Realignment is taking further shape at the beginning of the year – Outlook for full year 2014 confirmed

Business development during the first quarter of 2014:

• New reporting structure follows streamlining of the organization

• Group sales at €336.3 million

• EBIT before restructuring expenses: minus €2.3 million

• €2.3 million restructuring expenses

• Consolidated Net result: minus €22.8 million

• €14 million savings from SGL2015

• Outlook for full year 2014 confirmed

Wiesbaden, May 16, 2014. SGL Group – The Carbon Company – implemented major measures within the framework of the Group‐wide cost savings program SGL2015 during the first quarter 2014. Group‐wide savings from SGL2015 amounted to approximately €14 million, of which approximately €6 million were attributable to the SGL Excellence Initiative. The reporting structure has been aligned with the streamlined organizational structure.

During the first quarter 2014, Group sales decreased by 15% to €336.3 million (Q1/2013: €396.7 million) mainly due to the sales decline in the reporting segment Performance Products (PP). This decline was partially compensated by the favorable sales developments in the reporting segments Graphite Specialties (GS) and Carbon Fibers & Materials (CFM). Group EBIT before restructuring expenses decreased to minus €2.3 million (Q1 2013: €13.6 million), corresponding to an EBIT margin of minus 0.7% during the first quarter 2014 (Q1 2013: 3.4%). Within the framework of the global realignment of the Group, restructuring expenses in the first quarter 2014 totaled €2.3 million. Accordingly, Group EBIT after restructuring expenses amounted to minus €4.6 million (Q1/2013: €13.6 million).

Dr. Jürgen Köhler, CEO of SGL Group: “We are fully on track regarding the implementation of SGL2015. We have streamlined the structures and optimized many processes. Thus, we achieved further cost savings of €14 million in the first quarter of 2014. Operationally, our Graphite Specialties business got off to a good start into the year and we benefited from a big ticket order from a customer in the electronics industry. The carbon fibers and composites business has particularly benefited from our automotive joint ventures. However, we are continuously struggling with low prices particularly in our core business with graphite electrodes. The successes in other areas are overshadowed by this development.”

Outlook 2014

SGL Group confirms its guidance for the full year 2014, which was published in March 2014. Accordingly, Group sales on a comparable basis are expected to remain virtually on the same level. Mainly due to the graphite electrode price development, Group EBIT will be down significantly compared to 2013. The major portion of restructuring expenses relating to the cost savings program SGL2015 was already recorded in the annual financial statements 2013. With this cost savings program SGL Group aims to generate sustainable savings of approximately €150 million by the end of 2015 (based on 2012 actual costs). €69 million of cost savings were already achieved in 2013. Savings of a similar magnitude are also expected for this year.

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About SGL Group – The Carbon Company

SGL Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of carbon-based products and materials. It has a comprehensive portfolio ranging from carbon and graphite products to carbon fibers and composites. SGL Group’s core competencies are its expertise in high-temperature technology as well as its applications and engineering know-how gained over many years. These competencies enable the Company to make full use of its broad material base. SGL Group’s carbon-based materials combine several unique properties such as very good electrical and thermal conductivity, heat and corrosion resistance as well as high mechanical strength combined with low weight. Due to industrialization in the growth regions of Asia and Latin America and increased substitution of traditional with innovative materials, there is a growing demand for SGL Group’s high-performance materials and products. Products from SGL Group are used predominantly in the steel, aluminum, automotive and chemical industries as well as in the semiconductor, solar and LED sectors and in lithium-ion batteries. Carbon-based materials and products are also being used increasingly in the wind power, aerospace and defense industries.

With 43 production sites in Europe, North America and Asia as well as a service network covering more than 100 countries, SGL Group is a company with a global presence. In 2013, the Company’s workforce of around 6,300 employees generated sales of €1,477 million. The Company’s head office is located in Wiesbaden.

Further information on the SGL Group can be found online at: www.sglgroup.com

Important note:

This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on the information currently available to us and on our current projections and assumptions. By nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, as a consequence of which actual developments and results can deviate significantly from these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not to be understood as guarantees. Rather, future developments and results depend on a number of factors; they entail various risks and unanticipated circumstances and are based on assumptions which may prove to be inaccurate. These risks and uncertainties include, for example, unforeseeable changes in political, economic, legal, and business conditions, particularly relating to our main customer industries, such as electric steel production, to the competitive environment, to interest rate and exchange rate fluctuations, to technological developments, and to other risks and unanticipated circumstances. Other risks that in our opinion may arise include price developments, unexpected developments connected with acquisitions and subsidiaries, and unforeseen risks associated with ongoing cost savings programs. SGL Group does not intend or assume any responsibility to revise or otherwise update these forward-looking statements.