Kirchner began his career as a metallurgist and worked with the Union Carbide/Cabot Stellite Division, now known as Haynes International, for 18 years.[4] During this time, he obtained several patents and played an instrumental role in the development of Hastelloy C-276.[4][5][6]
In 1984, Kirchner founded High Performance Alloys.[4][7] The company was established during an economic downturn and initially focused on distributing sawed bars and plate capabilities.[4] However, by the late 1980s, it had transitioned to manufacturing plates, sheets, bars, and forgings.[4]
After 25 years as president of High Performance Alloys, Kirchner retired in 2009.[4]
Personal life
Kirchner married Cella on May 27, 1966.[8] After the birth of their first son, they moved to Greentown, Indiana, where they raised their three sons.[8] However, from 1974 to 1977, the family lived in Belgium before returning to Indiana.[8]