Jan. 19, 2006 — Earle M. Jorgensen Co. announced that R Neil McCaffery, 56, Executive Vice President has been elected President and Chief Operating Officer of the company, effective immediately. Maurice S. Nelson Jr., 68, formerly Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Operating Officer, will remain as Chief Executive Officer.

"This announcement marks a very deliberate step in the company's succession plan that the Board and I have been working on for some time. Our company has a very solid management structure of long-serving individuals, and Neil is no exception, having been with the company for more than 35 years rising through increasing levels of responsibility across a number of our operations. Neil and I have worked together throughout my nine year tenure at the company and no one is better prepared or more capable of assuming the roles of President and COO," said Mr. Nelson.

Further management changes forming part of the overall succession plan were also announced, including:

• James D. Hoffman, currently Vice President, is promoted to Executive Vice President
• Darrell Steiner, currently District Manager for Kansas City, Missouri, and the Quad Cities, Iowa, will assume responsibility for the company’s St. Louis operations.
• Edward King, currently District Manager for St. Louis, Missouri, becomes District Manager for Cleveland, Ohio, including the company's plate operations and its Rochester, N.Y., satellite.
• Stephen Ghoens, currently District Manager of the company's operation in Philadelphia, Pa., will assume the additional responsibility of District Manager for the company's operation in Boston, Mass.

EMJ notes that the changes are being made in accordance with its senior management succession plan.

Earle M. Jorgensen Co. is one of the largest distributors of metal products in North America with 39 service and processing centers. The company inventories more than 25,000 different bar, tubing, plate, and various other metal products, specializing in cold finished carbon and alloy bars, mechanical tubing, stainless bars and shapes, aluminum bars, shapes and tubes, and hot-rolled carbon and alloy bars.