2012 Annual Report, Financial and Corportate Responsibility Performance

Cautionary Note

This 2012 Annual Report to Shareowners (2012 Annual Report) contains statements which, to the extent they are not statements of historical or present fact, constitute forward-looking statements under the securities laws. From time to time, oral or written forwardlooking statements may also be included in other materials released to the public. These forward-looking statements are intended to provide management”s current expectations or plans for our future operating and financial performance, based on assumptions currently believed to be valid. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as believe, expect, expectations, plans, strategy, prospects, estimate, project, target, anticipate, will, should, see, guidance, confident and other words of similar meaning in connection with a discussion of future operating or financial performance. Forwardlooking statements may include, among other things, statements relating to future sales, earnings, cash flow, results of operations, uses of cash and other measures of financial performance. All forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. For those statements we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forwardlooking statements contained in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, without limitation:

  • the effect of economic conditions in the markets in which we operate in the U.S. and globally and any changes therein, including financial market conditions, fluctuations in commodity prices, interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates, levels of end market demand in construction and in both the commercial and defense segments of the aerospace industry, levels of air travel, financial difficulties (including bankruptcy) of commercial airlines, the impact of weather conditions and natural disasters and the financial condition of our customers and suppliers;
  • our ability to integrate the acquired Goodrich operations and to realize synergies and opportunities for growth and innovation;
  • our ability to realize the intended benefits of recently announced organizational changes;
  • future levels of indebtedness and capital spending and research and development spending;
  • future availability of credit and factors that may affect such availability, including credit market conditions and our capital structure;
  • delays and disruption in delivery of materials and services from suppliers;
  • new business opportunities;
  • cost reduction efforts and restructuring costs and savings and other consequences thereof;
  • the scope, nature or impact of other acquisition and divestiture activity, including integration of acquired businesses into our existing businesses;
  • the development, production, delivery, support, performance and anticipated benefits of advanced technologies and new products and services;
  • the anticipated benefits of diversification and balance of operations across product lines, regions and industries;
  • the impact of the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements and labor disputes;
  • the outcome of legal proceedings and other contingencies;
  • future repurchases of our common stock;
  • pension plan assumptions and future contributions; and
  • the effect of changes in tax, environmental and other laws and regulations or political conditions in the United States and other countries in which we operate.

In addition, our Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2012 includes important information as to risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. See the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under the heading Contingent Liabilities, the section titled Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations under the headings Business Overview, Critical Accounting Estimates, Results of Operations, and Liquidity and Financial Condition, and the section titled Risk Factors. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2012 also includes important information as to these factors in the Business section under the headings General, Description of Business by Segment and Other Matters Relating to Our Business as a Whole, and in the Legal Proceedings section. Additional important information as to these factors is included in this 2012 Annual Report in the section titled Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations under the headings Environmental Matters and Restructuring Costs. The forwardlooking statements speak only as of the date of this report or, in the case of any document incorporated by reference, the date of that document. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Additional information as to factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements are disclosed from time to time in our other filings with the SEC.