Competition within the steel industry, both domestically and worldwide, is intense and is expected to remain so. The steel industry has historically been characterized by periods of excess global capacity and supply. Excess global capacity and supply has negatively affected and could continue to negatively affect domestic steel prices, which could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition. High levels of steel imports into the U.S. could exacerbate a decrease in domestic steel prices.

In an effort to protect the domestic steel industry, the United States government continues to maintain tariffs, duties and quotas for certain steel products imported from a number of countries into the United States. As these tariffs, duties and quotas continue to change, or are repealed, it could result in some applications,substantial imports of foreign steel competes with other materials. Increased use of materials in substitution forand create pressure on United States steel productsprices and the overall industry. This could have a material adverse effect on pricesour operations.

We are dependent on our key customers.

As a result of our dependence on our key customers, we could experience a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations if any of the following, among other things, were to occur: (a) a loss of any key customer, or a material amount of business from such key customer; (b) the insolvency or bankruptcy of any key customer; (c) a declining market in which customers reduce orders; or (d) a strike or work stoppage at a key customer facility, which could affect both its suppliers and customers. For the year ended December 31, 2023, sales to our 10 largest customers accounted for approximately 46% of our net sales. Additionally, customers continue to demand for our steelstronger and lighter products, among other adaptations to traditional products.

We require substantial amounts of raw materials, including scrap metal and alloys, and natural gas, to operate our business. ManyThe majority of our customer agreements contain surcharge pricing provisions that are designed to enable us to recover raw material cost increases. The surcharges are generally tied to a market index for that specific raw material. Recently,Historically, many raw material market indices have reflected significant fluctuations. Any change in a raw material market index could materially affect our revenues. Any change in the relationship between the market indices and our underlying costs could materially affect our earnings. Any changerevenues, earnings, and cash flow. Additionally, fluctuation in our projected year-end input coststhe cost of certain alloys not covered by a raw material surcharge could materially affect our last-in, first-out (LIFO) inventory valuation methodrevenues, earnings, and earnings.

We rely to a substantial extent on third parties to supply certain raw materials that are critical to the manufacture of our products. Purchase prices and availability of these critical raw materials are subject to volatility. At any given time we may be unable to obtain an adequate supply of these critical raw materials on a timely basis, on acceptable price and other terms, or at all. If suppliers increase the price of critical raw materials, we may not have alternative sources of supply. In addition, to the extent we have quoted prices to customers and accepted customer orders or entered into agreements for products prior to purchasing necessary raw materials, we may be unable to raise the price of products to cover all or part of the increased cost of the raw materials.

The cost and availability of electricity and natural gas are also subject to volatile market conditions.

Steel producers like us consume large amounts of energy. We rely on third parties for the supply of energy resources we consume in our steelmaking activities. The prices for and availability of electricity, natural gas, oil and other energy resources are also subject to volatile market conditions, often affected by weather conditions as well as political and economic factors beyond our control. Any increase in the prices for electricity, natural gas, oil and other energy resources could materially affect our costs and therefore our earnings and cash flows.

As a large consumer of electricity and gas, we must have dependable delivery in order to operate. Accordingly, we are at risk in the event of an energy disruption. Prolonged black-outs or brown-outs or disruptions caused by natural disasters or governmental action would substantially disrupt our production.

Moreover, many of our finished steel products are delivered by truck. Unforeseen fluctuations in the price of fuel would also have a negative impact on our costs or on the costs of many of our customers.

In addition, changes in certain environmental laws and regulations, including those that may impose output limitations or higher costs associated with climate change or greenhouse gas emissions, could substantially increase the cost of manufacturing and raw materials, such as energy, to us and other U.S. steel producers.

Unexpected equipment failures or other disruptions of our operations may increase our costs and reduce our sales and earnings due to production curtailments or shutdowns.

Interruptions in production capabilities would likely increase our production costs and reduce sales and earnings for the affected period. In addition to equipment failures, our facilities and information technology systems are also subject to the risk of catastrophic loss due to unanticipated events such as fires, explosions or violent weather conditions. Our manufacturing processes are dependent upon critical pieces of equipment for which there may be only limited or no production alternatives, such as furnaces, continuous casters and rolling equipment, as well as electrical equipment, such as transformers, and this equipment may, on occasion, be out of service as a result of unanticipated failures. In the future, we may experience material plant shutdowns or periods of reduced production as a result of these types of equipment failures, which could cause us to lose or prevent us from taking advantage of various business opportunities or prevent us from responding to competitive pressures. There can be no assurance that our insurance coverage for these types of events will be adequate or continue to be available on terms acceptable to us.

Our operating results depend in part on continued successful research, development and marketing of new and/or improved products and services, and there can be no assurance that we will continue to successfully introduce new products and services.

The success of new and improved products and services depends on their initial and continued acceptance by our customers. Our business is affected, to varying degrees, by technological change and corresponding shifts in customer demand, which could result in unpredictable product transitions or shortened life cycles. We may experience difficulties or delays in the research, development, production, or marketing of new products and services that may prevent us from recouping or realizing a return on the investments required to bring new products and services to market.

New technologies in the steel industry may: (a) improve cost competitiveness; (b) increase production capabilities; or (c) improve operational efficiency compared to our current production methods. However, we may not have sufficient capital to invest in such technologies or to make certain capital improvements, and may, from time to time, incur cost over-runs and difficulties adapting and fully integrating these technologies or capital improvements into our existing operations. We may also encounter

Our business operations are capital-intensive. If there are downturns in the industries we serve, we may be forced to significantly curtail or suspend our operations with respect to those industries, including laying-off employees, recording asset impairment charges and other measures. In addition, we may not realize the benefits or expected returns from announced plans, programs, initiatives and capital investments. Any of these events could adversely affect our results of operations and profitability.

Changes in business or economic conditions, or our business strategy, may result of our dependence on our key customers, wein actions that require us to incur restructuring and impairment charges in the future, which could experiencehave a material adverse effect on our earnings. For additional information on current restructuring and impairment charges, refer to “Note 5 - Restructuring Charges” and “Note 6 - Disposition of Non-Core Assets” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

We may not be able to execute successfully on our strategic imperatives or achieve the intended results.

Our strategic imperatives are centered around people, profitability, process improvement, business development, and sustainability. These focus areas are intended to drive sustainable through-cycle profitability while maintaining a strong balance sheet and cash flow. If we are unsuccessful in executing on our strategic imperatives, it could negatively impact profitability and liquidity, requiring us to alter our strategy.

Expectations relating to environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) matters and/or our reporting of such matters could expose us to potential liabilities, increased costs, reputational harm and other negative impacts on our business.

There is an increasing focus from investors, customers, employees, and other stakeholders concerning sustainability and ESG matters, and an increasing number of investors and customers are requiring companies to disclose sustainability and ESG policies, practices and metrics. Our customers may require us to implement sustainability and ESG responsibility procedures or standards before they continue to do business with us. In addition, some investors use ESG criteria to guide their investment strategies, and may not invest in us, or divest their holdings of us, if they believe our policies relating to ESG matters are inadequate or, on the other hand, have a negative response to such policies as a result of anti-ESG sentiment. Additionally, we may face reputational challenges in the event that our sustainability and ESG policies, practices and metrics do not meet the standards set by certain constituencies, which are often inconsistent in approach. Furthermore, standards for tracking and reporting on sustainability and ESG matters have not been harmonized and continue to evolve. Our processes and controls for reporting of sustainability and ESG matters may not always comply with evolving and disparate standards for identifying,

measuring, and reporting such metrics, our interpretation of reporting standards may differ from those of others, and such standards may change over time, any of which could result in significant revisions to our performance metrics, goals or reported progress in achieving such goals. There can be no assurance of the extent to which any of our ESG targets and goals will be achieved, if at all; we could fail, or be perceived to fail, in our achievement of any such initiatives, targets or goals, or we could fail in fully and accurately reporting our progress on any such initiatives, targets and goals. Any failure, or perceived failure, by us to achieve our goals, further our initiatives, adhere to our public statements, comply with federal, state or international ESG laws and regulations, or meet evolving and varied stakeholder expectations and standards could result in legal and regulatory proceedings against us and materially adversely affect our business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.

We may not be able to complete or successfully integrate future acquisitions into our business, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations

We intend to consider growth opportunities through the acquisition of assets or companies and routinely review acquisition opportunities. We cannot predict whether we will be successful in identifying suitable acquisition candidates or pursuing acquisition opportunities or whether we will be able to achieve the strategic and other objectives related to such acquisitions. Acquisitions involve numerous risks, including difficulty determining appropriate valuation, integrating operations, information systems, technologies, services and products of the acquired product lines or business, personnel turnover, and the diversion of management’s attention from other business matters. Depending upon the nature, size, and timing of future acquisitions, we may be required to raise additional financing. Further, we may not be able to successfully integrate any acquired business with our existing businesses or recognize the expected benefits from a completed acquisition in the timeframe that we anticipate, or at all, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Risks Related to Our Debt

Deterioration in our asset borrowing base could adversely affect our financial health and restrict our ability to borrow necessary cash to support the needs of our business and fulfill our pension obligations.

As of December 31, 2023, we had outstanding debt of $13.2 million and our total liquidity was $539.4 million.

If our asset borrowing base, cash flows, and capital resources are insufficient to support the needs of our business, we may be forced to reduce or delay investments and capital expenditures, or to sell assets, seek additional capital or restructure or refinance our debt. These alternative measures may not be successful and we could face substantial liquidity problems that might require us to refinance all or a portion of our debt on or before maturity, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to refinance any of our debt on commercially reasonable terms or at all.

Restrictive covenants in the agreements governing our indebtedness may restrict our ability to operate our business, which may affect the market price of our common shares.

On September 30, 2022, the Company, as borrower, and certain domestic subsidiaries of the Company, as subsidiary guarantors (the “Subsidiary Guarantors”), entered into a Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Amended Credit Agreement”), with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (the “Administrative Agent”), and the lenders party thereto (collectively, the “Lenders”), which further amended and restated the Company’s secured Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of October 15, 2019.

A breach of any of our covenants in the agreements governing our indebtedness could result in a default, which could allow the lenders to declare all amounts outstanding under the applicable debt immediately due and payable and which may affect the market price of our common shares. We may also be prevented from taking advantage of business opportunities that arise because of the limitations imposed on us by the restrictive covenants under our indebtedness. Refer to “Note 14 - Financing Arrangements” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for more detail on the Amended Credit Agreement.

The conditional conversion feature of the Convertible Notes, if triggered, may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.

In the event the conditional conversion feature of the Convertible Notes (refer to “Note 14 - Financing Arrangements” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements) is triggered, holders of Convertible Notes will be entitled to convert the Convertible Notes at any time during specified periods at their option. If one or more holders elect to convert their Convertible Notes, unless we elect to satisfy our conversion obligation by delivering solely our common shares (other than paying cash in lieu of delivering any fractional share), we would be required to settle a portion or all of our conversion obligation through the payment of cash, which could adversely affect our liquidity.

Our capital resources may not be adequate to provide for all of our cash requirements, and we are exposed to risks associated with financial, credit, capital and banking markets.

In the ordinary course of business, we will seek to access competitive financial, credit, capital and/or banking markets. Currently, we believe we have adequate capital available to meet our reasonably anticipated business needs based on our historic financial performance, as well as our expected financial position. However, if we need to obtain additional financing in the future, to the extent our access to competitive financial, credit, capital and/or banking markets was to be impaired, our operations, financial results and cash flows could be adversely impacted.

Risks Related to Our Common Shares

The price of our common shares may fluctuate significantly.

The market price of our common shares may fluctuate significantly in response to many factors, including:

Many of the factors listed above are beyond our control. These factors may cause the market price of our common shares to decline, regardless of our financial condition, results of operations, if anybusiness or prospects.

Conversion of the following,Convertible Notes may dilute ownership interest of our shareholders or may otherwise depress the market price of our common shares.

The conversion of some or all of the Convertible Notes may dilute the ownership interest of our shareholders. On conversion of the Convertible Notes, we have the option to pay or deliver, as the case may be, cash, common shares, or a combination of cash and common shares. If we elect to settle our conversion obligation in common shares or a combination of cash and common shares, this could adversely affect prevailing market prices over our common shares.

We may issue preferred shares with terms that could dilute the voting power or reduce the value of our common shares.

Our articles of incorporation authorize us to issue, without the approval of our shareholders, one or more classes or series of preferred shares having such designation, powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights, including preferences over our common shares respecting dividends and distributions, as our Board of Directors generally may determine. The terms of one or more classes or series of preferred shares could dilute the voting power or reduce the value of our common shares. For example, we could grant holders of preferred shares the right to elect some number of our directors in all events or on the happening of specified events or the right to veto specified transactions. Similarly, the repurchase or redemption rights or liquidation preferences we could assign to holders of preferred shares could affect the residual value of the common shares.

Provisions in our corporate documents and Ohio law could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us, even if that change may be considered beneficial by some of our shareholders, which could reduce the market price of our common shares.

The existence of some provisions of our articles of incorporation and regulations and Ohio law could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us that a shareholder may consider favorable. These provisions include:

As an Ohio corporation, we are subject to Chapter 1704 of the Ohio Revised Code. Chapter 1704 prohibits certain corporations from engaging in a “Chapter 1704 transaction” (described below) with an “interested shareholder” for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested shareholder, unless, among other things, wereprior to occur: (a)the interested shareholder’s share acquisition date, the directors of the corporation have approved the transaction or the purchase of shares on the share acquisition date.

After the three-year moratorium period, the corporation may not consummate a lossChapter 1704 transaction unless, among other things, it is approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power in the election of directors and the holders of a majority of the voting shares, excluding all shares beneficially owned by an interested shareholder or an affiliate or associate of an interested shareholder, or the shareholders receive certain minimum consideration for their shares. A Chapter 1704 transaction includes certain mergers, sales of assets, consolidations, combinations and majority share acquisitions involving an interested shareholder. An interested shareholder is defined to include, with limited exceptions, any key customer,person who, together with affiliates and associates, is the beneficial owner of a sufficient number of shares of the corporation to entitle the person, directly or indirectly, alone or with others, to exercise or direct the exercise of 10% or more of the voting power in the election of directors after taking into account all of the person’s beneficially owned shares that are not then outstanding.

We are also subject to Section 1701.831 of the Ohio Revised Code, which requires the prior authorization of the shareholders of certain corporations in order for any person to acquire, either directly or indirectly, shares of that corporation that would entitle the

acquiring person to exercise or direct the exercise of 20% or more of the voting power of that corporation in the election of directors or to exceed specified other percentages of voting power. The acquiring person may complete the proposed acquisition only if the acquisition is approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a material amountmajority of businessthe voting power of all shares entitled to vote in the election of directors represented at the meeting, excluding the voting power of all “interested shares.” Interested shares include any shares held by the acquiring person and those held by officers and directors of the corporation.

We believe these provisions protect our shareholders from such key customer; (b)coercive or otherwise unfair takeover tactics by requiring potential acquirors to negotiate with our Board of Directors and by providing our Board of Directors with more time to assess any acquisition proposal, and are not intended to make our Company immune from takeovers. However, these provisions apply even if the insolvencyoffer may be considered beneficial by some shareholders and could delay, defer or bankruptcyprevent an acquisition that our Board of any key customer; (c) a declining marketDirectors determines is not in which customers reduce orders; or (d) a strike or work stoppage at a key customer facility, which could affect both its suppliers and customers. For the year ended December 31, 2017, sales to our 10 and 20 largest customers accounted for approximately 50% and 65%best interests of our net sales, respectively.

Our results of operations may be materially affected by conditions in the global economy generally and in global capital markets. There has been volatility in the capital markets and in the end marketsend-markets and geographic regions in which we or our customers operate, which has negatively affected our revenues.revenues at times. Many of the markets in which our customers participate are also cyclical in nature and experience significant fluctuations in demand for our steel products based on economic conditions, consumer demand, raw material and energy costs, and government actions, and many of these factors are beyond our control.

A decline in consumer and business confidence and spending, together with severe reductions in the availability and increased cost of credit, as well as volatility in the capital and credit markets, could adversely affect the business and economic environment in which we operate and the profitability of our business. We also are exposed to risks associated with the creditworthiness of our suppliers and customers. If the availability of credit to fund or support the continuation and expansion of our customers’ business operations is curtailed or if the cost of that credit is increased, the resulting inability of our customers or of their customers to either access credit or absorb the increased cost of that credit could adversely affect our business by reducing our sales or by increasing our exposure to losses from uncollectible customer accounts. These conditions and a disruption of the credit markets could also result in financial instability of some of our suppliers and customers. The consequences of such adverse effects could include the interruption of production at the facilities of our customers, the reduction, delay or cancellation of customer orders, delays or interruptions of the supply of raw materials or other inputs we purchase, and bankruptcy of customers, suppliers or other creditors. Any of these events could adversely affect our profitability, cash flow and financial condition.