Exhibit 3.1
AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
METALS USA, INC.
ARTICLE I
The name of the corporation (which is hereinafter referred to as the “Corporation”) is:
METALS USA, INC.
ARTICLE II
The address of the Corporation’s registered office in the State of Delaware is 2711
Centerville, Suite 400, Wilmington, County of New Castle, Delaware 19808. The name of its
registered agent at such address is Corporation Service Company.
ARTICLE III
The purpose of the Corporation shall be to engage in any lawful act or activity for which
corporations may be organized and incorporated under the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware.
ARTICLE IV
Section 1. The Corporation shall be authorized to issue 100 shares of capital stock, all of
which shall be shares of Common Stock, $.01 par value (“Common Stock”).
Section 2. Except as otherwise provided by law, the Common Stock shall have the exclusive
right to vote for the election of directors and for all other purposes. Each share of Common Stock
shall have one vote, and the Common Stock shall vote together as a single class.
ARTICLE V
Unless and except to the extent that the By-Laws of the Corporation shall so require, the
election of directors of the Corporation need not be by written ballot.
ARTICLE VI
In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by law, the Board of Directors of
the Corporation (the “Board”) is expressly authorized and empowered to make, alter and repeal the
By-Laws of the Corporation by a majority vote at any regular or special meeting of the Board or by
written consent, subject to the power of the stockholders of the Corporation to alter or repeal any
By-Laws made by the Board.
ARTICLE VII
The Corporation reserves the right at any time from time to time to amend, alter, change or
repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, and any other provisions
authorized by the laws of the State of Delaware at the time in force may be added or inserted, in
the manner now or hereafter prescribed by law; and all rights, preferences and privileges of
whatsoever nature conferred upon stockholders, directors or any other persons whomsoever by and
pursuant to this Certificate of Incorporation in its present form or as hereafter amended are
granted subject to the right reserved in this Article.
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ARTICLE VIII
Section 1. Elimination of Certain Liability of Directors. A director of the
Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary
damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except to the extent such exemption from
liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware as the same exists or may hereafter be amended.
Any repeal or modification of the foregoing paragraph shall not adversely affect any right or
protection of a director of the Corporation existing hereunder with respect to any act or omission
occurring prior to such repeal or modification.
Section 2. Indemnification and Insurance.
(a) Right to Indemnification. Each person who was or is made a party or is threatened
to be made a party to or is involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal,
administrative or investigative (hereinafter a “proceeding”), by reason of the fact that he or she,
or a person of whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of the
Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee
or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise,
including service with respect to employee benefit plans, whether the basis of such proceeding is
alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent or in any other
capacity while serving as a director, officer, employee or agent, shall be indemnified and held
harmless by the Corporation to the fullest extent authorized by the General Corporation Law of the
State of Delaware, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such
amendment, to the fullest extent permitted by law, only to the extent that such
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amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than said law
permitted the Corporation to provide prior to such amendment), against all expense, liability and
loss (including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, amounts paid or to be paid in settlement, and
excise taxes or penalties arising under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974)
reasonably incurred or suffered by such person in connection therewith and such indemnification
shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall
inure to the benefit of his or her heirs, executors and administrators; provided,
however, that, except as provided in paragraph (b) hereof, the Corporation shall indemnify
any such person seeking indemnification in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated
by such person only if such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board. The right to
indemnification conferred in this Section shall be a contract right and shall include the right to
be paid by the Corporation the expenses incurred in defending any such proceeding in advance of its
final disposition; provided, however, that, if the General Corporation Law of the
State of Delaware requires, the payment of such expenses incurred by a director or officer in his
or her capacity as a director or officer (and not in any other capacity in which service was or is
rendered by such person while a director or officer, including, without limitation, service to an
employee benefit plan) in advance of the final disposition of a proceeding, shall be made only upon
delivery to the Corporation of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such director or officer, to
repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that such director or officer is
not entitled to be indemnified under this Section or otherwise. The Corporation may, by action of
the Board, provide indemnification to employees and agents of the Corporation with the same scope
and effect as the foregoing indemnification of directors and officers.
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(b) Right of Claimant to Bring Suit. If a claim under paragraph (a) of this Section
is not paid in full by the Corporation within thirty days after a written claim has been received
by the Corporation, the claimant may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Corporation to
recover the unpaid amount of the claim and, if successful in whole or in part, the claimant shall
be entitled to be paid also the expense of prosecuting such claim. It shall be a defense to any
such action (other than an action brought to enforce a claim for expenses incurred in defending any
proceeding in advance of its final disposition where the required undertaking, if any is required,
has been tendered to the Corporation) that the claimant has not met the standards of conduct which
make it permissible under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware for the Corporation
to indemnify the claimant for the amount claimed, but the burden of proving such defense shall be
on the Corporation. Neither the failure of the Corporation (including its Board, independent legal
counsel, or its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action
that indemnification of the claimant is proper in the circumstances because he or she has met the
applicable standard of conduct set forth in the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware,
nor an actual determination by the Corporation (including its Board, independent legal counsel, or
its stockholders) that the claimant has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a
defense to the action or create a presumption that the claimant has not met the applicable standard
of conduct.
(c) Non-Exclusivity of Rights. The right to indemnification and the payment of
expenses incurred in defending a proceeding in advance of its final disposition conferred in this
Section shall not be exclusive of any other right which any person may have or hereafter acquire
under any statute, provision of the Certificate of Incorporation, By-law, agreement, vote of
stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.
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(d) Insurance. The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect
itself and any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or another corporation,
partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any such expense, liability or loss,
whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense,
liability or loss under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
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