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EXHIBIT 31.1

CERTIFICATIONS

I, Andrew B. Shearer, certify that:



|1. |  | I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Industrial Distribution Group, Inc.;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
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|2. |  | Based on my knowledge, this annual 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 annual report;
|  
|3. |  | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in
this annual report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results
of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this
annual report;                   
|  
|4. |  | The registrant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 the registrant and have:                                                                                             



| | 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 the
registrant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                                                                                           
|
| | c) |  | disclosed in this report any change in the
registrants internal control over
financial reporting that occurred during
the registrants most recent fiscal quarter
that has materially affected, or is
reasonably likely to materially affect, the
registrants internal control over
financial reporting; and                                                                



|5. |  | The registrants other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent
evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrants auditors and the
audit committee of registrant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 the registrant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 the registrants
internal control over financial reporting.                                                                                               

Date:
March 1, 2004

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|-------------------------
|/s/     Andrew B. Shearer
|                         
|Andrew B. Shearer        
|President and            
|Chief Executive Officer