Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. Reports Record 2008 Quarterly Sales

LOS ANGELES--(Business Wire)--
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (NYSE:RS) reported today its
financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2008. For the
2008 first quarter, net income was $107.4 million compared with net
income of $111.7 million for the 2007 first quarter. Earnings per
diluted share were $1.46 for the 2008 first quarter, consistent with
$1.46 for the 2007 first quarter. 2008 first quarter sales were a
record $1.91 billion, an increase of 3.6% compared with 2007 first
quarter sales of $1.84 billion. The 2008 first quarter financial
results include in cost of sales a pre-tax LIFO expense amount of
$17.5 million, or $.15 per diluted share, compared with a pre-tax LIFO
expense amount of $18.8 million, or $.15 per diluted share in the 2007
first quarter. There were fewer shares outstanding for the 2008 first
quarter because of the Company's share repurchases during the quarter
as well as in the 2007 third quarter.

David H. Hannah, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Reliance
said, "The 2008 first quarter turned out well. Pricing for our
products was strong with significant increases in carbon steel,
leading to improved gross profit margins. Demand in the markets that
we serve remained fairly healthy, especially in the non-residential
construction, energy, oil and gas, and aerospace industries.
Additionally, our cash flow from operations during the quarter was
strong and we managed our working capital well."

"As we look forward through the second quarter, we expect prices
to be up or flat for most of the metals we sell. Demand remains more
difficult to predict. We believe our customers will continue to be
cautious in their buying, especially given the uncertainty in many
areas of the economy and the mostly negative views of business
activity portrayed by the media, therefore we do not expect any
significant changes in demand in any of our market segments. We do
expect continued improvement in our gross profit margins as carbon
steel prices increase further during the second quarter. As a result,
we currently estimate earnings per diluted share for the 2008 second
quarter to be in a range of $1.50 to $1.60," Hannah stated.

"On April 1, 2008, we acquired Dynamic Metals International, LLC
based in Bristol, CT. Dynamic was founded in 1999 and is a specialty
metal distributor of primarily maraging steel. Dynamic's 2007 revenues
were approximately $11 million. Dynamic will operate as part of our
subsidiary, Service Steel Aerospace Corp. headquartered in Tacoma, WA.
This strategic acquisition expands our existing Service Steel
Aerospace specialty product offerings in a new market area," added
Hannah.

In recognition of the Company's significant growth in revenues,
earnings and cash flow, all of which set records in 2007, on February
13, 2008, the Reliance Board of Directors increased the quarterly
dividend rate 25%, to $.10 per share of common stock from $.08 per
share. The 2008 first quarter dividend payment of $.10 per share was
paid on March 28, 2008 to shareholders of record on March 7, 2008. The
Company has paid regular quarterly dividends for 48 consecutive years.

In early January 2008, the Company repurchased 2,443,500 shares of
its common stock at an average cost of $46.97 per share. As of March
31, 2008, the Company had repurchased a total of 15,193,517 shares of
its common stock at an average cost of $18.41 per share, since the
Stock Repurchase Plan was first adopted in December 1994. At March 31,
2008, there were 7,883,033 shares of the Company's common stock
authorized for repurchase under the Plan. Repurchased shares are
redeemed and treated as authorized but unissued shares.

Reliance will host a conference call that will be broadcast live
over the Internet (listen only mode) regarding the first quarter
financial results for the period ended March 31, 2008. All interested
parties are invited to listen to the web cast on April 17, 2008 at
11:00 a.m. Eastern Time at: http://www.rsac.com/investorinformation or
http://www.streetevents.com. Player format: Windows Media and
RealPlayer. The web cast will remain on the Reliance web site at:
www.rsac.com through May 17, 2008 and a printed transcript will be
posted on the Reliance web site after the completion of the conference
call.

Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., headquartered in Los Angeles,
California, is one of the largest metals service center companies in
the United States. Through a network of more than 180 locations in 37
states and Belgium, Canada, China, South Korea and the United Kingdom,
the Company provides value-added metals processing services and
distributes a full line of over 100,000 metal products. These products
include galvanized, hot-rolled and cold-finished steel; stainless
steel; aluminum; brass; copper; titanium and alloy steel sold to more
than 125,000 customers in various industries.

Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.'s press releases and additional
information are available on the Company's web site at www.rsac.com.
The Company was named to the 2007 "Fortune 500" List, the Fortune 2007
"100 Fastest Growing Companies" List, the Fortune 2008 List of
"America's Most Admired Companies" the 2008 Forbes "America's Best
Managed Companies" List, and the 2008 Forbes "Platinum 400 List of
America's Best Big Companies."

This release may contain forward-looking statements relating to
future financial results. Actual results may differ materially as a
result of factors over which Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. has no
control. These risk factors and additional information are included in
the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 2007 and other reports on file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.

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RELIANCE STEEL & ALUMINUM CO.
SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

Three Months
Ended March 31,
-------------------------
2008 2007
------------ ------------
Income Statement Data:
Net sales $ 1,908,170 $ 1,841,890
Gross profit 492,279 472,452
Operating profit(1) 192,431 200,753
EBITDA(2) 210,200 217,274
EBIT(2) 188,835 198,823
Pre-tax income 172,222 178,713
Net income 107,395 111,696
EPS - diluted $ 1.46 $ 1.46
Weighted average shares outstanding --
diluted 73,548,014 76,452,752
Gross margin 25.8% 25.7%
Operating profit margin(1) 10.1% 10.9%
EBITDA margin(2) 11.0% 11.8%
EBIT margin(2) 9.9% 10.8%
Pre-tax margin 9.0% 9.7%
Net margin 5.6% 6.1%
Cash dividends per share $ .10 $ .08

March 31, December 31,
2008 2007
------------ ------------
Balance Sheet and Other Data:
Current assets $ 1,896,415 $ 1,721,403
Working capital 1,168,458 1,121,539
Property, plant and equipment, net 838,630 824,635
Total assets 4,165,271 3,983,477
Current liabilities 727,957 599,864
Long-term debt(3) 1,079,696 1,013,260
Shareholders' equity 2,093,168 2,106,249
Capital expenditures (year-to-date) 35,973 124,127
Net debt-to-total capital(4) 33.1% 32.4%
Return on equity(5) 19.2% 23.4%
Current ratio 2.6 2.9
Book value per share $ 28.81 $ 28.12
Cash flow from operations per share(6) $ 8.92 $ 8.40
*T

(1) Operating profit is calculated as net sales less cost of
sales, warehouse, delivery, selling, general and administrative
expenses and depreciation expense.

(2) See Consolidated Statements of Income for reconciliation of
EBIT and EBITDA. EBIT is defined as the sum of income before interest
expense and income taxes. EBITDA is defined as the sum of income
before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation expense and
amortization of intangibles. We believe that EBIT and EBITDA are
commonly used as a measure of performance for companies in our
industry and are frequently used by analysts, investors, lenders and
other interested parties to evaluate a company's financial performance
and its ability to incur and service debt. EBIT and EBITDA should not
be considered as a measure of financial performance under U.S.
generally accepted accounting principles. The items excluded from EBIT
and EBITDA are significant components in understanding and assessing
financial performance. EBIT or EBITDA should not be considered in
isolation or as an alternative to net income, cash flows generated by
operating, investing or financing activities or other financial
statement data presented in the consolidated financial statements as
an indicator of operating performance or as a measure of liquidity.

(3) Long-term debt includes capital lease obligations of $4,345
and $4,495 as of March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007, respectively.

(4) Net debt-to-total capital is calculated as total debt (net of
cash) divided by shareholders' equity plus total debt (net of cash).

(5) Calculations are based on the latest twelve months net income
and beginning shareholders' equity.

(6) Calculations are based on the latest twelve months.

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RELIANCE STEEL & ALUMINUM CO.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except share amounts)

ASSETS

March 31, December 31,
2008 2007
----------- -----------
(Unaudited)
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 96,730 $ 77,023
Accounts receivable, less allowance for
doubtful accounts of $18,395 at March 31,
2008 and $16,153 at December 31, 2007 829,203 691,462
Inventories 948,280 911,315
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 22,202 24,028
Income taxes receivable -- 17,575
----------- -----------
Total current assets 1,896,415 1,721,403
Property, plant and equipment, at cost:
Land 116,253 115,294
Buildings 426,997 417,677
Machinery and equipment 689,127 669,671
Accumulated depreciation (393,747) (378,007)
----------- -----------
838,630 824,635

Goodwill 882,958 886,152
Intangible assets, net 461,693 464,291
Cash surrender value of life insurance
policies, net 73,617 73,953
Other assets 11,958 13,043
----------- -----------
Total assets $4,165,271 $3,983,477
=========== ===========
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable $ 464,341 $ 333,986
Accrued expenses 47,866 37,863
Accrued compensation and retirement costs 69,823 95,539
Accrued insurance costs 36,640 36,884
Income taxes payable 34,045 --
Deferred income taxes 23,141 23,136
Current maturities of long-term debt 51,476 71,815
Current maturities of capital lease
obligations 625 641
----------- -----------
Total current liabilities 727,957 599,864
Long-term debt 1,075,351 1,008,765
Capital lease obligations 4,345 4,495
Long-term retirement costs and other long-
term liabilities 63,447 62,224
Deferred income taxes 199,240 200,181
Minority interest 1,763 1,699
Commitments and contingencies
Shareholders' equity:
Preferred stock, no par value:
Authorized shares -- 5,000,000
None issued or outstanding -- --
Common stock, no par value:
Authorized shares -- 100,000,000
Issued and outstanding shares
--72,663,498 at March 31, 2008 and
74,906,824 at December 31, 2007, stated
capital 538,445 646,406
Retained earnings 1,542,216 1,439,598
Accumulated other comprehensive income 12,507 20,245
----------- -----------
Total shareholders' equity 2,093,168 2,106,249
----------- -----------
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $4,165,271 $3,983,477
=========== ===========
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RELIANCE STEEL & ALUMINUM CO.
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

Three Months
Ended March 31,
------------------------
2008 2007
------------ -----------
Net sales $ 1,908,170 $ 1,841,890
Other income/(expense), net (387) 374
------------ -----------
1,907,783 1,842,264
Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and
amortization shown below) 1,415,891 1,369,438
Warehouse, delivery, selling, general and
administrative 281,692 255,552
Depreciation and amortization 21,365 18,451
Interest 16,613 20,110
------------ -----------
1,735,561 1,663,551

------------ -----------
Income from continuing operations before
income taxes 172,222 178,713
Provision for income taxes 64,827 67,017
------------ -----------
Net income $ 107,395 $ 111,696
============ ===========

Earnings per share:
Income from continuing operations - diluted $ 1.46 $ 1.46
============ ===========
Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted 73,548,014 76,452,752
============ ===========

Income from continuing operations - basic $ 1.47 $ 1.47
============ ===========
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic 72,857,477 75,862,219
============ ===========

Cash dividends per share $ .10 $ .08
============ ===========

Reconciliation of EBIT and EBITDA
Income from continuing operations before
income taxes $ 172,222 $ 178,713
Interest expense 16,613 20,110
------------ -----------
EBIT 188,835 198,823
Depreciation expense 18,156 16,147
Amortization expense 3,209 2,304
------------ -----------
EBITDA $ 210,200 $ 217,274
============ ===========
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RELIANCE STEEL & ALUMINUM CO.
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands)

Three Months Ended
March 31,
---------------------
2008 2007
---------- ----------
Operating activities:
Net income $ 107,395 $ 111,696
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash
provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization 21,365 18,451
Deferred income taxes (827) (238)
Gain on sales of property and equipment (134) (591)
Minority interest 64 90
Stock based compensation expense 2,970 1,812
Excess tax benefits from stock based
compensation (2,482) (2,390)
Decrease (increase) in cash surrender value of
life insurance policies 432 (118)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
(excluding effect of businesses acquired):
Accounts receivable (142,344) (113,562)
Inventories (50,564) (61,299)
Prepaid expenses and other assets 17,845 (1,335)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses 153,476 118,253
---------- ----------
Net cash provided by operating activities 107,196 70,769

Investing activities:
Purchases of property, plant and equipment (35,973) (24,730)
Acquisitions of metals service centers and net
asset purchases of metals service centers, net
of cash acquired -- (217,348)
Proceeds from sales of property and equipment 16,375 823
Proceeds from redemption of life insurance
policies 2,532 --
Net investment in life insurance policies (96) (64)
---------- ----------
Net cash used in investing activities (17,162) (241,319)

Financing activities:
Proceeds from borrowings 187,005 450,375
Principal payments on long-term debt and short-
term borrowings (140,946) (310,610)
Dividends paid (7,259) (6,073)
Excess tax benefits from stock based
compensation 2,482 2,390
Exercise of stock options 3,559 5,339
Issuance of common stock 284 281
Common stock repurchase (114,774) --
---------- ----------
Net cash (used in) provided by financing
activities (69,649) 141,702
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash (678) (49)
---------- ----------
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 19,707 (28,897)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 77,023 57,475
---------- ----------
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 96,730 $ 28,578
========== ==========

Supplemental cash flow information:
Interest paid during the period $ 3,102 $ 5,304
Income taxes paid during the period $ 11,432 $ 2,514
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Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.
Kim P. Feazle
Investor Relations
713-610-9937
213-576-2428
kfeazle@rsac.com
investor@rsac.com

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