RISK FACTORS

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risk factors set forth below as well as the other information contained in this prospectus before investing in our common stock or deciding whether you will or will not participate in this offering. Any of the following risks could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. In such a case, you may lose all or part of your original investment.

Risks Related to Our Business

Our business, financial condition and results of operations or cash flows could be negatively affected by downturns in economic cycles in general or cyclicality in our end markets, both inside and outside of the U.S. Our future growth also depends, to a significant extent, on improvements in general economic conditions and in conditions in our end markets.

Many of our products are used in industries that are, to varying degrees, cyclical and have historically experienced periodic downturns due to factors such as economic conditions, energy prices, the availability of credit, consumer sentiment, demand and other factors beyond our control. These economic and industry downturns have resulted in diminished product demand and excess capacity for our products. The significant deterioration in economic conditions that occurred during the second half of 2008 resulted in disruptions in a number of our end markets, and prospects for improvements in U.S. and global economic conditions as well as in those end markets remain uncertain. Any future economic disruptions may also negatively impact our end markets or the consumers served by those end markets, which would adversely affect our operating results.

Future disruptions in the commercial credit markets may impact liquidity in the global credit market as greatly as, or even more than, in recent years, and we are not able to predict the impact any such worsening conditions would have on our customers in general, and our results of operations specifically. Businesses in one or more of the end markets that we serve, or consumers in one or more of the end markets that our customers serve, may postpone or choose not to make purchases in response to economic uncertainty, tighter credit, negative financial news, unemployment, interest rates, adverse consumer sentiment and declines in housing prices or other asset values.

In particular, the historically cyclical and volatile building and housing sector in the U.S. has not yet recovered from the downturn that began in 2007. If the housing, remodeling and residential and commercial construction markets continue to stagnate or deteriorate further, demand from such markets for our products, especially our brass rod products, is expected to continue to be adversely affected.

Similarly, the automotive end market has experienced significant downturns in connection with, or in anticipation of, declines in general economic conditions. Demand for vehicles depends largely on the strength of the economy, employment levels, consumer confidence levels, the availability and cost of credit and the cost of fuel. Negative economic developments could reduce demand for new vehicles, causing our customers to reduce their vehicle and automotive component part production in North America.

The coinage and general consumer end markets are also affected by economic cycles. Demand for coinage-related products generally increases with the number of cash transactions that occur, and the number of cash transactions generally increases during periods of economic growth. Demand for consumer goods is also very sensitive to economic conditions and drives demand in our electronics/electrical components end market.

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As a result, cyclicality in economic conditions and in the end markets that we serve could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Our growth prospects also depend, to a significant extent, on the degree by which general economic conditions and conditions in the end markets that we serve improve in the future.

Failure to maintain our balanced book approach would cause increased volatility in our profitability and our operating results and may result in significant losses.

Copper scrap and cathode are subject to significant cyclical price fluctuations. The availability and price of copper scrap and cathode depend on a number of factors outside our control, including general economic conditions, international demand for metal and internal recycling activities by primary copper producers and other consumers of copper. The cost of copper scrap and cathode represents the largest component of our cost of sales.

We use our balanced book approach to substantially reduce the impact of metal price movements on operating margins from our non-toll sales, which are sales for which we assume responsibility for metal procurement and then recover the metal replacement cost from the customer. Non-toll sales represented 75.9% of our unit sales volume during the year ended December 31, 2012. Under our balanced book approach, we seek to match the timing, quantity and price of the metal component of net sales with the timing, quantity and price of replacement metal purchases on all of our non-toll sales. We use a combination of matching price date of shipment terms, firm price terms and derivatives transactions to achieve our balanced book. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Key Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations—Balanced Book”.

We may not be able to maintain our balanced book if our customers become unwilling to bear metal price risk through the matching of price date of shipment terms. We may also not be able to find counterparties for the derivatives transactions entered into in connection with firm price terms, and the cost of those derivatives transactions may increase such that entering into such transactions is no longer cost-effective to us. Those risks may increase during periods of very high copper prices or increased volatility in those prices.

If we fail to effectively maintain our balanced book, our profitability will be significantly affected by fluctuations in metal costs and our ability to recoup metal costs through product pricing. As a result, the volatility of our results of operations would increase dramatically. Furthermore, if we are unable to maintain our balanced book approach, we will potentially replace metal at a different price than the price recovered from the customer, generating a loss in circumstances where the replacement price is higher than the price recovered from the customer.

Although we maintain our balanced book approach, metal costs still affect our profitability through “shrinkage” and inventory valuation adjustments.

Shrinkage loss, which is primarily the loss of raw metal that occurs in the melting and casting operations, is an inherent part of a metal fabrication and conversion business. Despite our use of our balanced book approach to mitigate the impact of metal price fluctuations, we must bear the cost of any shrinkage during production, which may increase the volatility of our results of operations. Because we process a large amount of metal in our operations, a small increase in our shrinkage rates can have a significant effect on our margins and profitability. In addition, if metal prices increase, the same amount of shrinkage will have a greater effect on our manufacturing costs and have a more significant negative impact on our margins and profitability.

The market price of metals used in production and related scrap is subject to significant volatility. During periods when open-market prices decline below net book value, we may need to record a

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provision to reduce the carrying value of our inventory and increase cost of sales. Additionally, the cost of our inventories is primarily determined using the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method. Under the LIFO inventory valuation method, changes in the cost of raw materials and production activities are recognized in cost of sales in the current period. In a period of rising prices, cost of sales expense recognized under LIFO is generally higher than the cash costs incurred to acquire the inventory sold. Conversely, in a period of declining raw material prices, cost of sales recognized under LIFO is generally lower than cash costs incurred to acquire the inventory sold. The impact of LIFO accounting on our financial results may be significant with respect to period-to-period comparisons. During 2012 and 2011 inventory quantities were reduced, resulting in a liquidation of LIFO inventory layers carried at lower costs prevailing in prior years as compared with current costs. While the effect of this reduction of inventory decreased cost of sales by $4.8 million and $15.2 million during 2012 and 2011, respectively, the benefit of such depletion may not continue in future periods. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Operating Results and Financial Condition—Key Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations—Metal Cost”.

Because our balanced book approach does not reduce the effects of fluctuations in metal prices on our working capital requirements, higher metal prices could have a negative effect on our liquidity.

Our balanced book approach does not reduce the impact of the volatility in metal prices on our working capital requirements. Metal prices impact our investment in working capital because our collection terms with our customers are longer than our payment terms to our suppliers. In 2012, the spread between our receivable collection cycle and purchase payment cycle was approximately 20 days. As a result, when metal prices are rising, even if the number of pounds of metal we process does not change, we tend to use more cash or draw more on the ABL Facility to cover the cash flow delay from material replacement purchase to cash collection. Thus, when metal prices increase, our working capital may be negatively affected as we are required to draw more on our cash or available financing sources to pay for raw materials. As a result, our liquidity may be negatively affected by increasing metal prices. Metal price volatility may also require us to draw on working capital sources more quickly and unpredictably, and therefore at higher cost. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Operating Results and Financial Condition—Key Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations—Metal Cost”.

Limited access to raw materials or fuel could negatively affect our business, financial condition or results of operations or cash flows.

Our ability to fulfill our customer orders in a timely and cost-effective manner depends on our ability to secure a sufficient and constant supply of raw materials and fuel. Although we often seek to source our copper from scrap, including internally generated scrap and repurchases of our customers’ scrap, where scrap is either not available or is not appropriate for use, we use virgin raw materials such as copper cathode, which are generally more expensive than scrap. We depend on natural gas for our manufacturing operations and source natural gas through open-market purchases.

We depend on scrap for our operations and acquire our scrap inventory from numerous sources. These suppliers generally are not bound by long-term contracts and have no obligation to sell scrap metals to us. In periods of low metal prices, suppliers may elect to hold scrap waiting for higher prices. In addition, the slowdown in industrial production and consumer consumption in the U.S. during the economic crisis reduced, and is expected to continue to reduce, the supply of scrap metal available to us, and the scrap supply may be subject to the activities of speculators. If an adequate supply of scrap metal is not available to us, we would be unable to recycle metals at desired volumes, forcing us to use a larger amount of more expensive virgin raw materials and our results of operations and financial condition would be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, with the rapid growth of the

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economy of China, the demand for certain raw materials has increased significantly while the supply of such raw materials may not have increased correspondingly. In addition, the Securities and Exchange Commission has recently issued an order amending a rule to allow shares of a physically backed copper exchange traded fund (“ETF”) to be listed and publicly traded. Such fund and other copper ETFs like it hold copper cathode as collateral against their shares. The acquisition of copper cathode by copper ETFs and other similar entities may materially decrease or interrupt the availability of copper for immediate delivery in the United States, which could materially increase our cost of copper and copper scrap, result in potential supply shortages, and increase price volatility for copper and copper scrap. All of the above factors may affect our ability to secure the necessary raw materials in a cost-effective manner for production of our products.

We may experience disruptions in the supply of natural gas as a result of delivery curtailments to industrial customers due to extremely cold weather. We may also experience other delays or shortages in the supply of raw materials. If we are unable to obtain adequate, cost efficient or timely deliveries of required raw materials and fuel, we may be unable to manufacture sufficient quantities of products on a timely basis. This could cause us to lose sales, incur additional costs, delay new product introductions or harm our reputation in the end markets that we serve. In addition, our ability to find metal is dependent on an adequate and timely supply of raw materials. An inability to find an adequate and timely supply of raw materials could have a material adverse effect on our profit margin, and in turn on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Increases in the cost of energy could cause our cost of sales to increase, thereby reducing operating results and limiting our operating flexibility.

In 2012, the cost of energy and utilities represented approximately 6% of our non-metal cost of sales. The prices of natural gas and electricity can be particularly volatile. As a result, our natural gas and electricity costs may fluctuate dramatically, and we may not be able to mitigate the effect of higher natural gas and electricity costs on our cost of sales. A substantial increase in energy costs could cause our operating costs to increase and our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows may be materially and adversely affected. Although we attempt to mitigate short-term volatility in natural gas and electricity costs through the use of derivatives contracts, we may not be able to eliminate the long-term effects of such cost volatility. Furthermore, in an effort to offset the effect of increasing costs, we may have also limited our potential benefit from declining costs.

Our substantial leverage and debt service obligations may adversely affect our financial condition and restrict our operating flexibility, including our ability to raise additional capital to fund our operations, limit our ability to react to changes in the economy or our industry and prevent us from meeting our obligations under our indebtedness.

We are highly leveraged. As of March 31, 2013, our total indebtedness was $400.0 million. We also had an additional $174.5 million available for borrowing under the ABL Facility as of that date. Based on the amount of indebtedness outstanding and applicable interest rates at March 31, 2013, our annualized cash interest expense would be $36.7 million, $1.1 million of which represents interest expense on floating-rate obligations (and thus is subject to increase in the event interest rates were to rise), prior to any consideration of the impact of interest rate derivative contracts.

Our substantial indebtedness and debt service obligations could have important consequences for investors, including:

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Any of these consequences could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects and ability to satisfy our obligations under our indebtedness. In addition, there would be a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows if we were unable to service our indebtedness or obtain additional financing, as needed.

Covenants under our debt agreements impose significant operating and financial restrictions. Failure to comply with these covenants could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

The agreement governing the ABL Facility and the indenture governing the Senior Secured Notes contain various covenants that limit or prohibit our ability, among other things, to:

The agreement governing the ABL Facility also contains a financial covenant that requires us to maintain a fixed charge coverage ratio that is tested whenever excess availability, as defined in such agreement, falls below a certain level. The fixed charge coverage ratio, as defined in the agreement, requires us to maintain a minimum ratio of “EBITDA” (as defined in the agreement governing the ABL Facility) to the amount of our fixed charges for the twelve consecutive months prior to the date on which the ratio is tested. The agreement governing the ABL Facility also requires excess availability to remain above a certain level to avoid default. For more information regarding these covenants, please see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Covenant Compliance” and “Description of Certain Indebtedness—ABL Facility”.

As of March 31, 2013, we were in compliance with all of the covenants contained in our debt agreements. A violation of covenants may result in default or an event of default under our debt agreements. Upon the occurrence of an event of default under the agreement governing the ABL Facility or the indenture governing the Senior Secured Notes, the requisite lenders under the ABL Facility or the requisite noteholders under the indenture could elect to declare all amounts of such indebtedness outstanding to be immediately due and payable and, in the case of the ABL Facility, terminate any commitments to extend further credit. If we are unable to repay those amounts, the lenders under such facilities may proceed against the collateral granted to them to secure such

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indebtedness. Substantially all of our assets are pledged as collateral under the ABL Facility and to secure the Senior Secured Notes. If the lenders or noteholders, as applicable, accelerate the repayment of borrowings, such acceleration would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Furthermore, cross-default provisions in the ABL Facility mean that any default under the indenture governing the Senior Secured Notes or other significant debt agreements could trigger a cross-default under the ABL Facility. If we are unable to repay the amounts outstanding under these agreements or obtain replacement financing on acceptable terms, which ability will depend in part upon the impact of economic conditions on the liquidity of credit markets, our creditors may exercise their rights and remedies against us and the assets that serve as collateral for the debt, including initiating a bankruptcy proceeding.

Although the terms of the credit agreement governing the ABL Facility and the indenture governing the Senior Secured Notes contain restrictions on our ability to incur additional indebtedness, these restrictions are subject to a number of important qualifications and exceptions, which would allow us to borrow additional indebtedness. Additional leverage could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and could increase other risks harmful to our financial condition and results of operations and could increase the risks described in “—Our substantial leverage and debt service obligations may adversely affect our financial condition and restrict our operating flexibility, including our ability to raise additional capital to fund our operations, limit our ability to react to changes in the economy or our industry and prevent us from meeting our obligations under our indebtedness”.

For a more detailed description on the limitations on our ability to incur additional indebtedness and our compliance with financial covenants, please see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Covenant Compliance” and “Description of Certain Indebtedness”.

To service our indebtedness, we will require a significant amount of cash. Our ability to generate cash and the availability of our cash to service our indebtedness depends on many factors beyond our control, and any failure to meet our debt service obligations could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our ability to satisfy our debt obligations will primarily depend upon our future operating performance. As a result, prevailing economic conditions and financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, will affect our ability to generate cash to satisfy our debt obligations. Included in such factors are the requirements, under certain scenarios, of our counterparties that we post cash collateral to maintain our hedging positions. In addition, metal price declines, by reducing our borrowing base, could limit availability under the ABL Facility and further constrain our liquidity.

If we do not generate sufficient cash flow from operations to satisfy our debt service obligations, including payments required to be made on the ABL Facility and the Senior Secured Notes, we may have to undertake alternative financing plans, such as refinancing or restructuring our indebtedness, selling assets, reducing or delaying capital investments or seeking to raise additional capital. Our ability to restructure or refinance our indebtedness will depend on the condition of the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. Any refinancing of our indebtedness could be at higher interest rates and may require us to comply with more onerous covenants, which could further restrict our business operations. The terms of existing or future debt instruments (including the ABL Facility and the Senior Secured Notes) may restrict us from adopting some of these alternatives, which in turn could exacerbate the effects of any failure to generate sufficient cash flow to satisfy our debt service obligations. In addition, any failure to make payments of interest and principal on our outstanding indebtedness on a timely basis would likely result in a reduction of our credit ratings, which could harm our ability to incur additional indebtedness or refinance our indebtedness on acceptable terms.

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Our inability to generate sufficient cash flow to satisfy our debt service obligations, or to refinance our obligations at all or on commercially reasonable terms, would have an adverse effect, which could be material, on our business, financial condition and results of operations, may restrict our current and future operations, particularly our ability to respond to business changes or to take certain actions, as well as on our ability to satisfy our obligations in respect of the ABL Facility and the Senior Secured Notes.

Because some of our indebtedness bears interest at rates that fluctuate with changes in certain prevailing short-term interest rates, we are vulnerable to interest rate increases.

As of March 31, 2013, we had $25.0 million outstanding under the ABL Facility, which amount bears interest at rates that fluctuate with changes in certain prevailing short-term interest rates. Assuming a consistent level of debt, a 100 basis point change in the interest rate on the indebtedness under our ABL Facility would have increased or decreased the annual interest payments required to be made by us under the ABL Facility by $0.3 million. We use derivative financial instruments, mainly interest rate caps, to manage a portion of the potential impact of our interest rate risk. To some extent, derivative financial instruments can protect against increases in interest rates, but they do not provide complete protection over the long term. If interest rates increase dramatically, we could be unable to service our debt, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

If we were to lose order volumes from any of our largest customers, our sales volumes, revenues and cash flows could be reduced.

Our business is exposed to risks related to customer concentration. Our five largest customers were responsible for 21% of our net sales for the year ended December 31, 2012. No one customer accounted for more than 7% of those net sales. A loss of order volumes from, or a loss of industry share by, any major customer could negatively affect our business, financial condition or results of operations by lowering sales volumes, increasing costs and lowering profitability. In addition, during the economic downturn since 2008, 20 of our approximately 1,700 customers have become involved in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings and have defaulted on their obligations to us. Our balance sheet reflected an allowance for doubtful accounts totaling $1.4 million at December 31, 2012 and $2.1 million at December 31, 2011. Similar incidents in the future could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We do not have long-term contractual arrangements with a substantial number of our customers, and our sales volumes and net sales could be reduced if our customers switch some or all of their business with us to other suppliers.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, a majority of our net sales were generated from customers who do not have long-term contractual arrangements with us. These customers purchase products and services from us on a purchase order basis and may choose not to continue to purchase our products and services. A significant loss of these customers or a significant reduction in their purchase orders could have a material negative impact on our sales volume and business, or cause us to reduce our prices, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our business could be disrupted if our customers shift their manufacturing offshore.

Much of our business depends on maintaining close geographical proximity to our customers because the costs of transporting metals across large distances can be prohibitive. If the general trend in relocating manufacturing capacity to foreign countries continues, especially those in the automotive parts and electrical connectors industries, such relocations may disrupt or end our relationships with some customers and could lead to losing business to foreign competitors. These risks would increase to the extent we are unable to expand internationally when our customers do so.

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Decreased demand from the United States Mint could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The United States Mint is a significant customer of Olin Brass, accounting for 16.3% of Olin Brass’s net sales in 2012. Olin Brass has a contractual arrangement to supply nickel and brass coinage strip to the two United States Mint locations. Our supply agreement with the United States Mint runs through 2017. The United States Mint can also terminate the contract in whole or in part for convenience, and the damages payable to us by the United States Mint for such a termination do not include lost profits. The loss or reduction of any authorized supplier arrangement with the United States Mint for coin manufacture could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the United States Government contracting and procurement cycle can be affected by the timing of, and delays in, the legislative process. As a result, our net sales and operating income may fluctuate, causing us to occasionally experience declines in net sales or earnings as compared to the immediately preceding quarter, and comparisons of our operating results on a period-to-period basis may not be meaningful. Further, it is uncertain whether the COINS Act will be adopted, and if it would be adopted, when and how it would be implemented. As a result, even if the COINS Act is adopted, we may not benefit if its implementation is delayed.

Additionally, the U.S. Treasury department announced in December 2011 a halt in the production of Presidential $1 coins for circulation due to a lack of demand (which is primarily the result of the U.S. continuing the use of the dollar bill). Although their production will continue for the collectibles market, it is uncertain when their production for circulation will be resumed. This action has adversely impacted our business in 2012 and is expected to adversely impact our business over the next several years. Further actions to curtail coin production could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Following trends in electronic commerce, the United States Mint in the future may reduce its output of coinage and thus reduce its demand for coinage strip. A reduction in demand for coinage strip could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Decreased demand from Alliant Techsystems (“ATK”) could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Currently, a sizeable share of the production of our Olin Brass segment supports ATK, a supplier of munitions to the U.S. Army. ATK uses our product to service its contract with the U.S. Army to supply the U.S. Army’s arsenal located at Independence, Missouri. ATK is under contract with the U.S. Army to supply small-caliber ammunition through September 2019, and Olin Brass is under contract to supply ATK. In spite of these contractual arrangements, any decrease in demand from ATK or other disruption of our relationship with ATK could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Competition in our industry could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are engaged in a highly competitive industry. Each of our segments competes with a limited number of companies. The Olin Brass segment competes with domestic and foreign manufacturers of copper and brass alloys in the form of strip, sheet, foil and plate. The Chase Brass segment competes with domestic as well as foreign manufacturers of brass rod (and in recent months has encountered increased competition from foreign rod suppliers). The A.J. Oster segment primarily competes with distributors, mills and processors of copper and brass products. Furthermore, we believe that domestic sales to customers that are not made by major companies, including us, are fragmented among many smaller companies. In the future, these smaller companies may choose to combine, creating a more significant domestic competitor against our business. We may be required to explore additional

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initiatives in each of our segments in order to maintain our sales volume at a competitive level. Increased competition in any of the fields in which our segments operate could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Currently, anti-dumping orders impose import duties on copper and brass products from France, Germany, Italy and Japan, which allows us and our domestic competitors to compete more fairly against French, German, Italian and Japanese producers in the U.S. copper and brass product market. On March 21, 2012, the ITC Commissioners voted to continue anti-dumping orders for brass sheet and strip from Germany, Italy, France and Japan. While domestic manufacturers lobby for the continued extension of these orders, if they expire, import duties on metal products from these countries will be significantly reduced, increasing the ability of such foreign producers to compete with our products domestically. Additionally, on March 15, 2012, the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement (“KORUS FTA”) became effective, which largely eliminates tariffs on Korean industrial products imported to the United States. The reduction in prices of Korean products resulting from the KORUS FTA has increased the ability of Korean manufacturers to compete with our products. The increased competition resulting from the KORUS FTA, the termination of any anti-dumping orders or other changes to international trade regimes could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Adverse developments in our relationship with our employees could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

As of December 31, 2012, we had 1,986 employees, 1,118, or approximately 56%, of whom at various sites were members of unions. We have generally maintained good relationships with all unions and employees, which has been an important aspect of our ability to be competitive in our industry. As of December 31, 2012, there were nine unions representing employees in the Olin Brass segment (eight representing employees at the East Alton, Illinois facility and one representing employees of Bryan Metals, LLC), two representing employees of the A.J. Oster segment (one representing employees of A.J. Oster Foils, LLC and another representing employees of A.J.O. Global Services Mexico S.A. de C.V.) and one representing employees of the Chase Brass segment. In July 2012, employees at the Olin Brass Somers Thin Strip facility elected a union representative, and the election was certified by the National Labor Relations Board on July 27, 2012. On April 2, 2013, Somers Thin Strip employees ratified a collective bargaining agreement. That agreement took effect on April 3, 2013 and expires on December 15, 2015. The collective bargaining agreement with the eight unions that represent employees at the East Alton facility of Olin Brass expires in November 2013. The collective bargaining agreement covering union-represented employees of Chase Brass expires in June 2013, and Chase Brass will soon begin negotiations with the union over terms and conditions of a collective bargaining agreement. The collective bargaining agreement covering union-represented employees of A.J. Oster Foils expires in January 2014. The collective bargaining agreement covering union-represented employees of A.J.O. Global Services Mexico S.A. de C.V. has an indeterminate term, with a review of wages every year and a review of benefits every other year. The collective bargaining agreement with the union-represented employees of Bryan Metals, LLC is effective through September 30, 2014. The current collective bargaining agreements that are in place are a meaningful determinant of our labor costs and are very important to our ability to maintain flexibility to fulfill our customers’ needs. As we attempt to renew our collective bargaining agreements, labor negotiations may not conclude successfully and, in that case, may result in a significant increase in the cost of labor or may result in work stoppages or labor disturbances, disrupting our operations. Any such cost increases, stoppages or disturbances could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows by limiting plant production, sales volumes and profitability. See “Business—Employees” for a discussion of our collective bargaining agreements.

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Our operations are subject to risks of natural disasters, acts of war, terrorism or widespread illness at our domestic and international locations, any one of which could result in a business stoppage and negatively affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Our business operations depend on our ability to maintain and protect our facilities, computer systems and personnel. Our facilities and transportation for our employees are susceptible to damage from earthquakes and other natural disasters such as fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and similar events. We have facilities located throughout North America, including in Illinois, Ohio, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Missouri, California, Puerto Rico and Mexico, as well as in China and Japan. We take precautions to safeguard our facilities, including obtaining insurance and maintaining health and safety protocols. However, a natural disaster, such as a tornado, fire, flood, hurricane or earthquake, could cause a substantial interruption in our operations, damage or destroy our facilities or inventory and cause us to incur additional expenses. The insurance we maintain against natural disasters may not be adequate to cover our losses in any particular case, which would require us to expend significant resources to replace any destroyed assets, thereby harming our financial condition and prospects significantly.

For example, Olin Brass’s manufacturing facilities and A.J. Oster’s California facility are located near geologic fault zones, and therefore are subject to greater risk of earthquakes which could result in increased costs and a disruption in our operations, which could harm our operating results and financial condition significantly. Our facility in East Alton, Illinois is located in a flood zone, and all of our facilities in the Midwestern United States are subject to the risk of tornadoes and damaging winds. Should earthquakes or other catastrophes, such as fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, power outages, communication failures or similar events disable our facilities, we do not have readily available alternative facilities from which we could continue our operations, and any resulting stoppage could have a negative effect on our operating results. Acts of terrorism, widespread illness and war could also have a negative effect at our international and domestic facilities.

Any prolonged disruptions at or failures of our manufacturing facilities and equipment could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our ability to satisfy our customers’ orders in an efficient manner and to effectively manage inventory levels is dependent on the proper operation of our facilities and equipment. On-time delivery and accurate order fulfillment are essential to maintaining customer satisfaction and generating repeat business. To the extent we experience prolonged equipment failures, quality control incidents or other disruptions such as a major fire at our manufacturing facilities, our ability to satisfy our customers could be negatively impacted, and if, as a result, customer satisfaction decreased, this would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

In addition, we do not have redundancy in our operations on certain critical pieces of equipment, including the Olin Brass hot and cold mills and Chase Brass extruders. If this equipment were damaged, we would have to make alternative arrangements to replicate these processes, which could be costly and result in manufacturing delays, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Failure to meet the capital expenditure requirements for the introduction of new products or substantial further increases in the production of existing products could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Certain of our existing products, such as Eco Brass ^® and other potential “green portfolio” products, require separate production streams from those used for our other products in order to comply with applicable standards. As a result, in order to meet expected increased demand for such products, we will be required to make additional capital expenditures to modify or expand our facilities.

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In addition, if we introduce new products in the future, those products may also require modification or expansion of our production facilities. To accommodate any such production changes, we will be required to make additional capital expenditures to expand or modify our facilities. If we are unable to meet our capital expenditure requirements, we may not be able to timely respond to our customers’ needs and may lose their business to our competitors who may be better equipped to meet these needs, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The increased use of substitute materials and miniaturization may adversely affect our business.

In many applications, copper and other commodities may be replaced by other materials such as aluminum, stainless steel, plastic and other materials and the use of copper and other commodities may be reduced by the miniaturization of components. Increased prices of copper could encourage our customers to use substitute materials and/or miniaturization to limit the amount of copper in their products and applications in an attempt to control their overall product costs. For example, historically, there has been discussion over reducing or eliminating copper content in coins in reaction to the rising prices of copper. Such increased use of substitute materials and/or miniaturization could have a material adverse effect on prices and demand for our products.

In order to operate our business successfully, we must meet evolving customer requirements for copper and copper-alloy products and invest in the development of new products.

If we fail to develop or enhance our products to satisfy evolving customer demands, our business, operating results, financial condition and prospects may be harmed significantly. The market for copper and copper-alloy products is characterized by changing technologies, periodic new product introductions and evolving customer and industry standards. Eco Brass ^® and other products in our “green portfolio” are examples of new products based on new technologies that have been developed as a result of evolving customer and industry standards. Our competitors are continuously searching for more cost-effective alloys and substitutes for copper and copper-alloys, including products in our “green portfolio”. Our current and prospective customers may choose products that might be offered at a lower price than our products. To achieve market acceptance for our products, we must effectively and timely anticipate and adapt to customer requirements and offer products and services that meet customer demands. This strategy may cause us to pursue other technologies or capabilities through acquisitions or strategic alliances. We may experience design, engineering and other difficulties that could delay or prevent the development, introduction or marketing of new products and services. Our failure to successfully develop and offer products or services that satisfy customer requirements may significantly weaken demand for our products and services, which would likely cause a decrease in our net sales and harm our operating results. In addition, if our competitors introduce products and/or services based on new or alternative technologies, our existing and future products and/or services could become obsolete, which would also weaken demand for our products or services, thereby decreasing our net sales and harming our operating results.

If we fail to implement our business strategy, including our growth initiatives, our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows could be adversely affected.

Our future financial performance and success depend in large part on our ability to successfully implement our business strategy. We may not be able to successfully implement our business strategy or be able to continue improving our operating results. In particular, we may not be able to continue to achieve all operating cost savings, further enhance our product mix, expand into selected targeted regions or continue to mitigate our exposure to metal price fluctuations.

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The implementation of our business strategy may be affected by a number of factors beyond our control, such as increased competition, legal and regulatory developments, general economic conditions, the increase of operating costs or our ability to introduce new products and end-use applications. Any failure to successfully implement our business strategy could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. We may, in addition, decide to alter or discontinue certain aspects of our business strategy at any time.

Furthermore, we may not be successful in our growth initiatives and may not be able to effectively manage expanded or acquired operations. See “—We face a number of risks related to future acquisitions and joint ventures”.

A portion of our net sales is derived from our international operations, which exposes us to certain risks inherent in doing business abroad.

In the aggregate, our international operations accounted for 6% of our net sales in 2012. We have operations in China through Olin Luotong Metals (GZ) Corporation (“Olin Luotong Metals”), an 80%-owned joint venture with Chinalco Luoyang Copper Co. Ltd. (“Chinalco”) in Singapore through our subsidiary, GBC Metals Asia Pacific PTE, and in Japan through our 50/50 joint venture with Dowa Holdings Co. Ltd (“Dowa”). We also have distribution arrangements in the United Kingdom and Germany. In addition, we have various licensing agreements around the world and our products are distributed globally. We plan to continue to explore opportunities to expand our international operations. Our international operations generally are subject to risks, including:

The occurrence of any of these events could cause our costs to rise, limit growth opportunities or have a negative effect on our operations and our ability to plan for future periods, and subject us to risks not generally prevalent in North America.

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New governmental regulations or legislation, or changes in existing regulations or legislation, may subject us to significant costs, taxes and restrictions on our operations.

Our operations are subject to a wide variety of U.S. Federal, state, local and non-U.S. laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, international trade and competition and firearms.

For example, the Olin Brass segment provides strip and cups to both the military and commercial munitions markets. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, the shipments by Olin Brass to the munitions end market accounted for 42% of its total shipments. The private use of firearms is subject to extensive regulation. Recent U.S. Federal legislative activities generally seek either to restrict or ban the sale and, in some cases, the ownership of various types of firearms. Several states currently have laws in effect similar to that legislation. Any restriction on the use of firearms could affect the demand for munitions, and in turn could negatively affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. Moreover, any changes in the government budget or policy over military spending may adversely affect our contracts with customers in the munitions end market.

Changes in U.S. or foreign tax laws, including possibly with retroactive effect, and audits by tax authorities could result in unanticipated increases in our tax expense and affect profitability and cash flows. For example, recent proposals to lower the U.S. corporate tax rate would require us to reduce our net deferred tax assets upon enactment of the related tax legislation, with a corresponding material, one-time increase to income tax expense, but our income tax expense and payments would be materially reduced in subsequent years. The cost of our inventories is primarily determined using the LIFO. Under the LIFO inventory valuation method, changes in the cost of raw materials and production activities are recognized in cost of sales in the current period. Generally in a period of rising prices, LIFO recognizes higher costs of goods sold, which both reduces current income and assigns a lower value to the year-end inventory. There have been legislative proposals to repeal the election to use the LIFO method for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. According to these proposals, taxpayers that currently use the LIFO method would be required to revalue their beginning LIFO inventory to its first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) value. As of March 31, 2013, if the FIFO method had been used instead of the LIFO method, our inventories would have been $141.8 million higher than the value reflected in our March 31, 2013 balance sheet. This increase in the carrying value of inventory would result in a one-time increase in taxable income of $89.0 million after taking into consideration total current differences in book-to-tax valuations of inventory. The repeal of the election to use the LIFO method could result in a substantial cash tax liability, which could adversely impact our liquidity and financial condition. Furthermore, a transition to the FIFO method could result in an increase in the volatility of our earnings, a greater disparity between our earnings and net sales in our financial statements, and an increase in the costs associated with our derivative transactions to mitigate metal price fluctuations.

In addition, any termination or expiration of trade restrictions imposed on copper products by foreign governments could adversely affect our business as such products become freely tradable into the U.S. This may increase competition against our products and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. See “—Competition from foreign manufacturers will increase if current anti-dumping orders expire and our sales volumes and profit margins could be adversely affected”.

We may not be able to sustain the annual cost savings realized as part of our recent cost- reduction initiatives.

Since our formation in 2007, we have undertaken, and will continue to undertake, productivity and cost-reduction initiatives intended to improve performance and improve operating cash flow. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Financial Information, Acquisition, Business Transformation and Refinancing”. Although we believe that the cost savings we have realized through our efforts so far are permanent reductions, we may not be able to

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sustain some or all of these cost savings on an annual basis in the future, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Moreover, there can be no assurance that any new initiatives undertaken in the future will be completed or beneficial to us or that any estimated cost savings from such activities will be realized.

Our operations expose our employees to risk of injury or death. We may be subject to claims that are not covered by, or exceed, our insurance. Additional safety measures or rules imposed by regulatory agencies may reduce productivity, require additional capital expenditure or reduce profitability.

Because of the manufacturing activities conducted at our facilities, there exists a risk of injury or death to our employees or other visitors, notwithstanding the safety precautions we take. Our operations are subject to regulation by Federal, state and local agencies responsible for employee health and safety, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which has from time to time taken various actions with respect to our facilities, including imposing fines for certain isolated incidents. Despite policies and standards that are designed to minimize such risks, we may nevertheless be unable to avoid material liabilities for any employee death or injury that may occur in the future. These types of incidents may not be covered by or may exceed our insurance coverage and may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

In addition, various regulatory agencies may impose additional safety measures or other rules designed to increase workplace safety. Compliance with such requirements could require additional capital expenditure or cause process changes that could reduce the productivity of the affected facilities, which could increase our costs and reduce our profitability.

Our ability to retain our senior management team is critical to the success of our business, and failure to do so could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We are dependent on our senior management team to remain competitive in our industry. We have employment contracts or severance agreements with members of our senior management team, including John Walker, Robert Micchelli, John Wasz, Devin Denner and Daniel Becker. Failure to renew the employment contracts or other agreements of a significant portion of our senior management team could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Members of our senior management team are subject to employment conditions or arrangements that permit the employees to terminate their employment without notice. See “Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Employment Arrangements with Named Executive Officers”. We do not maintain any life insurance policies for our benefit covering our key employees.

If our senior management team were not able to dedicate adequate time to our business, due to personal or other factors, if we lose or suffer an extended interruption in the services of a significant portion of our senior management team, or if a significant portion of our senior management team were to terminate employment within a short period it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, the market for qualified individuals may be highly competitive and we may not be able to attract and retain qualified personnel to replace or succeed members of our senior management team, should the need arise.

Rising employee medical costs may adversely affect operating results.

The potential of rising employee medical costs are difficult to assess at this time. During the year ended December 31, 2012, our expenses related to employee health benefits were an aggregate of $15.9 million. Because the implementation of various laws regarding employee medical costs and health insurance, including the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 and other related

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regulations, is currently in progress, there is significant uncertainty as to how these current and future laws and regulations will affect our employee medical and other benefit costs. Therefore, we may incur significant increases in these costs that could reduce operating results.

Environmental costs could decrease our net cash flow and adversely affect our profitability.

Our operations are subject to extensive regulations governing the creation, use, transportation and disposal of wastes and hazardous substances, air and water emissions, remediation, workplace exposure and other environmental matters. The costs of complying with such laws and regulations, including participation in assessments and clean-ups of sites, as well as internal voluntary programs, can be significant and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. Future environmental regulations could impose stricter compliance requirements on us and the end markets that we serve. Additional pollution control equipment, process changes, or other environmental control measures may be needed at some of our facilities to meet future requirements. Additionally, evolving regulatory standards and expectations could result in increased litigation and/or increased costs of compliance with environmental laws, all of which could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Environmental matters for which we may be liable may arise in the future at our present sites, at previously owned sites, sites previously operated by us, sites owned by our predecessors or sites that we may acquire in the future. Our operations or liquidity in a particular period could be affected by certain health, safety or environmental matters, including remediation costs and damages related to several sites. The properties we own or lease are located in areas with a history of heavy industrial use. See “Business—Government Regulation and Environmental Matters”. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, or CERCLA, established responsibility for clean-up without regard to fault for persons who have released or arranged for disposal of hazardous substances at sites that have become contaminated and for persons who own or operate contaminated facilities. In many cases, courts have imposed joint and several liability on parties at CERCLA clean-up sites. Because a number of our properties are located in or near industrial or light industrial use areas, they may have been contaminated by pollutants which may have migrated from neighboring facilities or have been released by prior occupants. Some of our properties have been affected by releases of cutting oils and similar materials, and we are investigating and remediating such known contamination pursuant to applicable environmental laws. The costs of these clean-ups have not been material in the past. We are not currently subject to any claims or notices with respect to clean-up or remediation under CERCLA or similar laws for contamination at our leased or owned properties or at any off-site location. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that we could be notified of such claims in the future. It is also possible that we could be identified by the Environmental Protection Agency, a state agency or one or more third parties as a potentially responsible party under CERCLA or under analogous state laws.

On November 19, 2007, we acquired the assets and operations relating to the worldwide metals business of Olin Corporation. Olin Corporation agreed to retain liability arising out of then existing conditions on certain of our properties for any remedial actions required by environmental laws, and agreed to indemnify us for all or part of a number of other environmental liabilities. Since 2007, Olin Corporation has been performing remedial actions at the facilities in East Alton, Illinois and Waterbury, Connecticut, and has been participating in remedial actions at our other properties as well. If Olin Corporation were to stop its environmental remedial activities at our properties, we could be required to assume responsibility for these activities, the cost of which could be material. For additional information concerning the indemnity granted to us by Olin Corporation for environmental liabilities, see “Business—Government Regulation and Environmental Matters”.

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New governmental regulation of greenhouse gas emissions may subject us to significant new costs and restrictions on our operations.

Recently, Congress has considered legislation that would regulate greenhouse gas emissions through a cap-and-trade system under which emitters would be required to buy allowances to offset emissions of greenhouse gas. In addition, several states, including states where we have manufacturing plants, are considering various greenhouse gas registration and reduction programs. The EPA has also proposed several comprehensive regulations that would require reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by several types of sources. Certain of our manufacturing plants use significant amounts of energy, including electricity and natural gas, and certain of our plants emit amounts of greenhouse gas above certain minimum thresholds that are likely to be regulated. Greenhouse gas regulation could increase the price of the electricity we purchase, increase costs for our use of natural gas, potentially restrict access to, or the use of, natural gas, require us to purchase allowances to offset our own emissions, require operational changes or the use of new equipment or result in an overall increase in our costs of raw materials, any one of which could significantly increase our costs or capital expenditures, reduce our competitiveness or otherwise negatively affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. While future greenhouse gas regulation appears likely, it is too early to predict how this regulation may affect us.

We may be subject to litigation that could strain our resources and distract management.

From time to time, we are involved in a variety of claims, lawsuits and other disputes arising in the ordinary course of business. These suits concern issues including product liability, contract disputes, employee-related matters and personal injury matters. It is not feasible to predict the outcome of all pending suits and claims, and the ultimate resolution of these matters as well as future lawsuits could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows or reputation.

We may face product liability claims that are costly and create adverse publicity.

If any of the products that we sell cause harm to any of our customers, we could be exposed to product liability lawsuits. If we were found liable under product liability claims, we could be required to pay substantial monetary damages and see a decrease in demand for our products. Further, even if we successfully defended ourselves against this type of claim, we could be forced to spend a substantial amount of money in litigation expenses, our management could be required to spend time and resources to defend against these claims, we could face negative publicity or our reputation could otherwise suffer, any of which could result in a decrease in demand for our products or otherwise harm our business.

New derivatives legislation could have an adverse impact on our ability to use derivative contracts to manage risks associated with our business and on the cost of our derivative contracts.

We use over-the-counter, or OTC, derivatives products to manage our metal commodity price risks and our interest rate risks. Recent legislation adopted by Congress increases regulatory oversight of OTC derivatives markets and imposes restrictions on certain derivative transactions, which could affect the use of derivatives in hedging transactions. Final regulations defining the scope of this legislation and the extent to which different types of market participants will be subject to the legislation have not yet been adopted. If final regulations subject us to heightened capital or margin requirements or otherwise increase our costs, directly or indirectly through costs passed on to us by our trading counterparties, of entering into OTC derivatives transactions, they could have an adverse effect on our ability to hedge risks associated with our business and on the cost of maintaining our derivative contracts.

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We have had material weaknesses in the past. If we fail to establish and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, our ability to accurately report our financial results could be adversely affected.

As a public company, we will be required to comply with the standards adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board in compliance with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, regarding internal control over financial reporting. Prior to becoming a public company, we have not been required to comply with the requirements of Section 404. We will not be required to make our first annual assessment of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 until the year following our first annual report required to be filed with the SEC. Further, our independent registered public accounting firm is not yet required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting until the year following our first annual report required to be filed with the SEC. Once it is required to do so, our independent registered public accounting firm may issue an adverse report in the event that they conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective.

The process of becoming compliant with Section 404 may divert internal resources and will take a significant amount of time and effort to complete. We may experience higher than anticipated operating expenses, as well as increased independent registered public accounting firm fees during the implementation of these changes and thereafter. Completing documentation of our internal control system and financial processes, remediation of control deficiencies and management testing of internal controls will require substantial effort by us. While we have begun the process of evaluating our internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to complete our review until after this offering is completed.

In connection with the 2011 and 2010 audits of our financial statements, we and our independent auditor identified four material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. These material weaknesses related to our accounting for joint ventures, income tax matters, physical inventory quantity record keeping, and allowance for doubtful accounts. The material weaknesses related to our accounting for joint ventures, income tax matters, and physical inventory quantity record keeping were remediated as of December 31, 2011. The material weakness related to our allowance for doubtful accounts was remediated as of December 31, 2012.

We have begun the process of evaluating our internal control over financial reporting. We cannot predict the outcome of our review at this time. During the course of the review, we may identify additional control deficiencies, which could give rise to other material weaknesses in addition to those previously identified. We may also find that our previous and planned remediation measures have not been successful to the extent we expected, if at all. As a result, our ability to report our financial results on a timely and accurate basis may be adversely affected, we may be subject to sanctions or investigations by regulatory authorities, and investors may lose confidence in our financial information, which in turn could adversely affect the market price of Global Brass and Copper Holdings’ common stock.

You should not place undue reliance on the summary financial and other information of our predecessor as of November 18, 2007 and for the period from January 1, 2007 to November 18, 2007, which are summarized in this prospectus.

The summary financial and other information of our predecessor as of November 18, 2007 and for the period from January 1, 2007 to November 18, 2007 has been derived from books and records

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that were provided to us by Olin Corporation in the acquisition of the worldwide metals business of Olin Corporation and has not been subject to a review or audit by us or any independent registered public accounting firm. There is a risk that this unaudited financial information may contain errors that might have been detected in a review or audit process or might have been different if prepared in accordance with our policies and procedures instead of those of Olin Corporation. Therefore, all of the predecessor financial information contained in this prospectus may not be reflective of our predecessor’s true historical financial information as of the dates presented and for the periods presented. Any differences between the financial information presented as of such dates and for the periods presented in this prospectus and the relevant actual historical financial information may be material.

In addition, the summary financial and other information of our predecessor for the period from January 1, 2007 to November 18, 2007 and as of November 18, 2007 was prepared using an accounting basis that is different from that used to prepare the successor’s consolidated financial statements. The predecessor financial and other information for the period from January 1, 2007 to November 18, 2007 do not reflect the application of purchase accounting for our November 19, 2007 acquisition of the worldwide metals business from Olin Corporation, and such information for the period from January 1, 2007 to November 18, 2007 also does not reflect the allocation of Olin Corporation selling, general and administrative expenses to the metals business unit. We have only limited knowledge regarding the predecessor financial information, including the accounting policies under which the predecessor financial information was prepared. As is customary in such circumstances, we relied on contractual representations, warranties and indemnities of Olin Corporation, as seller, relating to the predecessor financial information. Based on these representations and warranties, we believe that the predecessor financial information was prepared on a GAAP basis and consistent with Olin Corporation’s accounting policies and procedures, but do not have access to records or personnel of Olin Corporation that would confirm this or provide the basis for any greater detail about the accounting basis used to prepare the predecessor financial information. Such information may not be comparable to the successor’s consolidated financial statements. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the summary financial and other information of our predecessor included in this prospectus.

Increasing costs of insurance may adversely impact our results of operations.

While we are insured against certain claims, including in respect of general liability, property damage (including natural disasters and fire), equipment damage and injury to our personnel, our insurance may not cover all of the claims to which we may become subject, and future coverage of such claims may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. If we are unable to obtain adequate insurance coverage, substantial property or equipment damage, personal injury or other claims could materially impact our earnings and cash flows. Continued increases in insurance costs, additional coverage restrictions or unavailability of certain insurance products and other factors could increase our operating costs and further increase our exposure to natural disasters and other causes of catastrophic loss, as well as personal injury and other claims.

Failure to protect, or uncertainty regarding the validity, enforceability or scope of, our intellectual property rights could impair our competitive position.

Our products are covered by a variety of proprietary rights that are important to our competitive position and success. Because the intellectual property associated with our products, including Eco Brass ^® technology is evolving and rapidly changing, our current intellectual property rights may not protect us adequately. We rely on a combination of patents, trademarks, trade secrets and other intellectual property rights, in addition to contractual rights, to protect the intellectual property we use in our business. However, it is possible that our intellectual property rights could be challenged, invalidated or violated. Our pending patent applications may not be granted or, if granted, the resulting