Item 1A: Risk Factors

The following risk factors should be considered carefully in addition to the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. See “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” above. Our actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed below as well as those discussed elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Additional risks and uncertainties that management is not aware of or that are currently deemed immaterial may also adversely affect our business operations. If any of the following risks materialize, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. We undertake no obligations to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

The highly cyclical nature of the railcar industry and restricted credit markets may result in lower revenues during economic downturns.

The North American railcar market has been, and we expect it to continue to be, highly cyclical resulting in volatility in demand for our products and services. Downturns in economic conditions typically have an adverse affect on cyclical industries due to decreased demand for new and replacement products.

Sales of our railcars and other products slowed in 2009 and 2010 resulting in decreased production rates. New orders and shipments of railcars steadily increased in 2011 and 2012 driven by increased demand for shipment of certain commodities, replacement of older railcars and federal tax benefits from the delivery of railcars in 2011 and 2012. Though we have seen improvements in the railcar market in 2011 and 2012, these improvements may or may not continue.

Currently, we estimate that approximately 75% of our December 31, 2012 backlog will be shipped during 2013. As a result, our failure to obtain new orders would materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Downturns in part or all of the railcar manufacturing industry may occur in the future, resulting in decreased demand for our products and services.

Most of the end users of our railcars that we sell acquire them through leasing arrangements with our leasing company customers. The 2009 – 2010 economic downturn and more cautious credit markets have resulted in stricter borrowing conditions, which could increase the cost of, or potentially deter, new leasing arrangements. These factors have caused and could cause in the future our leasing company customers to purchase fewer railcars, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We operate in a highly competitive industry and we may be unable to compete successfully, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We face intense competition in all of our markets. In our railcar manufacturing business we have four primary competitors. Any of these competitors may, from time to time, have greater resources than we do. Our current competitors may increase their participation in, or new competitors may enter into, the railcar markets in which we compete. Strong competition within the industry has led to pricing pressures and could limit our ability to maintain or increase prices or obtain better margins on our railcars. If we produce any types of railcars other than what we currently produce, we will be competing with other manufacturers that may have more experience with that railcar type.

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We also have intense competition in our railcar leasing business from railcar manufacturers, leasing companies, banks and other financial institutions. Some of this competition includes certain of our significant customers. Some of our railcar manufacturing competitors also produce railcars for use in their own railcar leasing fleet, competing directly with our railcar leasing business and with leasing companies.

New competitors, or alliances among existing competitors, may emerge in the railcar components industry and rapidly gain market share. We compete with numerous companies in our railcar fleet management and railcar repair services businesses, ranging from companies with greater resources than we have to small, local companies.

Technological innovation by any of our existing competitors, or new competitors entering any of the markets in which we do business, could put us at a competitive disadvantage and could cause us to lose market share. Increased competition for the sales of our railcars, our fleet management and repair services and our railcar components could result in price reductions, reduced margins and loss of market share, which could materially adversely affect our prospects, business, financial condition and results of operations.

We depend upon a small number of customers that represent a large percentage of our revenues. The loss of any single significant customer, a reduction in sales to any such significant customer or any such significant customer’s inability to pay us in a timely manner could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Railcars are typically sold pursuant to large, periodic orders, and therefore, a limited number of customers typically represent a significant percentage of our railcar sales in any given year. Our top ten customers represented approximately 83%, 78% and 76% of our total consolidated revenues in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Moreover, our top three customers accounted for approximately 67%, 53% and 58% of our total consolidated revenues in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The loss of any significant portion of our sales to any major customer, the loss of a single major customer or a material adverse change in the financial condition of any one of our major customers could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If one of our significant customers was unable to pay due to financial condition, it could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The level of our reported railcar backlog may not necessarily indicate what our future revenues will be and our actual revenues may fall short of the estimated revenue value attributed to our railcar backlog.

We define backlog as the number of railcars to which our customers have committed in writing to purchase or lease from us that have not been shipped. The estimated backlog value in dollars is the anticipated revenue on the railcars included in the backlog for purchase and the estimated fair market value of the railcars included in the backlog for lease, though actual revenues for these leases are recognized per the terms of the lease. Our competitors may not define railcar backlog in the same manner as we do, which could make comparisons of our railcar backlog with theirs misleading. Customer orders may be subject to requests for delays in deliveries, inspection rights and other customary industry terms and conditions, which could prevent or delay our railcar backlog from being converted into revenues. Our reported railcar backlog may not be converted into revenues in any particular period, if at all, and the actual revenues from such sales may not equal our reported estimates of railcar backlog value.

The cost of raw materials and components that we use to manufacture railcars, particularly steel, are subject to escalation and surcharges and could increase. Any increase in these costs or delivery delays of these raw materials could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The cost of raw materials, including steel, and components, including scrap metal, used in the production of our railcars, represents more than half of our direct manufacturing costs per railcar. We have provisions in our current railcar manufacturing orders that allow us to pass on to our customers price fluctuations in and surcharges related to certain raw materials, including steel, as well as certain components. The number of customers to which we are not able to pass on price increases may increase in the future, and any such increase could adversely affect our operating margins and cash flows. Any fluctuations in the price or availability of steel, or any other material or component used in the production of our railcars, could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Such price increases could reduce demand for our railcars. If we are not able to pass on price increases to our customers, we may lose railcar orders or enter into contracts with less favorable contract terms, any of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Deliveries of our raw materials and components may also fluctuate depending on various factors including supply and demand for the raw material or component, or governmental regulation relating to the raw material or component, including regulation relating to importation.

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Fluctuations in the supply of components and raw materials we use in manufacturing railcars, which are often only available from a limited number of suppliers, could cause production delays or reductions in the number of railcars we manufacture, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our railcar manufacturing business depends on the adequate supply of numerous railcar components, such as railcar wheels, axles, brakes, bearings, yokes, sideframes, bolsters and other heavy castings. Some of these components are only available from a limited number of domestic suppliers. Strong demand can cause industry-wide shortages of many critical components as reliable suppliers could reach capacity production levels. Supply constraints in our industry are exacerbated because, although multiple suppliers may produce certain components, railcar manufacturing regulations and the physical capabilities of manufacturing facilities restrict the types and sizes of components and raw materials that manufacturers may use. In addition, we do not carry significant inventories of certain components and procure most of our components on an as needed basis. In the event that our suppliers of railcar components and raw materials were to stop or reduce the production of railcar components and raw materials that we use, or refuse to do business with us for any reason, our business would be disrupted. Our inability to obtain components and raw materials in required quantities or of acceptable quality could result in significant delays or reductions in railcar shipments and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If any of our significant suppliers of railcar components were to shut down operations, our business and financial results could be materially adversely affected as we may incur substantial delays and significant expense in finding alternative sources. The quality and reliability of alternative sources may not be the same and these alternative sources may charge significantly higher prices.

Our relationships with our joint ventures could be unsuccessful, which could materially adversely affect our business.

We have entered into joint venture agreements with other companies to increase our sourcing alternatives, reduce costs, and to produce new railcars. We may seek to expand our relationships or enter into new agreements with other companies. If our joint venture partners are unable to fulfill their contractual obligations or if these relationships are otherwise not successful in the future, our manufacturing costs could increase, we could encounter production disruptions, growth opportunities could fail to materialize, or we could be required to fund such joint ventures in amounts significantly greater than initially anticipated, any of which could materially adversely affect our business.

To the extent we expand internationally, through joint ventures or otherwise, we will increase our exposure to international economic and political risks.

Conducting business outside the U.S., for example through our joint venture in India, subjects us to various risks, including changing economic, legal and political conditions, work stoppages, exchange controls, currency fluctuations, terrorist activities directed at U.S. companies, armed conflicts and unexpected changes in the U.S. and the laws of other countries relating to tariffs, trade restrictions, transportation regulations, foreign investments and taxation. Some foreign countries in which we operate have regulatory authorities that regulate railroad safety, railcar design and railcar component part design, performance and manufacturing. If our joint venture fails to obtain and maintain certifications of its railcars and railcar parts in the country where it may operate, it may be unable to market and sell its railcars in that country.

In addition, unexpected changes in regulatory requirements, tariffs and other trade barriers, more stringent rules relating to labor or the environment, adverse tax consequences and price exchange controls could limit the joint venture’s operations and make the manufacturing and distribution of its products internationally more difficult. Furthermore, any material changes in the quotas, regulations or duties on imports imposed by the U.S. government and agencies or on exports by non-U.S. governments and their respective agencies could adversely affect the joint venture’s ability to import railcar parts or manufacture railcars. The uncertainty of the legal environment or geo-political risks in countries such as India could also limit our ability to enforce effectively our rights related to our investment in our international joint venture. Because we have operations outside the U.S., we could be adversely affected by violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar worldwide anti-corruption laws. We operate in parts of the world that have experienced governmental corruption to some degree, and in certain circumstances, strict compliance with anti-corruption laws may conflict with local customs and practices. The failure to comply with laws governing international business practices may result in substantial penalties and fines. Any international expansion or acquisition that we undertake could amplify these risks related to operating outside of the U.S.

We may pursue joint ventures, acquisitions or new business endeavors that involve inherent risks, any of which may cause us not to realize anticipated benefits and we may have difficulty integrating the operations of any companies that we acquire, joint ventures that we form, or new business endeavors, which could materially adversely affect our results of operations.

We may not be able to successfully identify suitable joint venture, acquisition or new business endeavor opportunities or complete any particular joint venture, acquisition, business combination, other transaction or new business endeavors on acceptable terms. Our identification of suitable joint ventures opportunities, acquisition candidates and new business endeavors and the integration of new and acquired business operations involve risks inherent in assessing the values, strengths, weaknesses, risks and profitability of these opportunities. This includes their effects on our business, diversion of our management’s attention and risks associated with unanticipated problems or unforeseen liabilities. These issues may require significant financial resources that could otherwise be used for the ongoing development of our current operations.

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The difficulties of integration may be increased by the necessity of coordinating geographically dispersed organizations, integrating personnel with disparate business backgrounds and combining different corporate cultures. These difficulties could be further increased to the extent we pursue opportunities internationally, such as our joint venture in India, or in new railcar markets where we do not have significant experience. In addition, we may not be effective in retaining key employees or customers of the combined businesses. We may face integration issues pertaining to the internal controls and operations functions of the acquired companies and we may not realize cost efficiencies or synergies that we anticipated when selecting our acquisition candidates. In addition, we may experience managerial or other conflicts with our joint venture partners. Any of these items could adversely affect our results of operations.

Our failure to identify suitable joint venture, acquisition opportunities or new business endeavors may restrict our ability to grow our business. If we are successful in pursuing such opportunities, we may be required to expend significant funds, incur additional debt or issue additional securities, which could materially adversely affect our results of operations and be dilutive to our stockholders. If we spend significant funds or incur additional debt, our ability to obtain financing for working capital or other purposes could decline and we may be more vulnerable to economic downturns and competitive pressures.

If any of our joint ventures generate significant losses, it could adversely affect our results of operations. For example, if our Axis joint venture is unable to operate as anticipated, incurs significant losses or otherwise is unable to honor its obligation to us under the Axis loan, our financial results or financial position could be materially adversely affected.

Our failure, or the failure of our joint ventures, to complete capital expenditure projects on time and within budget, or the failure of these projects, once constructed, to operate as anticipated could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Construction plans we may have from time to time, and the current and any future construction plans of our joint ventures are subject to a number of risks and contingencies over which we may have little control and that may adversely affect the cost and timing of the completion of those projects, or the capacity or efficiencies of those projects once constructed. If these capital expenditure projects do not achieve the results anticipated, we may not be able to satisfy our operational goals on a timely basis, if at all. If we or our joint ventures are unable to complete the construction of any of such capital expenditure projects on time or within budget, or if those projects do not achieve the capacity or efficiencies anticipated, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. For example, if Amtek Railcar is unable to start up operations effectively and in a timely manner or incurs significant losses at the onset of operations, our results of operations or financial condition could be materially adversely impacted.

Uncertainty surrounding acceptance of our new railcar offerings by our customers, and costs associated with those new offerings, could materially adversely affect our business.

Our strategy depends in part on our continued development and sale of new railcar designs to expand or maintain our market share in our current railcar markets and new railcar markets. Any new or modified railcar design that we develop may not gain widespread acceptance in the marketplace and any such product may not be able to compete successfully with existing railcar designs or new railcar designs that may be introduced by our competitors. Furthermore, we may experience significant initial costs of production of new railcar product lines related to training, labor and operating inefficiencies. To the extent that the total costs of production significantly exceed our anticipated costs of production, we may incur a loss on our sale of new railcar product lines.

Equipment failures, delays in deliveries or extensive damage to our facilities, particularly our railcar manufacturing plants in Paragould or Marmaduke, Arkansas, could lead to production or service curtailments or shutdowns.

An interruption in manufacturing capabilities at our plants in Paragould or Marmaduke or at any of our component manufacturing facilities, whether as a result of equipment failure or any other reason, could reduce, prevent or delay production of our railcars or railcar and industrial components, which could alter the scheduled delivery dates to our customers and affect our production schedule. This could result in the termination of orders, the loss of future sales and a negative impact to our reputation with our customers and in the railcar industry, all of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

All of our facilities are subject to the risk of catastrophic loss due to unanticipated events, such as fires, earthquakes, explosions, floods, tornados or weather conditions. We may experience plant shutdowns or periods of reduced production as a result of equipment failures, loss of power, delays in equipment deliveries, or extensive damage to any of our facilities, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

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Our investment in our lease fleet may use significant amounts of cash, which may require us to secure additional capital and we may be unable to arrange capital on favorable terms, or at all.

We will utilize existing cash and cash generated through lease fleet financings to manufacture railcars we lease to customers, while cash from lease revenues will be received over the term of the lease or leases relating to those railcars. Depending upon the number of railcars that we lease and the amount of cash used in other operations, our cash balances and our availability under our lease fleet financing could be depleted, requiring us to seek additional capital. Our inability to secure additional capital, on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, may limit our ability to support operations, maintain or expand our existing business, or take advantage of new business opportunities. We could also experience defaults on leases that could further constrain cash.

We may be unable to re-market railcars from expiring leases on favorable terms, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The failure to enter into commercially favorable railcar leases, re-lease or sell railcars upon lease expiration and successfully manage existing leases could have a material adverse affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our ability to re-lease or sell leased railcars profitably is dependent upon several factors, including the cost of and demand for leases or ownership of newer or specific use models, and the availability in the market of other used or new railcars.

A downturn in the industries in which our lessees operate and decreased demand for railcars could also increase our exposure to re-marketing risk because lessees may demand shorter lease terms, requiring us to re-market leased railcars more frequently. Furthermore, the resale market for previously leased railcars has a limited number of potential buyers. Our inability to re-lease or sell leased railcars on favorable terms could result in lower lease rates, lower lease utilization percentages and reduced revenues.

We are subject to a variety of environmental, health and safety laws and regulations and the cost of complying, or our failure to comply, with such requirements could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are subject to a variety of federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations relating to the release or discharge of materials into the environment; the management, use, processing, handling, storage, transport or disposal of hazardous materials; or otherwise relating to the protection of public and employee health, safety and the environment. These laws and regulations expose us to liability for the environmental condition of our current or formerly owned or operated facilities, and may expose us to liability for the conduct of others or for our actions that complied with all applicable laws at the time these actions were taken. They may also expose us to liability for claims of personal injury or property damage related to alleged exposure to hazardous or toxic materials. Despite our intention to be in compliance, we cannot guarantee that we will at all times comply with all such requirements. The cost of complying with these requirements may also increase substantially in future years. If we violate or fail to comply with these requirements, we could be fined or otherwise sanctioned by regulators. In addition, these requirements are complex, change frequently and may become more stringent over time, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our failure to maintain and comply with environmental permits that we are required to maintain could result in fines, penalties or other sanctions and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Future events, such as new environmental regulations, changes in or modified interpretations of existing laws and regulations or enforcement policies, newly discovered information or further investigation or evaluation of the potential health hazards of products or business activities, may give rise to additional compliance and other costs that could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition to environmental, health and safety laws, the transportation of commodities by railcar raises potential risks in the event of a derailment or other accident. Generally, liability under existing law in the United States for a derailment or other accident depends on the negligence of the party, such as the railroad, the shipper, or the manufacturer of the railcar or its components. However, for certain hazardous commodities being shipped, strict liability concepts may apply.

The variable purchase patterns of our railcar customers and the timing of completion, customer acceptance and shipment of orders may cause our revenues and income from operations to vary substantially each quarter, which could result in significant fluctuations in our quarterly and annual results.

Railcar sales comprised approximately 80%, 76% and 63% of our total consolidated revenues in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Our results of operations in any particular quarterly period may be significantly affected by the number and type of railcars manufactured and shipped in that period, which is impacted by customer needs that vary greatly year to year, as discussed above. The customer acceptance and title transfer or customer acceptance and shipment of our railcars determines when we record the revenues associated with our railcar sales or leases. Given this, the timing of customer acceptance and title transfer or customer acceptance and shipment of our railcars could cause fluctuations in our quarterly and annual results. The railroads could potentially go on strike or have other service interruptions, which could ultimately create a bottleneck and potentially cause us to slow down or halt our shipment and production schedules, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations

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As a result of these fluctuations, we believe that comparisons of our sales and operating results between quarterly periods within the same year and between quarterly periods within different years may not be meaningful and, as such, these comparisons should not be relied upon as indicators of our future performance.

If we lose any of our executive officers or key employees, our operations and ability to manage the day-to-day aspects of our business could be materially adversely affected.

Our future performance will substantially depend on our ability to retain and motivate our executive officers or key employees, both individually and as a group. If we lose any of our executive officers or key employees, who have many years of experience with our company and within the railcar industry and other manufacturing industries, or are unable to recruit qualified personnel, our ability to manage the day-to-day aspects of our business could be materially adversely affected. The loss of the services of one or more of our executive officers or key employees, who also have strong personal ties with customers and suppliers, could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We do not currently maintain “key person” life insurance.

Our implementation of new enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems could result in problems that could negatively impact our business.

We are currently designing and implementing an ERP system that supports substantially all of our operating and financial functions. We could experience problems in connection with such implementation, including compatibility issues, training requirements, higher than expected implementation costs and other integration challenges and delays. A significant implementation problem, if encountered, could negatively impact our business by disrupting our operations. Additionally, a significant problem with the implementation, integration with other systems or ongoing management of ERP and related systems could have an adverse effect on our ability to generate and interpret accurate management and financial reports and other information on a timely basis, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial reporting system and internal controls and adversely affect our ability to manage our business or comply with various regulations.

Our information technology and other systems are subject to cyber security risk including misappropriation of customer information or other breaches of information security. Security breaches and other disruptions could compromise our information, expose us to liability and harm our reputation and business.

In the ordinary course of our business we collect and store sensitive data, including intellectual property, personal information, our proprietary business information and that of our customers, suppliers and business partners, and personally identifiable information of our customers and employees in our data centers and on our networks. Our information and processes are exposed to the ever-changing threat of compromised security, in the form of a risk of potential breach, system failure, computer virus, or unauthorized or fraudulent use by customers, company employees, or employees of third party vendors. The steps we take to deter and mitigate these risks may not be successful. Any compromise of our data security and access, public disclosure, or loss of personal or confidential business information could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability under laws that protect the privacy of personal information, and regulatory penalties, disrupt our operations, damage our reputation and customers’ willingness to transact business with us, and subject us to additional costs and liabilities which could adversely affect our business.

Some of our railcar services and component manufacturing employees belong to labor unions and strikes or work stoppages by them or unions formed by some or all of our other employees in the future could materially adversely affect our operations.

As of December 31, 2012, the employees at our sites covered by collective bargaining agreements collectively represent approximately 15% of our total workforce. Disputes with regard to the terms of these agreements or our potential inability to negotiate acceptable contracts with these unions in the future could result in, among other things, strikes, work stoppages or other slowdowns by the affected workers. We cannot guarantee that our relations with our union workforce will remain positive nor can we guarantee that union organizers will not be successful in future attempts to organize our railcar manufacturing employees or employees at some of our other facilities. If our workers were to engage in a strike, work stoppage or other slowdown, other employees were to become unionized or the terms and conditions in future labor agreements were renegotiated, we could experience a significant disruption of our operations and higher ongoing labor costs. In addition, we could face higher labor costs in the future as a result of severance or other charges associated with layoffs, shutdowns or reductions in the size and scope of our operations.

If we face labor shortages or increased labor costs, our growth and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Due to the competitive nature of the labor markets in which we operate and the cyclical nature of the railcar industry, the resulting employment cycle increases our risk of not being able to retain, recruit and train the personnel we require in our railcar manufacturing and other businesses, particularly in periods of economic expansion. Our inability to recruit, retain and train adequate numbers of qualified personnel on a timely basis could materially adversely affect our businesses, financial condition and results of operations.

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Changes in assumptions or investment performance related to pension and other postretirement benefit plans that we sponsor could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are responsible for making funding contributions to two pension plans and are liable for any unfunded liabilities that may exist should the plans be terminated. Our liability and resulting costs for these plans may increase or decrease based upon a number of factors, including actuarial assumptions used, the discount rate used in calculating the present value of future liabilities, and investment performance, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. There is no assurance that interest rates will remain constant or that our pension fund assets can earn the expected rate of return, and our actual experience may be significantly different. Our pension expenses and funding may also be greater than we currently anticipate if our assumptions regarding plan earnings and expenses turn out to be incorrect.

We also provide certain postretirement benefits for certain of our salaried and hourly employees and retirees. Our postretirement benefit obligations and related expense with respect to these postretirement benefits also increase or decrease based on several factors and could similarly materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations due to changes in these factors.

Our manufacturer’s warranties expose us to potentially significant claims.

We may be subject to significant warranty claims in the future relating to workmanship and materials. These types of warranty claims could result in costly product recalls, significant repair costs and damage to our reputation, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Unresolved warranty claims could result in users of our products bringing legal actions against us.

Our indebtedness could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and prevent us from fulfilling our indebtedness obligations.

As of December 31, 2012, our total debt was $275.0 million, consisting of borrowings under our senior unsecured notes of $175.0 million and borrowings under our lease fleet financing of $100 million. Subsequent to December 31, 2012 we redeemed the remaining $175.0 million of senior unsecured notes. Additionally, we drew down another funding from our lease fleet financing of $50.0 million. As a result of the redemption and the draw down, our total debt will be approximately $150.0 million as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Our indebtedness could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. For example, it could:

Our inability to comply with covenants in place or our inability to make the required principal and interest payments may cause an event of default, which could have a substantial adverse impact to our business, financial condition and results of operation. In the event of a default on our lease fleet financing, the lenders may foreclose on all or a portion of the fleet of railcars and related leases used to secure the financing, which are owned by Longtrain Leasing I, LLC (Longtrain), our wholly-owned leasing subsidiary. Such foreclosure, if a significant number of railcars or related leases are affected, could result in the loss of a significant amount of ARI’s assets and adversely affect revenues.

We are more exposed to the risk of increasing interest rates as our lease fleet financing is at a variable interest rate. Any material changes in interest rates could result in higher interest expense and related payments for us.

Despite our indebtedness, we may still be able to incur substantially more debt, as may our subsidiaries, which could further exacerbate the risks associated with our indebtedness.

Despite our indebtedness, we may be able to incur future indebtedness, including secured indebtedness, and this debt could be substantial. If new debt is added to our, or our subsidiaries’, current debt levels the related risks that we or they now face could be magnified.

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We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flow to service all of our obligations and we may not be able to refinance our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms.

Our ability to make payments on and to refinance our indebtedness and to fund planned capital expenditures, strategic transactions, joint venture capital requirements or expansion efforts will depend on our ability to generate cash in the future. This, to a certain extent, is subject to economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control.

Our business may not be able to generate sufficient cash flow from operations and there can be no assurance that future borrowings will be available to us in amounts sufficient to enable us to pay our indebtedness as such indebtedness matures and to fund our other liquidity needs. If this is the case, we will need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness on or before maturity, and we cannot be certain that we will be able to refinance any of our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. We might have to adopt one or more alternatives, such as reducing or delaying planned expenses and capital expenditures, selling assets, restructuring debt, or obtaining additional equity or debt financing. These financing strategies may not be implemented on satisfactory terms, if at all. Our ability to refinance our indebtedness or obtain additional financing and to do so on commercially reasonable terms will depend on our financial condition at the time, restrictions in any agreements governing our indebtedness and other factors, including the condition of the financial markets and the railcar industry.

If we do not generate sufficient cash flow from operations and additional borrowings and refinancings or proceeds of asset sales are not available to us, we may not have sufficient cash to enable us to meet all of our obligations.

Our investment activities are subject to risks that could materially adversely affect our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition.

From time to time, we may invest in marketable securities, or derivatives thereof, including higher risk equity securities and high yield debt instruments. These securities are subject to general credit, liquidity, market risks and interest rate fluctuations that have affected various sectors of the financial markets and caused overall tightening of the credit markets and declines in the stock markets. The market risks associated with any investments we may make could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.

Our investments at any given time also may become highly concentrated within a particular company, industry, asset category, trading style or financial or economic market. In that event, our investment portfolio will be more susceptible to fluctuations in value resulting from adverse economic conditions affecting the performance of that particular company, industry, asset category, trading style or economic market than a less concentrated portfolio would be. As a result, our investment portfolio could become concentrated and its aggregate return may be volatile and may be affected substantially by the performance of only one or a few holdings. For reasons not necessarily attributable to any of the risks set forth in this Form 10-K (for example, supply/demand imbalances or other market forces), the prices of the securities in which we invest may decline substantially.

If ACF does not, or is unable to, honor its remedial or indemnity obligations to us regarding environmental matters, such environmental matters could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Certain real property we acquired from ACF in 1994 has been involved in investigation and remediation activities to address contamination. ACF is an affiliate of Mr. Carl Icahn, the chairman of our board of directors and, through IELP, our principal beneficial stockholder. Substantially all of these issues identified relate to the use of these properties prior to their transfer to us by ACF and for which ACF has retained liability for environmental contamination that may have existed at the time of transfer to us. ACF has also agreed to indemnify us for any cost that might be incurred with those existing issues. As of the date of this report, we do not believe we will incur material costs in connection with any investigation or remediation activities relating to these properties, but we cannot assure that this will be the case. If ACF fails to honor its obligations to us, we could be responsible for the cost of such remediation. The discovery of historic contamination or the release of substances into the environment at our current or formerly owned or operated facilities could require ACF or us in the future to incur investigative or remedial costs or other liabilities that could be material or that could interfere with the operation of our business. Any environmental liabilities we may incur that are not covered by adequate insurance or indemnification will also increase our costs and have a negative impact on our profitability.

Our failure to comply with regulations imposed by federal and foreign agencies could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and ability to access capital.

Regulatory rulings and regulations from federal or foreign regulatory agencies may impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and ability to access capital. If we fail to comply with the requirements and regulations of these agencies that impact our manufacturing, safety, other processes and reporting requirements, we may face sanctions and penalties that could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and ability to access capital.

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Increasing insurance claims and expenses could lower profitability and increase business risk.

The nature of our business subjects us to product liability, property damage, and personal injury claims, especially in connection with the repair and manufacture of products that transport hazardous, toxic, or volatile materials. We maintain reserves for reasonably estimable liability claims and liability insurance coverage at levels based upon commercial norms in the industries in which we operate and our historical claims experience. Over the last several years, insurance carriers have raised premiums for many companies operating in our industries. Increased insurance premiums may further increase our insurance expense as coverages expire or cause us to raise our self-insured retention. If the number or severity of claims within our self-insured retention increases, we could suffer costs in excess of our reserves. An unusually large liability claim or a series of claims based on a failure repeated throughout our mass production process may exceed our insurance coverage or result in direct damages if we were unable or elected not to insure against certain hazards because of high premiums or other reasons. In addition, the availability of, and our ability to collect on, insurance coverage is often subject to factors beyond our control. Moreover, any accident or incident involving us, even if we are fully insured or not held to be liable, could negatively affect our reputation among customers and the public, thereby making it more difficult for us to compete effectively, and could materially adversely affect the cost and availability of insurance in the future.

If we are unable to protect our intellectual property and prevent its improper use by third parties, our ability to compete in the market may be harmed.

Various patent, copyright, trade secret and trademark laws afford only limited protection and may not prevent our competitors from duplicating our products or gaining access to our proprietary information and technology. These means also may not permit us to gain or maintain a competitive advantage. As we expand internationally, through our joint ventures or otherwise, we become subject to the risk that foreign intellectual property laws will not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as intellectual property laws in the U.S.

Any of our patents may be challenged, invalidated, circumvented or rendered unenforceable. We cannot guarantee that we will be successful should one or more of our patents be challenged for any reason. If our patent claims are rendered invalid or unenforceable, or narrowed in scope, the patent coverage afforded our products could be impaired, which could significantly impede our ability to market our products, negatively affect our competitive position and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our pending or future patent applications may not result in an issued patent and, if patents are issued to us, such patents may not provide meaningful protection against competitors or against competitive technologies. The United States federal courts may invalidate our patents or find them unenforceable. Competitors may also be able to design around our patents. Other parties may develop and obtain patent protection for more effective technologies, designs or methods. If these developments were to occur, it could have an adverse effect on our sales. If our intellectual property rights are not adequately protected we may not be able to commercialize our technologies, products or services and our competitors could commercialize our technologies, which could result in a decrease in our sales and market share and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our products could infringe the intellectual property rights of others, which may lead to litigation that could itself be costly, result in the payment of substantial damages or royalties, and prevent us from using technology that is essential to our products.

We cannot guarantee you that our products, manufacturing processes or other methods do not infringe the patents or other intellectual property rights of third parties. Infringement and other intellectual property claims and proceedings brought against us, whether successful or not, could result in substantial costs and harm our reputation. Such claims and proceedings can also distract and divert our management and key personnel from other tasks important to the success of our business. In addition, intellectual property litigation or claims could force us to do one or more of the following:

In the event of an adverse determination in an intellectual property suit or proceeding, or our failure to license essential technology, our sales could be harmed and our costs could increase, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Reductions in the availability of energy supplies or an increase in energy costs may increase our operating costs.

Various factors including hostilities between the United States and a foreign power or natural disasters could result in a real or perceived shortage of petroleum and/or natural gas, which could result in an increase in the cost of electricity and the energy sources we use to manufacture our railcars. Future limitations on the availability or consumption of petroleum products or an increase in energy costs, particularly electricity for plant operations, could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may be required to reduce the value of our inventory, long-lived assets and/or goodwill, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may be required to reduce inventory carrying values using the lower of cost or market approach in the future due to a decline in market conditions in the railcar business, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Future events could cause us to conclude that impairment indicators exist and that goodwill associated with our acquired businesses is impaired. Any resulting impairment loss related to reductions in the value of our long-lived assets or our goodwill could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We review long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the long-lived assets may not be recoverable. As discussed in Note 2 to our Consolidated Financial Statements, no triggering events occurred in 2012. We perform an annual goodwill impairment test as of March 1 of each year. As discussed in Note 8 to our Consolidated Financial Statements, no goodwill impairment loss was noted in 2012. Assumptions used in our impairment tests regarding future operating results of our reporting units could prove to be inaccurate. This could cause an adverse change in our valuation and thus any of our long-lived assets or goodwill impairment tests may have been flawed. Any future impairment tests are subject to the same risks.

The use of railcars as a significant mode of transporting freight could decline, become more efficient over time, experience a shift in types of modal transportation, and/or certain railcar types could become obsolete .

As the freight transportation markets we serve continue to evolve and become more efficient, the use of railcars may decline in favor of other more economic modes of transportation. Features and functionality specific to certain railcar types could result in those railcars becoming obsolete as customer requirements for freight delivery change.

Changes in accounting standards or inaccurate estimates or assumptions in the application of accounting policies could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Our accounting policies and methods are fundamental to how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. Some of these policies require use of estimates and assumptions that may affect the reported value of our assets or liabilities and financial results and are critical because they require management to make difficult, subjective, and complex judgments about matters that are inherently uncertain. Accounting standard setters and those who interpret the accounting standards, such as the Financial Accounting Standards Board and SEC may amend or even reverse their previous interpretations or positions on how these standards should be applied. These changes can be hard to predict and can materially impact how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, we could be required to apply a new or revised standard retroactively, resulting in the restatement of prior period financial statements.

New regulations related to “conflict minerals” may cause us to incur additional expenses and could limit the supply and increase the cost of certain metals used in manufacturing our products.

On August 22, 2012, the SEC adopted a new rule requiring disclosures of specified minerals, known as conflict minerals, that are necessary to the functionality or production of products manufactured or contracted to be manufactured by public companies. The new rule, which is effective for calendar 2013 and requires a disclosure report to be filed by May 31, 2014, will require companies to perform diligence, disclose and report whether or not such minerals originate from the Democratic Republic of Congo or an adjoining country. The new rule could affect sourcing at competitive prices and availability in sufficient quantities of certain minerals used in the manufacture of our products, including tantalum, tin, gold and tungsten. The number of suppliers who provide conflict-free minerals may be limited. In addition, there may be material costs associated with complying with the disclosure requirements, such as costs related to determining the source of certain minerals used in our products, as well as costs of possible changes to products, processes, or sources of supply as a consequence of such verification activities. We may not be able to sufficiently verify the origins of the relevant minerals used in our products through the due diligence procedures that we implement, which may harm our reputation. In addition, we may encounter challenges to satisfy those customers who require that all of the components of our products be certified as conflict-free, which could place us at a competitive disadvantage if we are unable to do so.

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The price of our common stock is subject to volatility.

The market price for our common stock has varied between a high closing sales price of $36.00 per share and a low closing sales price of $13.68 per share in the past twenty-four months as of December 31, 2012. This volatility may affect the price at which you could sell our common stock. In addition, the broader stock market has experienced price and volume fluctuations. This volatility has affected the market prices of securities issued by many companies for reasons unrelated to their operating performance and may adversely affect the price of our common stock. The price for our common stock is likely to continue to be volatile and subject to price and volume fluctuations in response to market and other factors, including the other factors discussed in these risk factors.

In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of their stock, many companies have been the subject of securities class action litigation. If we became involved in securities class action litigation in the future, it could result in substantial costs and diversion of our management’s attention and resources and could harm our stock price, business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.

Various other factors could cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate substantially, including financial market and general economic changes, changes in governmental regulation, significant railcar industry announcements or developments, the introduction of new products or technologies by us or our competitors, and changes in other conditions or trends in our industry or in the markets of any of our significant customers.

Other factors that could cause our stock’s price to fluctuate could be actual or anticipated variations in our or our competitors’ quarterly or annual financial results, financial results failing to meet expectations of analysts or investors, changes in securities analysts’ estimates of our future performance or of that of our competitors and the general health and outlook of our industry.

Our stock price may decline due to sales of shares beneficially owned by Mr. Carl Icahn through IELP.

Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock, or the perception that these sales may occur, may materially adversely affect the price of our common stock and impede our ability to raise capital through the issuance of equity securities in the future. Of our outstanding shares of common stock, 55.7% are beneficially owned by Mr. Carl Icahn, the chairman of our board of directors and, through IELP, our principal beneficial stockholder.

Certain stockholders are contractually entitled, subject to certain exceptions, to exercise their demand registration rights to register their shares under the Securities Act of 1933. If this right is exercised, holders of any of our common stock subject to these agreements will be entitled to participate in such registration. By exercising their registration rights, and selling a large number of shares, these holders could cause the price of our common stock to decline. Approximately 11.6 million shares of common stock are covered by such registration rights.

Companies affiliated with Mr. Carl Icahn are important to our business.

We manufacture railcars and railcar components and provide railcar services for companies affiliated with Mr. Carl Icahn, the chairman of our board of directors and, through IELP, our principal beneficial stockholder. We are currently subject to agreements, and may enter into additional agreements, with certain of these affiliates that are important to our business. To the extent our relationships with affiliates of Mr. Carl Icahn change due to the sale of his interest in us, such affiliates or otherwise, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Affiliates of Mr. Carl Icahn accounted for approximately 18%, 5% and 35% of our consolidated revenues in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. This revenue is attributable to sale of railcars to ARL and AEP, which currently purchase all of their railcars from us, but are not required to do so in the future. Additionally, this revenue reflects railcar repairs and services provided to ARL, which are done on an ad hoc basis. Further, ARI is not the only provider of railcar repairs and services to ARL.

We operate our leasing business under lease management agreements with ARL through which ARL markets our railcars for sale or lease and acts as our manager to lease railcars on our behalf for a fee. We could compete directly with ARL or its affiliate, AEP, in our lease business if ARL or AEP provides a potential customer with better terms than what we would offer. ARL and AEP also lease railcars and therefore market our railcars and their own railcars to the same customer base. To the extent our relationships with ARL, AEP or Mr. Carl Icahn change, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Mr. Carl Icahn exerts significant influence over us and his interests may conflict with the interest of our other stockholders.

Mr. Carl Icahn, the chairman of our board of directors, controls 55.7% of the voting power of our common stock, through IELP, and is able to control or exert substantial influence over us, including the election of our directors and controlling most matters requiring board or stockholder approval, including business strategies, mergers, business combinations, acquisitions or dispositions of significant assets, issuances of common stock, incurrence of debt or other financing and the payment of dividends. The existence of a controlling stockholder may have the effect of making it difficult for, or may discourage or delay, a third party from seeking to acquire a majority of our outstanding common stock, which could adversely affect the market price of our stock.

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Mr. Carl Icahn owns, controls and has an interest in a wide array of companies, some of which, such as ARL and ACF as described above, may compete directly or indirectly with us. As a result, his interests may not always be consistent with our interests or the interests of our other stockholders. For example, ARL competes directly with our leasing customers and may compete directly with us in the railcar leasing business, and ACF has supplied us and our competitors with critical components. ACF has also previously manufactured railcars for us and under a purchasing and engineering services agreement and license will be manufacturing and selling tank railcars with engineering, purchasing and design support from us. Mr. Carl Icahn and entities controlled by him may also pursue acquisitions or business opportunities that may be complementary to our business. Our articles of incorporation allow Mr. Carl Icahn, entities controlled by him, and any director, officer, member, partner, stockholder or employee of Mr. Carl Icahn or entities controlled by him, to take advantage of such corporate opportunities without first presenting such opportunities to us, unless such opportunities are expressly offered to any such party solely in, and as a direct result of, his or her capacity as our director, officer or employee. As a result, corporate opportunities that may benefit us may not be available to us in a timely manner, or at all. To the extent that conflicts of interest may arise among us, Mr. Carl Icahn and his affiliates, those conflicts may be resolved in a manner adverse to us or you.

We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the NASDAQ Global Select Market rules and therefore we are not subject to all of the NASDAQ Global Select Market corporate governance requirements.

As we are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the corporate governance standards of the NASDAQ Global Select Market, we have elected, as permitted by those rules, not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements. For example, our board of directors does not have a majority of independent directors, our officers’ compensation is not determined by our independent directors, and director nominees are not selected or recommended by a majority of independent directors. As a result, we do not have a majority of independent directors and we do not have a nominating committee nor do we have a compensation committee consisting of independent directors.

Payments of cash dividends on our common stock may be made only at the discretion of our board of directors and may be restricted by North Dakota law.

Any decision to pay dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon our operating results, strategic plans, capital requirements, financial condition, provisions of our borrowing arrangements and other factors our board of directors considers relevant. Furthermore, North Dakota law imposes restrictions on our ability to pay dividends. Accordingly, we may not be able to continue to pay dividends in any given amount in the future, or at all.

We are governed by the North Dakota Publicly Traded Corporations Act. Interpretation and application of this act is scarce and such lack of predictability could be detrimental to our stockholders .

The North Dakota Publicly Traded Corporations Act, which we are governed by, was only recently enacted and, to our knowledge, no other companies are yet subject to its provisions and interpretations of its likely application are scarce. Although the North Dakota Publicly Traded Corporations Act specifically provides that its provisions must be liberally construed to protect and enhance the rights of stockholders in publicly traded corporations, this lack of predictability could be detrimental to our stockholders.

Litigation claims could increase our costs and weaken our financial condition.

We are currently, and may from time to time be, involved in various claims or legal proceedings arising out of our operations. Adverse outcomes in some or all of these matters could result in judgments against us for significant monetary damages that could increase our costs and weaken our financial condition. We seek contractual recourse and indemnification in the ordinary course of business, maintain reserves for reasonably estimable liability, and purchase liability insurance at coverage levels based upon commercial norms in our industries in an effort to mitigate our liability exposures. Nevertheless, our reserves may be inadequate to cover the uninsured portion of claims or judgments. Any such claims or judgments could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Repercussions from terrorist activities or armed conflict could harm our business.

Terrorist activities, antiterrorist efforts, and other armed conflict involving the United States or its interests abroad may adversely affect the U.S. and global economies, potentially preventing us from meeting our financial and other obligations. In particular, the negative impacts of these events may affect the industries in which we operate. This could result in delays in or cancellations of the purchase of our products or shortages in raw materials, parts, or components. Any of these occurrences could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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