EXHIBIT 31.1



PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICERS CERTIFICATIONS

PURSUANT TO RULE 15d-14 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



I,
Maurice S. Nelson, Jr., certify that:



| | 1. | I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of EARLE M. JORGENSEN COMPANY (EMJ);
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| | 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the
circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
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| | 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of
operations and cash flows of EMJ as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
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| | 4. | EMJs other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and
15d-15(e)) for EMJ and have:
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| | (a) | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information
relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
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| | (b) | Evaluated the effectiveness of EMJs disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
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| | (c) | Disclosed in this report any changes in EMJs internal control over financial reporting that occurred during EMJs most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected,
or is reasonably likely to materially affect, EMJs internal control over financial reporting; and
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| | 5. | EMJs other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to EMJs auditors and the audit
committee of EMJs board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
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| | (a) | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect
EMJs ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
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| | (b) | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in EMJs internal control over financial reporting.
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|                                                              
|--------------------------------------------------------------
|Date: November 12, 2004                                       
|                                                              
|/s/    MAURICE S. NELSON,
JR.                                 
|Maurice S. Nelson, Jr.                                        
|President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer
|(Principal Executive Officer)