Melville, NY, February 10, 2009 - MSC INDUSTRIAL DIRECT CO., INC. (NYSE: MSM), “MSC” or the “Company,” one of the premier distributors of Metalworking and Maintenance, Repair and Operations (“MRO”) supplies to industrial customers throughout the United States, announced today their listing on “America’s 400 Best Big Companies” by Forbes magazine for the fourth consecutive year.

The rankings consider a number of factors, including a company’s five-year growth, its financial strength, and its profitability. Following the analysis by Forbes, MSC moved up to 189 from 202 in last year’s rankings.
“MSC was recognized as a standout for both its strong balance sheet and financial performance, and effective growth strategy,” stated David Sandler, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our listing on the Forbes Platinum 400 is an acknowledgement of the hard work of more than 4,000 associates and the Company’s commitment to making investments that are beneficial to our long term growth.”

About MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc.
MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. is one of the premier distributors of Metalworking and Maintenance, Repair and Operations (“MRO”) supplies to industrial customers throughout the United States. MSC distributes approximately 590,000 industrial products from approximately 3,000 suppliers to approximately 364,000 customers. In-stock availability is approximately 99%, with next day standard delivery to the contiguous United States on qualifying orders up until 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. MSC reaches its customers through a combination of approximately 27 million direct-mail catalogs and CD- ROMs, 97 branch sales offices, 912 sales people, the Internet and associations with some of the world's most prominent B2B e-commerce portals. For more information, visit the Company's website at http://www.mscdirect.com.