Joint Ventures and Noncontrolling Interests	12 Months Ended
Joint Ventures and Noncontrolling Interests	Dec. 31, 2014
Joint Ventures and Noncontrolling Interests
Joint Ventures and Noncontrolling Interests	Note 3. Joint Ventures and Noncontrolling Interests The equity method of accounting is used where our investment in voting stock gives us the ability to exercise significant influence over the investee, generally 20% to 50%. The financial results of investees are generally consolidated when the ownership interest is greater than 50%. We have two joint venture arrangements with noncontrolling interests: Oregon Feralloy Partners LLC (40%-owned) and Eagle Steel Products, Inc. (45%-owned). In April 2013, through our acquisition of Metals USA, we acquired a 45%-owned interest in Eagle Steel Products, Inc. These investments are accounted for using the equity method. The corresponding investments in these entities are reflected in the Investments in unconsolidated entities caption of the balance sheet. Equity in earnings of these entities and related distribution of earnings have not been material to our results of operations or cash flows. Operations that are majority owned by us are as follows: Acero Prime S. de R.L. de C.V. (60%-owned), Feralloy Processing Company (51%-owned), FP Structural Solutions (70%-owned), Indiana Pickling and Processing Company (56%-owned), and Valex Corp. (97%-owned), and its operations in the People's Republic of China and in South Korea, in which Valex Corp. has 92% and 94% ownership, respectively. The results of these majority-owned operations are consolidated in our financial results. The portion of the earnings related to the noncontrolling shareholder interests has been reflected in the Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests caption in the accompanying statements of income. On October 1, 2014, we acquired a controlling interest in our joint venture partnership Acero Prime S. de R.L. de C.V. ("Acero Prime"), a toll processor in Mexico, and subsequently purchased additional interests on November 3, 2014, which, together, increased our ownership from 40% to 60%. Concurrent with this acquisition achieved in stages, we recognized an $11.4 million gain on our previously held equity interest remeasured at fair value. The allocation of the total purchase price to the fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed included $57.6 million of total assets and noncontrolling interest of $22.6 million. Net sales of Acero Prime during the period from October 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014 were $7.0 million.

This item represents disclosure of information related to equity method investments in common stock. The information which should be considered for disclosure includes: (a) the name of each investee or group of investments for which combined disclosure is appropriate, (2) the percentage ownership of common stock, (3) the difference, if any, between the carrying amount of an investment and the value of the underlying equity in the net assets and the accounting treatment of difference, if any, and (4) the aggregate value of each identified investment based on its quoted market price, if available. This item also includes the description of noncontrolling interest in consolidated subsidiaries which could include the name of the subsidiary, the ownership percentage held by the parent, the ownership percentage held by the noncontrolling owners, the amount of the noncontrolling interest, the location of this amount on the balance sheet (when not reported separately), an explanation of the increase or decrease in the amount of the noncontrolling interest, the noncontrolling interest share of the net income (loss) of the subsidiary, the location of this amount on the income statement (when not reported separately), the nature of the noncontrolling interest such as background information and terms, the amount of the noncontrolling interest represented by preferred stock, a description of the preferred stock, and the dividend requirements of the preferred stock.

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