, the Restricted Units shall vest and be converted into an equivalent number of RSU Shares that will be immediately distributed to the Grantee at the rate of one-third (1/3) of the Restricted Units on each of the first three anniversaries of the Grant Date (each such date a “Vesting Date”). The vesting of the Restricted Units is cumulative but shall not exceed 100% of the RSU Shares subject to the Restricted Units. If the foregoing schedule would produce fractional RSU Shares on a Vesting Date, the number of RSU Shares for which the Restricted Units becomes vested on such Vesting Date shall be rounded down to the nearest whole RSU Share, with the portion that did not become vested as provided above, because of the rounding down, shall become vested on the third anniversary of the Grant Date so that the entire portion of the Restricted Units is vested on the third anniversary of the Grant Date, provided that the Grantee has not had a termination of employment prior to such date, except as provided in Section 5 below.

5. Termination of Employment; Change in Control.

(a) For purposes of the grant hereunder, any transfer of employment by the Grantee within the Hexcel Group or any other change in employment that does not constitute a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 1.409A-1(h) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision), shall not be considered a termination of employment by the applicable member of the Hexcel Group. Any change in employment that does constitute a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 1.409A-1(h) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision) shall be considered a termination of employment.

(b) If the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group terminates due to death, all Restricted Units shall immediately vest, be converted into RSU Shares and be distributed to the Grantee’s estate within 60 days after the Grantee’s death (or where additional time is needed for administrative reasons, at such later time as is permitted under Section 409A of the Code). Subject to Section 5(d), if the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group terminates due to the Grantee’s Retirement (as defined in the last Section hereof) or termination by the Hexcel Group following the Grantee’s Disability (as defined in the last Section hereof), all Restricted Units shall continue to vest (and be converted into an equivalent number of RSU Shares that will be distributed to the Grantee) in accordance with Section 4 above. If, following Grantee’s Retirement or termination by the Hexcel Group following the Grantee’s Disability, the Grantee dies prior to the third anniversary of the Grant Date, then all Restricted Units shall immediately vest, be converted into RSU Shares and be distributed to the Grantee’s estate within 60 days after the Grantee’s death (or where additional time is needed for administrative reasons, at such later time as is permitted under Section 409A of the Code).

(c) If the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group terminates for any reason other than due to death, Disability or Retirement, the Grantee shall forfeit all unvested Restricted Units.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision contained herein or in the Plan, in the event of a Change in Control (as defined in the last Section hereof), and provided Grantee has been continuously employed with the Hexcel Group from


the Grant Date through the date of such event or has terminated employment prior to the date of such event due to Retirement or termination by the Hexcel Group following the Grantee’s Disability, then all Restricted Units shall immediately vest, be converted into RSU Shares and be distributed to the Grantee within 30 days after the date of such Change in Control. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the provisions of the Plan applicable to an event described in Article X(d) of the Plan, which would include a Change in Control, shall apply to the Restricted Units and, in such event, the Committee may take such actions as it deemed appropriate pursuant to the Plan, consistent with the requirements of the Applicable Regulations (as defined below).

6. Issuance of Shares. Any RSU Shares to be issued to the Grantee under this Agreement may be issued in either certificated form, or in uncertificated form (via the Direct Registration System or otherwise).

7. Taxes.

(a) The Company shall not be obligated to deliver any RSU Shares (or any other amounts hereunder) to the Grantee or the Grantee’s legal representative unless and until the Grantee or the Grantee’s legal representative shall have paid or otherwise satisfied in full the amount of all federal, state, local, foreign or other tax required to be withheld by the Company or a Subsidiary in connection with the grant, vesting or payment of the Restricted Units (the “Tax-Related Items”). In this regard, at the time of conversion of Restricted Units into RSU Shares, in whole or in part, the Grantee hereby authorizes the Company and/or a Subsidiary, or their respective agents, to satisfy any applicable withholding obligations for Tax-Related Items by withholding RSU Shares otherwise issuable to the Grantee upon the settlement of the Restricted Units with a value equal to the required withholding, provided that (a) to the extent necessary to qualify for an exemption from application of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, if applicable, such share withholding procedure will be subject to the express prior approval of the Board or the Committee; and (b) in no event shall the value of the RSU Shares retained exceed the amount of taxes required to be withheld based on the maximum statutory tax rates in the Grantee’s applicable taxing jurisdictions. If the obligation for Tax-Related Items is satisfied by withholding RSU Shares, for tax purposes, the Grantee is deemed to have been issued the full number of RSU Shares otherwise payable upon settlement of the Restricted Units, notwithstanding that a number of the RSU Shares is held back solely for the purpose of satisfying the withholding obligations for Tax-Related Items. If a withholding event for Tax-Related Items occurs with respect to the RSUs at any time other than in connection with the conversion of the Restricted Units (for example, if the Grantee is Retirement-eligible on the Grant Date or becomes Retirement-eligible during the vesting period), then the Grantee hereby authorizes the Company and/or a Subsidiary, or their respective agents, to satisfy any applicable withholding obligations for Tax-Related Items by withholding from the Grantee’s salary, wages, or any other amounts payable to the Grantee, in accordance with applicable law. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company may permit (in accordance with procedures established by the Company) or require the Grantee to pay an amount equal to all or any portion of the applicable Tax-Related Items directly to the Company or a Subsidiary by check or wire transfer.

(b) Regardless of any action the Company or its Subsidiary takes with respect to any such Tax-Related Items, the Grantee acknowledges that the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items legally due by the Grantee is and remains the Grantee’s responsibility and may exceed the amount actually withheld by the Company or its Subsidiary. The Grantee further acknowledges that the Company and its Subsidiary (i) make no representations or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with any aspect of the Restricted Units, including the grant, vesting or settlement of the Restricted Units and the subsequent sale of any RSU Shares acquired at settlement; and (ii) do not commit to structure the terms of the grant or any aspect of the Restricted Units to reduce or eliminate the Grantee’s liability for Tax-Related Items. Further, if the Grantee has become subject to tax in more than one jurisdiction between the Grant Date and the date of any relevant taxable event, the Grantee acknowledges that the Company or its Subsidiaries may be required to collect, withhold or account for Tax-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction.

8. No Guarantee of Employment. Nothing set forth herein or in the Plan shall confer upon the Grantee any right of continued employment for any period by the Hexcel Group, or shall interfere in any way with the right of the Hexcel Group to terminate such employment.

9. No Entitlement or Claims for Compensation. In connection with the acceptance of the grant of RSUs under this Agreement, the Grantee acknowledges the following:


(a) The Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, the grant of restricted stock units under the Plan is made at the discretion of the Committee and the Plan may be modified, amended, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time.

(b) The grant of Restricted Units is voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future grants of restricted stock units, or benefits in lieu of restricted stock units, even if restricted stock units have been granted repeatedly in the past.

(c) All decisions with respect to future grants of restricted stock units, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Committee.

(d) The Grantee is voluntarily participating in the Plan.

(e) This grant of Restricted Units and any RSU Shares acquired under the Plan in connection with the Restricted Units are extraordinary items that do not constitute compensation of any kind for services of any kind rendered to the Company or any Subsidiary and which are outside the scope of the Grantee’s employment contract, if any.

(f) This grant of Restricted Units and any shares acquired under the Plan and their value are not to be considered part of the Grantee’s normal or expected compensation or salary for any purpose, including, but not limited to, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, payment in lieu of notice, redundancy, end of service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, pension or retirement benefits or similar payments.

(g) This grant of Restricted Units and any RSU Shares acquired under the Plan in connection with the Restricted Units are not intended to replace any pension rights or compensation.

(h) The future value of RSU Shares is unknown and cannot be predicted with certainty. If the Grantee vests in the Restricted Units and receives RSU Shares, the value of the acquired shares may increase or decrease. The Grantee acknowledges and agrees that neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall be liable for any foreign exchange rate fluctuation between the Grantee’s local currency and the United States Dollar that may affect the value of the Restricted Units or of any amounts received by the Grantee pursuant to the Restricted Units or the subsequent sale of any RSU Shares acquired in connection with the Restricted Units.

(i) The Grantee shall have no rights, claim or entitlement to compensation or damages as a result of the Grantee’s termination of employment or service for any reason whatsoever, whether or not in breach of contract or local labor law, insofar as these rights, claim or entitlement arise or may arise from the Grantee’s ceasing to have rights under or be entitled to Restricted Units as a result of such termination or loss or diminution in value of the Restricted Units or any of the RSU Shares received in connection with the Restricted Units as a result of such termination, and the Grantee irrevocably releases the Company and its Subsidiaries, as applicable, from any such rights, entitlement or claim that may arise. If, notwithstanding the foregoing, any such right or claim is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to have arisen, then, by accepting this Agreement, the Grantee shall be deemed to have irrevocably waived the Grantee’s entitlement to pursue such rights or claim.

10. Data Privacy.

(a) The Grantee hereby acknowledges and understands that the Grantee’s personal data is collected, retained, used, processed, disclosed and transferred, in electronic or other form, as described in this Agreement by and among, as applicable, the Grantee’s employer, the Company and its Subsidiaries, and third parties assisting in the implementation, administration and management of the Plan for the exclusive purpose of implementing, administering and managing the Grantee’s participation in the Plan.

(b) The Grantee understands that the Grantee’s employer, the Company and its Subsidiaries hold certain personal information about the Grantee regarding the Grantee’s employment, the nature and amount of the Grantee’s compensation and the fact and conditions of the Grantee’s participation in the Plan, including, but not limited to, the Grantee’s name, home address, telephone number and e-mail address, date of birth, social insurance number or other identification number, salary, nationality, job title, any equity or directorships held in the Company or its Subsidiaries, and details of all restricted stock units or any other entitlement to equity awarded, canceled, exercised, vested, unvested or


outstanding in the Grantee’s favor, in connection with the implementation, management and administration of the Plan (the “Data”).

(c) The Grantee understands that the Data may be transferred to the Company, its Subsidiaries and any third parties assisting in the implementation, administration and management of the Plan, that these recipients may be located in the Grantee’s country, or elsewhere, and that the recipient’s country may have a lower standard of data privacy rights and protections than the Grantee’s country of residence. The Grantee understands that the Grantee may request a list with the names and addresses of any recipients of the Data by contacting the Grantee’s local human resources representative. The Grantee understands that the recipients receive, possess, use, retain and transfer the Data, in electronic or other form, for the purposes of implementing, administering and managing the Grantee’s participation in the Plan, including transfers of such Data to a broker or other third party. The Grantee understands that the Data will be held only as long as is necessary to implement, administer and manage the Grantee’s participation in the Plan in accordance with applicable law. The Grantee understands that the Grantee may, at any time, request to access or be provided the Data, request additional information about the storage and processing of the Data, require any corrections or amendments to the Data, in any case without cost and to the extent permitted by law, by contacting in writing the Grantee’s local human resources representative. The Grantee may also refuse or withdraw the consents in the Agreement; the Grantee understands, however, that not providing or withdrawing consent to the processing of his/her Data may affect the Grantee’s ability to participate in the Plan. For more information on the processing of his or her Data and other personal data, the Grantee is referred to the Privacy Notice made available provided to him/her by his/her employer.

11. Country Specific Terms. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Restricted Units shall be subject to the Country-Specific Terms attached hereto as an Addendum to this Agreement. In addition, if the Grantee relocates to one of the countries included in the Country-Specific Terms, the special terms and conditions for such country will apply to the Grantee to the extent the Company determines that the application of such terms and conditions is necessary or advisable in order to comply with local law or facilitate the administration of the Plan. The Country-Specific Terms constitute part of this Agreement and are incorporated herein by reference.

12. Section 409A.

(a) It is intended that this Agreement comply in all respects with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and applicable Treasury Regulations and other generally applicable guidance issued thereunder (collectively, the “Applicable Regulations”), and this Agreement shall be interpreted for all purposes in accordance with this intent.

(b) Notwithstanding any term or provision of this Agreement (including any term or provision of the Plan incorporated in this Agreement by reference), the parties hereto agree that, from time to time, the Company may, without prior notice to or consent of the Grantee, amend this Agreement to the extent determined by the Company, in the exercise of its discretion in good faith, to be necessary or advisable to prevent the inclusion in the Grantee’s gross income pursuant to the Applicable Regulations of any compensation intended to be deferred hereunder. The Company shall notify the Grantee as soon as reasonably practicable of any such amendment affecting the Grantee.

(c) In the event that the RSU Shares issuable or amounts payable under this Agreement are subject to any taxes, penalties or interest under the Applicable Regulations, the Grantee shall be solely liable for the payment of any such taxes, penalties or interest. Although the Company intends to administer the Plan and this Agreement to prevent adverse taxation under the Applicable Regulations, the Company does not represent nor warrant that the Plan or this Agreement complies with any provision of federal, state, local or other tax law.

(d) Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, the time for distribution of the RSU Shares as provided in Sections 4, 5(b) and 5(d) shall not be accelerated or delayed for any reason, unless to the extent necessary to comply with or permitted under the Applicable Regulations.

(e) Notwithstanding any term or provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if the Grantee is a specified employee (as defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code) as of the date of his or her termination of employment, then any RSU Shares issuable or amounts payable to the Grantee under this Agreement on account of his or her termination of employment shall be issued or paid to the Grantee upon the later of (i) the date such RSU Shares or amounts would otherwise be issuable or payable to the Grantee under this Agreement without regard to this Section 12(e) and (ii) the date which is six months following the date of the Grantee’s termination of employment. The preceding


sentence shall not apply in the event Grantee’s termination of employment is due to his or her death. If the Grantee should terminate employment for a reason other than his or her death but subsequently die during the six-month period described in subclause (ii) of the first sentence above, such six-month period shall be deemed to end on the date of the Grantee’s death.

13. Notices. Any notice required or permitted under this Agreement shall be deemed given when delivered personally, or when deposited in a United States Post Office, postage prepaid, addressed, as appropriate, to the Grantee at the last address specified in Grantee’s employment records, or such other address as the Grantee may designate in writing to the Company, Attention: Corporate Secretary, or such other address as the Company may designate in writing to the Grantee.

14. Amendment; Waiver. The Committee may modify this Agreement upon written notice to the Grantee. Any amendment to the Plan shall be deemed to be an amendment to this Agreement to the extent that the amendment is applicable hereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amendment of the Plan or this Agreement shall adversely affect the rights of the Grantee under this Agreement without the Grantee’s consent, unless Section 12(b) applies. The failure of either party hereto to enforce at any time any provision of this Agreement shall in no way be construed to be a waiver of such provision or of any other provision hereof.

15. Governing Law/Jurisdiction/Resolution of Disputes. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed according to the laws of the State of Delaware, USA, without regard to the conflicts of laws provisions thereof. Any disputes arising under or in connection with this Agreement shall be resolved by binding arbitration before three arbitrators constituting an Employment Dispute Tribunal, to be held in the state of Connecticut, USA in accordance with the commercial rules and procedures of the American Arbitration Association. Judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator shall be final and subject to appeal only to the extent permitted by law. Each party shall bear such party’s own expenses incurred in connection with any arbitration. Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, each party hereto has the right to proceed with a court action for injunctive relief or relief from violations of law not within the jurisdiction of an arbitrator.

16. Miscellaneous. This Agreement cannot be changed or terminated orally. This Agreement and the Plan contain the entire agreement between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement inures to the benefit of, and is binding upon, the Company and its successors-in-interest and its assigns, and the Grantee, the Grantee’s heirs, executors, administrators and legal representatives. The section headings herein are intended for reference only and shall not affect the interpretation hereof.

17. Severability. The provisions of this Agreement are severable and if any one or more provisions are determined to be illegal or otherwise unenforceable, in whole or in part, the remaining provisions shall nevertheless be binding and enforceable.

18. Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:

(a) “Cause” shall mean:

(i)
the willful and continued failure by the Grantee to substantially perform his

duties or discharge his responsibilities to the Company, or to follow the reasonable requests of his supervisor to undertake actions falling within the scope of such duties and responsibilities; or

(ii)
any fraudulent or intentional misconduct by the Grantee that causes or might

reasonably be expected to cause material reputational, financial or other harm to the Company, or any improper or grossly negligent failure by the Grantee, including in a supervisory capacity, to identify, escalate, monitor or manage, in a timely manner and as reasonably expected, risks that cause or might reasonably be expected to cause material reputational, financial or other harm to the Company; or

(iii)
any conduct that violates the covenants set forth in Section 3(c) hereof or

restrictive covenants in any other written agreement between the Grantee and the Company, or violates requirements of the Company embodied in its employee policies adopted from time to time including, but not limited to, policies directed


to ethical business conduct, insider trading, anti-corruption, harassment, and other policies proscribing or prohibiting conduct as an employee of the Company; or

(iv)
the Grantee becomes subject to a suspension or debarment proceeding, or

related investigations, conducted in connection with any actual or suspected violations of any United States Government procurement laws or regulations, or is for any other reason ineligible to participate in the discussion, negotiation and entering into of contracts with respect to United States government procurement, or fails to obtain or maintain any professional license reasonably required for the Grantee lawfully to perform her duties and responsibilities.

No act, or failure to act, on the Grantee's part shall be considered "willful" unless done, or omitted to be done, not in good faith and without reasonable belief that the action or omission was in the best interest of the Company. The Grantee shall not be deemed to have been terminated for Cause without delivery to the Grantee of a written notice of termination from the Chief Executive Officer specifying the grounds for Cause.

(b) “Change in Control” shall mean:

(i)
any person (as defined in Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Exchange

Act of1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), as modified and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) (a "Person") is or becomes the Beneficial Owner (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of either (A) the combined fair market value of the then outstanding stock of the Company (the “Total Fair Market Value”) or (B) the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the Company (the “Total Voting Power”); excluding, however, the following: (I) any acquisition by the Company or any of its affiliates, (II) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any of its affiliates, (III) any Person who becomes such a Beneficial Owner in connection with a transaction described in the exclusion within paragraph (4) below and (IV) any acquisition of additional stock or securities by a Person who owns more than 50% of the Total Fair Market Value or Total Voting Power of the Company immediately prior to such acquisition; or

(ii)
any Person is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of

securities of the Company that, together with any securities acquired directly or indirectly by such Person within the immediately preceding twelve-consecutive month period, represent 40% or more of the Total Voting Power of the Company; excluding, however, any acquisition described in sub-clauses (I) through (IV) of subsection (1) above; or

(iii)
a change in the composition of the Board such that the individuals who, as of

the original effective date of this Agreement, constitute the Board (such individuals shall be hereinafter referred to as the “Incumbent Directors”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board; provided, however, for purposes of this definition, that any individual who becomes a director subsequent to such effective date, whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders, was made or approved by a vote of at least a majority of the Incumbent Directors (or directors whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved) shall be considered an Incumbent Director; but, provided, further, that any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of either an actual or threatened election contest or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a person or legal entity other than the Board shall not be considered an Incumbent Director; provided finally, however, that, as of any time, any member of the Board who has been a director for at least twelve consecutive months immediately prior to such time shall be considered an Incumbent Director for purposes of this definition, other than for the purpose of the first proviso of this definition; or

(iv)
there is consummated a merger or consolidation of the Company or any

direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company or a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company (“Corporate Transaction”); excluding, however, such a Corporate Transaction (A) pursuant to which all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who are the Beneficial Owners, respectively, of the outstanding Common Stock of the Company and Total Voting Power immediately prior to such Corporate Transaction will Beneficially Own, directly or indirectly, more than 50%, respectively, of the outstanding common stock and the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the company resulting from such Corporate Transaction (including, without limitation, a company which as a result of such transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries) in substantially the


same proportions as their ownership immediately prior to such Corporate Transaction of the Outstanding Common Stock and Total Voting Power, as the case may be, and (B) immediately following which the individuals who comprise the Board immediately prior thereto constitute at least a majority of the board of directors of the company resulting from such Corporate Transaction (including, without limitation, a company which as a result of such transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries); provided, however, that notwithstanding anything to the contrary in subsections (1) through (4) above, an event which does not constitute a change in the ownership of the Company, a change in the effective control of the Company, or a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company, each as defined in Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision), shall not be considered a Change in Control for purposes of this Agreement.

(c) “Disability” shall mean Disability as determined under the Company’s then-existing long-term disability compensation programs;

(d) “Exchange Act” shall mean the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended;

(e) “Hexcel Group” shall mean the Company and its Subsidiaries;

(f) “Person” shall have the meaning given in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act, as modified and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act and shall include “persons acting as a group” within the meaning of Section 1.409A-3(i)(5)(v)(B) of the Treasury Regulations (or any successor provision);

(g) “Retirement” shall mean termination of the Grantee’s employment with a member of the Hexcel Group, other than by reason of death or Cause, either (A) at or after age 65 or (B) at or after age 55 after five (5) years of employment by the Hexcel Group; and

(h) “Subsidiary” shall mean any “subsidiary” of the Company within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 


ADDENDUM TO RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT

COUNTRY-SPECIFIC TERMS

FOR PARTICIPANTS OUTSIDE THE U.S.

These Country-Specific Terms include additional terms and conditions that govern the Restricted Units awarded to the Grantee under the Plan if the Grantee resides in one of the countries listed below. Capitalized terms used but not defined in these Country-Specific Terms are defined in the Plan or this Agreement and have the meanings set forth therein.

FRANCE

French Sub-Plan

The Restricted Units are intended to qualify for specific treatment under French tax and social security laws and are subject to the provisions below and the Specific and Additional Terms and Conditions for French Employees (the “French Sub-Plan”), which has been provided to the Grantee and is incorporated herein. Capitalized terms below shall have the same definitions assigned to them under the French Sub-Plan and the Agreement.

No Dividend Equivalents

The Grantee shall not be entitled to any dividend equivalents with respect to the RSUs and accordingly, no dividend equivalents shall be credited to the Grantee.

Vesting.

The following provision replaces the first sentence in Section 4 of the Agreement:

“Subject to Section 5, the Restricted Units shall vest and be converted into an equivalent number of RSU Shares that will be immediately distributed to the Grantee at the rate of 66-2/3% of the Restricted Units on the second anniversary of the Grant Date and 33-1/3% on the third anniversary of the Grant Date.”

Closed Periods

The Grantee may be subject to restrictions on sale of RSU Shares during Closed Periods as set forth in the French Sub-Plan.

UNITED KINGDOM

U.K. Sub-Plan. The Stock Units are granted under the Sub-Plan for U.K. Employees and subject to the terms thereof.

Stock Units Payable Only in Shares. Notwithstanding any discretion in the Plan or anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the grant of the Stock Units does not provide the Grantee any right to receive a cash payment and the Stock Units may be settled only in shares of Common Stock.

Termination of Service. The Grantee has no right to compensation or damages on account of any loss in respect of Stock Units under the Plan where the loss arises or is claimed to arise in whole or part from: (a) the termination of the Grantee’s office or employment; or (b) notice to terminate the Grantee’s office or employment. This exclusion of liability shall apply however termination of office or employment, or the giving of notice, is caused, and however compensation or damages are claimed. For the purpose of the Plan, the implied duty of trust and confidence is expressly excluded.

 

 



Annex A

NOTICE OF GRANT

RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT

HEXCEL CORPORATION 2013 INCENTIVE STOCK PLAN

The following employee of Hexcel Corporation, a Delaware corporation, or a Subsidiary, has been granted Restricted Stock Units in accordance with the terms of this Notice of Grant and the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement to which this Notice of Grant is attached.

The terms below shall have the meanings ascribed to them below when used in the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement.

Grantee

Participant Name

Grant Date

January ___, 2025

Aggregate Number of RSUs

Granted

Number of Awards Granted

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereby agree to the terms of this Notice of Grant and the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement to which this Notice of Grant is attached and execute this Notice of Grant and Restricted Stock Unit Agreement as of the Grant Date.

HEXCEL CORPORATION

Grantee

By:

Gail E. Lehman

Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Sustainability Officer and Secretary

 

 


Exhibit 19

 

 

Policy No 1.3 Insider Trading Effective Date February 8, 2023

Scope/Applicability

This policy on insider trading (the “Policy”) applies to all Hexcel operations and subsidiaries worldwide.

1.
Purpose

The United States securities laws and regulations generally prohibit transactions in securities of a company at a time when a person involved in the transaction is aware of material information about the company that has not been publicly disclosed. This type of transaction is commonly referred to as “insider trading.” This Policy on Insider Trading has been adopted by Hexcel to prevent insider trading and protect Hexcel’s reputation for integrity and ethical conduct.

2.
Persons Covered by this Policy

This Policy applies to each employee, officer and director of Hexcel and its subsidiaries, and to family members who reside with you (including a spouse, a child, a child away at college, stepchildren, grandchildren, parents, stepparents, grandparents, siblings and in-laws), anyone else who lives in your household, and any family members who do not live in your household but whose transactions in Hexcel securities are directed by you or are subject to your influence or control, such as parents or children who consult with you before they trade in Hexcel securities (referred to below as “Related Persons”). This Policy also applies to any corporations, partnerships, trust, estate or other entity in which an employee, officer or director has a substantial beneficial interest or as to which he or she influences or controls, including serving as an executive officer, general partner, trustee or in a similar fiduciary capacity (referred to below as “Related Entities”). References to employees, officers and directors elsewhere in this Policy also relate to their family members and the other persons and entities described in this paragraph.

.

3.
Consequences of Insider Trading Violations

The consequences of insider trading can be enormous. Individuals engaged in insider trading can be subject to severe civil and criminal penalties, including civil monetary liability of up to three times the profit gained or loss avoided, a criminal monetary fine of up to $5 million, and imprisonment for up to 20 years. Hexcel also may be subject to civil and criminal penalties in the event a person covered by this Policy engages in insider trading. In addition, Hexcel may institute legal and/or disciplinary action against any employee engaging in or otherwise responsible for such conduct, as described in Section 21 of this Policy.

.

4.
Policy

Every employee and director of Hexcel or of any of its subsidiaries is prohibited from engaging in transactions in Hexcel securities (including equity, debt and convertible and other derivative securities) while aware of any material nonpublic information concerning Hexcel. This prohibition also applies to securities of any other company in the event that any person covered by this Policy becomes aware of material nonpublic information in the course of his or her duties for Hexcel,


regardless of whether such information is provided by customers, suppliers, competitors or anyone else. For the avoidance of doubt, gifts of stock or securities are subject to this Policy.

 

In addition, any employee or director who is aware of material nonpublic information may not (i) communicate such information to anyone other than for legitimate corporate purposes and in accordance with other policies governing disclosure of information regarding Hexcel, (ii) recommend the purchase or sale of Hexcel securities, or (iii) assist any other person who may be engaging in any of these activities. These limitations are designed to prevent, among other things, the provision of such information to a person who then trades in the Hexcel securities, a practice known as “tipping.” Both the person who provides the information and the person who trades in the securities while aware of the information can be subject to civil and criminal liabilities and penalties with respect to the transaction.

.

5.
Definition of “Material” Information

Information is considered “material” when there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider the information important in determining whether to buy or sell securities of a company. Both good and bad news can be material, and information may be material even though it would not necessarily change the investor’s decision. It is sufficient that the information would significantly alter the total mix of information already known about a company, for purposes of making a decision. In simple terms, material information is anything that is likely to affect the market price of the securities. By way of example, any of the following matters could be material:

 

(a)
Information regarding earnings, losses or backlog;
(b)
Projections of future earnings or losses, or other earnings guidance;
(c)
A pending or proposed merger, acquisition, disposition or tender offer;
(d)
A pending or proposed acquisition or disposition of a significant asset;
(e)
A pending or proposed significant joint venture;
(f)
The gain or loss of a significant customer or supplier, or receipt of a significant new business order;
(g)
Significant litigation or the threat of significant litigation, and any important developments pertaining to the litigation;
(h)
A change in dividend policy, the declaration of a stock split or the offering of additional securities;
(i)
A significant process or product development, and any associated patents;
(j)
The effects of any natural disaster, terrorist event or other catastrophic event on Hexcel’s business, including any public health crisis;
(k)
A significant cybersecurity event, such as a data breach compromising sensitive, confidential or proprietary information;
(l)
A change in senior management; and
(m)
Impending bankruptcy or the existence of severe liquidity problems.

 

 

The above examples are not exhaustive. There is no bright line test for materiality. Intent generally is not relevant; even a decision made in good faith could result in an insider trading violation. Therefore, if you have any question concerning the materiality of nonpublic information, you should contact Hexcel’s General Counsel (the “Compliance Officer”); otherwise, you should assume that the information is material, and that trading is prohibited until the information becomes public and


trading would be permitted under the terms of this Policy.

6.
When Information Is Deemed Public

Information is considered “nonpublic” unless it has been effectively disclosed in a manner sufficient to ensure that the public has had the opportunity to evaluate such information. A person aware of material nonpublic information may not attempt to “beat the market” by trading simultaneously with, or immediately after, the public release of the information. Therefore, any person aware of material nonpublic information must abstain from trading until at least two full trading days have passed after Hexcel has disseminated the information to investors through a widely circulated national wire service or through a public filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). For example, if Hexcel has disseminated the information after commencement of trading on the New York Stock Exchange on a Monday, any person aware of the material nonpublic information may not trade in Hexcel securities until Thursday. If Hexcel has disseminated the information before the commencement of trading on a Monday, any person aware of the information may not trade in Hexcel securities until Wednesday.

Trading by persons aware of material nonpublic information is not made permissible merely because industry sources, rumors or other unofficial statements reflect that information. The information must be made publicly available by Hexcel through a method of disclosure reasonably designed to provide broad, non-exclusionary public dissemination of the information, such as a press release transmitted through a national wire service or a public filing with the SEC. By contrast, information would likely not be considered widely disseminated if it is available only to Hexcel employees, or if it is only available to a select group of third parties..

If you have any question as to whether material information has been publicly disclosed, you should contact the Compliance Officer; otherwise, you should assume that the information is nonpublic, and that trading is prohibited until the information clearly has been publicly disclosed and trading is otherwise permitted under this Policy.

7.
Trading by Directors, Officers and Certain Designated Employees

1.
Pre-Clearance by Compliance Officer

In addition to the general prohibition against engaging in transactions in Hexcel securities while aware of material nonpublic information, directors, officers and certain other designated Hexcel employees must also obtain prior clearance from the Compliance Officer, or her designee, before engaging in any transaction in Hexcel securities, including market transactions, transactions under stock plans (such as option exercises) except as set forth in Section 14, gifts, transfers to a trust, or any other acquisitions or dispositions of Hexcel securities. The Compliance Officer will notify each individual to whom this additional prohibition applies.

 

The person seeking pre-clearance must certify in the form provided by the Compliance Officer that he or she is not in possession of material nonpublic information or disclose to the Compliance Officer any information that the person believes is, or might be, material nonpublic information. Otherwise, the Compliance Officer will not be in a position to make an informed decision as to whether to provide clearance. The Compliance Officer is under no obligation to approve a transaction submitted for pre-clearance, and may determine not to permit the transaction.

2.
Trading Permitted Only During Window Periods

 

To help avoid any inference that a transaction was based on undisclosed financial or business


information, directors, officers and designated employees who are required to seek pre-clearance under Section 7.a above are prohibited from engaging in transactions in Hexcel securities except during periods (“Window Periods”) beginning on the third trading day after the information is released by Hexcel through a national wire service and ending 45 calendar days thereafter. The Window Period does not open until at least two full trading days have passed after Hexcel has disseminated the information to investors through a widely circulated national wire service or through a public filing with the SEC. For example, if Hexcel has disseminated the information after commencement of trading on the New York Stock Exchange on a Monday, any person aware of the material nonpublic information may not trade in Hexcel securities until Thursday. If Hexcel has disseminated the information before the commencement of trading on a Monday, any person aware of the information may not trade in Hexcel securities until Wednesday. It should be emphasized, however, that insider trading may occur even during Window Periods; for example, if, for valid business reasons, material nonpublic information has not been publicly disclosed and a person aware of the information trades in Hexcel securities, the trades could constitute a violation of United States securities laws and regulations.

3.
Event-Specific Trading Restriction Periods

From time to time, an event or other corporate or financial development may occur that is or may be material to Hexcel and is known by only a few directors, officers and/or other employees. So long as the event or other development remains material and nonpublic, the Window Period with respect to persons designated by the Compliance Officer will be suspended, and such persons may not trade in Hexcel securities. In this situation, the Compliance Officer will notify these persons that they should not trade in Hexcel securities, but may not disclose to them the reason for the restriction. The suspension of a Window Period may not be announced on a company-wide basis, and should not be communicated to any other person. Even if the Compliance Officer has not designated you as a person who should not trade due to an event-specific restriction, you should not trade while aware of material nonpublic information.

4.
Trading by Certain Individuals

In the event that either Hexcel’s Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) or Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) requests prior clearance from the Compliance Officer to trade in any Hexcel securities, or to effect a trade by any of such officer’s Related Persons or Related Entities, the Compliance Officer shall promptly consult with the Chair of the Compensation Committee of Hexcel before making a pre-clearance determination with regard to the request. In addition, the Compliance Officer shall promptly notify the CEO of any request to trade in Hexcel securities by: (i) any director, (ii) any member of the Hexcel Leadership Team (“HLT”) (as determined from time to time by Hexcel), or (iii) any non-HLT officer who is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether such securities are held by such person, or by such person’s Related Persons or Related Entities.

8.
Short-Term Trading

 

Short-term trading of Hexcel securities may unduly focus the person on Hexcel’s short-term stock market performance instead of Hexcel’s long-term business objectives. For these reasons, any director, officer, or designated employee who is required to seek pre-clearance under Section 7.a above who purchases Hexcel securities in the open market may not sell any Hexcel securities of the same class during the six months following the purchase (or vice versa). All employees are encouraged to adhere to the same restriction.

9.
Limit Orders

A limit order is an instruction to a broker to purchase or sell a security when it reaches a certain price. When placing limit orders, a person should specify to the broker that the order cannot be executed during the period when trading is prohibited, regardless of the price of the security. As a practical matter, this would mean that the limit order should expire prior to the beginning of the period during


which trading is restricted. Likewise, if the person obtains material nonpublic information prior to the expiration of the limit order, he or she must immediately cancel the limit order in order to avoid violation of this Policy. This restriction on limit orders does not apply to trades made under a written Rule 10b5-1 trading plan that complies with legal and regulatory requirements and is pre-cleared in accordance with the procedures specified in Section 17 below.

10.
Short Sales

Employees, officers and directors may not engage in short sales of Hexcel securities (i.e., where a person borrows Hexcel shares, sells them and then buys the Hexcel shares at a later date to replace the borrowed shares, or where a person already has sufficient Hexcel shares to cover the sale, but does not deliver them until a later date). Short sales typically are made by persons who believe a company’s share price will decline. Therefore, a person’s short sale may raise questions as to whether the person is aware of negative material information. Moreover, many institutions and other investors view a short sale as a “bet against the company,” which can be viewed negatively by other Hexcel employees, officers and directors, and by Hexcel stockholders. In addition, the U.S. securities laws and regulations generally prohibit directors and certain officers from engaging in short sales of Hexcel common stock.

 

11.
Buying, Selling or Writing Puts or Calls

Employees, officers and directors may not buy, sell or write publicly traded puts or calls on Hexcel securities. Buying, selling or writing publicly traded puts or calls may raise questions as to whether the person is aware of material nonpublic information. Moreover, purchasing put options or writing or selling call options may be deemed to be a “bet against the company.” Engaging in these transactions involves speculative activity that is misaligned with the interests of our stockholders.

12.
Hedging Transactions

Employees, officers and directors are prohibited from engaging in any hedging or monetization transactions involving Hexcel securities. Hedging or monetization transactions, such as through prepaid variable forwards, equity swaps, collars and exchange funds, generally are designed to transfer the economic interest in a company’s securities to third parties, although not constituting a “sale” in the conventional sense. Such hedging transactions may permit an employee or director to continue to own Hexcel securities without assuming the full risks and rewards of ownership. As a result, the interests of the employee or director may no longer be aligned with those of Hexcel’s other stockholders.

13.
Margin Accounts and Pledged Securities

Securities held in a margin account as collateral for a margin loan may be sold by the broker without the customer’s consent if the customer fails to meet a margin call. Similarly, securities pledged (or hypothecated) as collateral for a loan may be sold in foreclosure if the borrower defaults on the loan. Because a margin sale or foreclosure sale may occur at a time when the account holder is aware of material nonpublic information or otherwise is not permitted to trade in Hexcel securities, employees, officers and directors are prohibited from holding Hexcel securities in a margin account or otherwise pledging Hexcel securities as collateral for a loan.

14.
Stock Options and Restricted Stock Units

This Policy does not apply to the exercise of a stock option initially granted under a Hexcel plan, or the payment of the exercise price or tax-withholding obligation by delivery of previously acquired Hexcel stock or by Hexcel withholding shares otherwise issuable on the exercise of the stock option. However, the sale of any stock acquired as a result of the exercise of a stock option is a transaction covered by this Policy. Thus, an employee, officer or director could not engage in a transaction under a broker-assisted “cashless exercise” program (under which a broker sells a portion of the Hexcel stock underlying the stock option to fund the exercise price or tax withholding obligation) if such person otherwise would be prohibited by this Policy from selling Hexcel stock at that time.

Restricted Stock Units. This Policy does not apply to the vesting of restricted stock units, or the exercise of a tax withholding right pursuant to which a person elects to have Hexcel withhold shares of common stock to satisfy tax withholding requirements upon the vesting of any restricted stock units. This Policy does apply,


however, to any market sale of shares of common stock received upon vesting of restricted stock units, including to satisfy tax withholding requirements.

15.
Hexcel 401(k) Plan

This Policy applies to elections you may make under the Hexcel 401(k) plan that affect your holdings in the Hexcel stock fund while you are aware of material nonpublic information, including:

(a)
Your initial election to make periodic contributions through payroll deductions that will be allocated to the Hexcel stock fund;
(b)
An election to increase or decrease the amount of your periodic contributions through payroll deductions that will be allocated to the Hexcel stock fund;
(c)
An election to make an intra-plan transfer of an existing account balance into or out of the Hexcel stock fund;
(d)
An election to borrow money against your Hexcel 401(k) plan account if the loan will result in a liquidation of some or all of your Hexcel stock fund balance; and
(e)
An election to pre-pay a loan if the pre-payment will result in a change in your Hexcel stock fund balance.

However, once you have made the elections described in (I) and (II) above, subsequent periodic contributions that are allocated to the Hexcel stock fund in accordance with the election will not be subject to the Policy.

 

16.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan

This Policy applies to your election to participate in the plan for any enrollment period (whether with respect to periodic contributions of money to the plan or, if applicable, to lump sum contributions to the plan, and to your sales of Hexcel securities purchased pursuant to the plan). The Policy does not apply to purchases of Hexcel securities in the employee stock purchase plan resulting from your periodic or, if applicable, lump sum contribution of money to the plan in accordance with the election you make for the applicable Offering Period.

 

17.
Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plans

Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 10b5-1(c) permits a person to establish a plan that will provide an affirmative defense against an allegation that a securities transaction constituted an insider trading violation, even if the person is aware of material nonpublic information at the time of the transaction. However, the affirmative defense is available only if the plan was adopted at a time when the person was not aware of material nonpublic information, the transaction was executed in accordance with the provisions of the plan, and the plan meets other specified conditions. Such a plan is referred to as a “Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan.”

A Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan typically is established between a person and the person’s broker, who will execute trades in accordance with the plan. It is not a Hexcel plan; nevertheless, transactions under such plans may qualify as an exception to this Policy’s prohibition on trading while aware of material nonpublic information if the plan fully complies with the conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c) and the plan is pre-cleared by the Compliance Officer.

Rule 10b5-1(c) contains a number of conditions that a person must satisfy with respect to a Rule 10b5­1 Trading Plan. Among other things, and as noted above, a person may adopt a Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan only when the person is not aware of material nonpublic information, and the person who enters into such Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan must act in good faith with respect to such plan. In addition, the plan generally must do one of the following: (i) specify the amount, price and date on which securities are to be traded, (ii) provide a formula for determining such amounts, prices and dates or (iii) permit another person (typically the broker) to exercise discretion with regard to trades in the securities, provided such other person is not aware of material nonpublic information.


Other conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c) require that the person adopting the plan refrain from exercising any subsequent influence over how, when or whether to effect purchases or sales; from altering or deviating from the plan; or from entering into or altering a corresponding or hedging transaction or position with respect to the securities covered by the plan.

Even if all of these conditions are met, the affirmative defenses will not be available unless the plan is “entered into in good faith and not as part of a plan or scheme to evade” the prohibition against trading on the basis of material nonpublic information. Moreover, additional requirements apply if a person seeks to amend a Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan. Transactions outside of the Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan, as well as termination of the Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan, also can affect the availability of the Rule 10b5-1(c) affirmative defense.

Because of the complexity of Rule 10b5-1(c) and the substantial consequences that may result from non­compliance with the conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c), Hexcel has established guidelines for the adoption of Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plans, which should be reviewed by any director, officer or employee who wishes to enter into a Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan. A copy of the guidelines is included as Policy No. 1.3.1 to this Policy. Directors, officers and employees may not enter into, or subsequently modify or terminate, a Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan without obtaining the prior clearance of the Compliance Officer (including providing a copy of such plan and any supporting documentation), who will consider, among other things, the Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan’s compliance with the guidelines, including, among other things, any notification or consultation requirements established in the guidelines. After a Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan is approved, you must wait for a cooling-off period before the first trade is made under the plan, the length of which will be determined by the Compliance Officer, in accordance with the rules of the SEC, and set forth in the guidelines. Only one Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan may be in effect at any one time, and any Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plans that would call for execution of a single trade are limited to one such plan in a consecutive 12-month period. Any modification of a Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan is the equivalent of entering into a new trading plan and cancelling the old trading plan.

Transactions under Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plans that satisfy the conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c) and are pre-cleared by the Compliance Officer will constitute exceptions to the prohibition on trading while aware of material nonpublic information. Pre-clearance of a Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan by the Compliance Officer does not relieve a person from complying with any other provision of this or any other Hexcel policy nor does it assure any person that the plan meets the conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c) or will protect the person from violations of United States securities laws and regulations. Persons seeking to establish a Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan should consult with their broker and legal advisors with regard to the advisability of establishing a Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan and matters relating to its implementation.

18.
Violations by Others

Hexcel and its employees also have an obligation to be alert to situations where others within Hexcel, particularly those over whom the employee has some supervisory authority, may not be observing the laws and regulations prohibiting insider trading. The Compliance Officer immediately should be advised of any suspected violations.

19.
Concealed Trades

It is against Hexcel policy to trade Hexcel securities in a way that attempts to hide the true identity of the trader as a device for evading compliance with this Policy.

 

20.
Termination of Service

A person who is aware of material nonpublic information following termination of his or her service to Hexcel will continue to be subject to trading restrictions imposed under United States securities laws and regulations until such information is deemed public information.

21.
Personal Responsibility

This Policy is designed to reduce the risk of an insider trading violation with respect to Hexcel securities. Nevertheless, compliance with this Policy, including obtaining pre-clearance of a transaction, does not assure that an insider trading violation will not be found to have occurred. Employees, officers and directors should keep in mind that ultimate responsibility for adhering to this Policy and avoiding insider trading violations rests with each individual, and that pre-clearance of transactions and, if applicable, of Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plans, by the Compliance Officer does not reduce the obligations imposed on the employee, officer or director by law or regulation. Any action on the part of Hexcel, the Compliance Officer or any other employee pursuant to this Policy (or otherwise) does not in any way constitute legal advice or insulate an employee, officer or director from liability under applicable securities laws and regulations.

If an employee, officer or director violates this Policy, Hexcel may take legal and/or disciplinary action, including dismissal for cause.

22.
Changes to this Policy

We may amend this Policy from time to time. If we amend the Policy, we will post an updated version on the Corporate Policy section of the internal Hexcel Law Department website.

23.
Company Assistance

An employee’s, officer’s or director’s compliance with this Policy is of the utmost importance both for the employee, officer or director, and for Hexcel. This Policy is not intended to address all possible questions regarding compliance with the securities laws and regulations. An employee, officer or director should not try to resolve uncertainties he or she encounters, as laws and regulations relating to insider trading are often complex, not always intuitive and impose severe consequences if violated. Questions concerning compliance with securities laws and regulations, as well as this Policy, should be addressed to the Compliance Officer.

24.
Inquiries

Any questions about this policy, its application to a proposed transaction, or the requirements of applicable law should be directed to the Compliance Officer.

 

APPROVED BY: /s/ Gail E. Lehman_

General Counsel

 


 

Exhibit 21

SUBSIDIARIES OF HEXCEL CORPORATION

 

 

 

DOMESTIC

1.

ACM Holdings LLC (Delaware)

2.

ARC Technologies LLC (Massachusetts)

3.

Hexcel Foundation (California)

4.

Hexcel LLC (Delaware)

5.

Hexcel Pottsville Corporation (Delaware)

6.

Hexcel Reinforcements Corp. (Delaware)

FOREIGN:

7.

Hexcel Asia Pacific Trading Limited (Hong Kong)

8.

Hexcel Composites GmbH (Austria)

 9.

Hexcel Composites GmbH (Germany)

10.

Hexcel Composites GmbH & Co. KG (Austria)

11.

Hexcel Composites India LLP (India)

12.

Hexcel Composites Limited (UK)

13.

Hexcel Composites Pension Trustees Limited (UK)

14.

Hexcel Composites SARLAU (Morocco)

15.

Hexcel Composites SASU (France)

16.

Hexcel Composites Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia)

17.

Hexcel Composites (Shanghai) Commercial Information Consultancy Services Co. Ltd. (China)

18.

Hexcel Composites S.L.U. (Spain)

19.

Hexcel Composites SRL (Belgium)

20.

Hexcel Composites S.r.l. (Italy)

21.

Hexcel Europe Limited (UK)

22.

Hexcel Fibers SASU (France)

23.

Hexcel Fibers S.L.U. (Spain)

24.

Hexcel Finance Holdings Luxembourg S.àr.l. (Luxembourg)

25.

Hexcel Financing Luxembourg S.àr.l. (Luxembourg)

26

Hexcel Hi-Performance Materials Co., Ltd. (China)

27.

Hexcel Holding GmbH (Austria)

28.

Hexcel Holding Spain SLU (Spain)

29.

Hexcel Holdings Hong Kong Limited (Hong Kong)

30.

Hexcel Holdings Luxembourg S.à r.l. (Luxembourg)

31.

Hexcel Holdings SASU (France)

32.

Hexcel Holdings (UK) Limited (UK)

33.

Hexcel Ireland Limited (Ireland)

34.

Hexcel Japan K.K. (Japan)

35.

Hexcel LLC Luxembourg SCS (Luxembourg)

36.

Hexcel Overseas (UK)

37.

Hexcel Reinforcements SASU (France)

38.

Hexcel Reinforcements UK Limited (UK)

39.

Hexcel Reinforcements Holdings Luxembourg S.à r.l. (Luxembourg)

40.

Hexcel Research Limited (UK)

41.

Hexcel (U.K.) Limited (UK)

42.

Société de Technologies Appliquées aux Matériaux EURL (France)

43.

Structil S.A.S.U. (France)

 

 

 

 


Exhibit 23.1

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the following Registration Statements:

Registration Statement (Form S-3 No. 333-278173)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-256928)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-231742)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-211953)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-188292)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-166354)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-160202)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-160203)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-160204)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-104159)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-104158)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-90060)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-85196)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-104160)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-90062)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-67944)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-67946)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-46472)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-46476)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-46626)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-83745)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-83747)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-57223)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-36099)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-36163)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-01225)
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-31125)

 

 

 

of our reports dated February 5, 2025, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Hexcel Corporation and Subsidiaries and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Hexcel Corporation and Subsidiaries, included in this Annual Report (Form 10-K) of Hexcel Corporation and Subsidiaries for the year ended December 31, 2024.

 

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

 

Stamford, Connecticut

February 5, 2025

 


Exhibit 31.1

CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

I, Thomas C. Gentile III, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Hexcel Corporation;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

February 5, 2025

 

/s/ Thomas C. Gentile III

(Date)

 

Thomas C. Gentile III

 

 

Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and President

 

 

 

 


Exhibit 31.2

CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

I, Patrick Winterlich, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Hexcel Corporation;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

February 5, 2025

 

/s/ PATRICK WINTERLICH

(Date)

 

  Patrick Winterlich

 

 

Executive Vice President And

 

 

Chief Financial Officer

 


Exhibit 32

CERTIFICATION

PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Annual Report of Hexcel Corporation (“Hexcel”) on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Thomas C. Gentile III, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and President of Hexcel, and Patrick Winterlich, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hexcel, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of Hexcel.

February 5, 2025

 

/s/ THOMAS C. GENTILE III

(Date)

 

Thomas C. Gentile III

 

 

Chairman of the Board of Directors,

 

 

Chief Executive Officer and President

 

 

 

February 5, 2025

 

/s/ PATRICK WINTERLICH

(Date)

 

Patrick Winterlich

 

 

Executive Vice President and

 

 

Chief Financial Officer

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906, or other document authenticating, acknowledging, or otherwise adopting the signature that appears in typed form within the electronic version of this written statement required by Section 906, has been provided to Hexcel Corporation and will be retained by Hexcel Corporation and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.