Aleris International, Inc. Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire the Assets of EKCO Products

Aleris International, Inc. Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire the Assets of EKCO Products

April 25, 2007

    BEACHWOOD, Ohio, April 25 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Aleris
International, Inc. announced today that it has entered into
a definitive agreement with Charter Oak Capital Partners to
acquire the assets of EKCO Products, a light gauge sheet
and heavy gauge foil producer headquartered in Clayton, New
Jersey. Closing is expected to occur in the second quarter
and is subject to customary closing conditions.

    Steve Demetriou, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
stated, "We believe the acquisition of EKCO Products
will be an excellent strategic fit with Aleris's existing
rolled products operations and will provide outstanding
opportunities to access new customers and end-uses for our
products."  

    John Wasz, Executive Vice President and President
Aleris Rolled Products - North America, added, "We 
look forward to adding the EKCO Products management team,
who have extensive knowledge of the light gauge aluminum
segment as well as their  dedicated workforce who have a
proven ability to deliver high quality products to
demanding customers."

    Aleris International, Inc. is a global leader in
aluminum rolled products and extrusions, aluminum recycling
and specification alloy production.  The Company is also a
recycler of zinc and a leading U.S. manufacturer of zinc
metal and value-added zinc products that include zinc oxide
and zinc dust.  Headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio, a suburb
of Cleveland, the Company operates 49 production facilities
in North America, Europe, South America and Asia, and
employs approximately 8,500 employees.  For more
information about Aleris, please visit our Web site at
www.aleris.com.

    SAFE HARBOR REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

    Forward-looking statements made in this news release
are made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These
include statements that contain words such as
"believe," "expect,"
"anticipate," "intend,"
"estimate," "should" and similar
expressions intended to connote future events and
circumstances, and include statements regarding future
actual and adjusted earnings and earnings per share; future
improvements in margins, processing volumes and pricing;
overall 2007 operating performance; anticipated higher
adjusted effective tax rates; expected cost savings;
success in integrating Aleris's recent acquisitions,
including the acquisition of the downstream aluminum
businesses of Corus Group plc; its future growth; an
anticipated favorable economic environment in 2007; future
benefits from acquisitions and new products; expected
benefits from changes in the industry landscape and
anticipated synergies resulting from the merger with
Commonwealth, the acquisition of the downstream aluminum
businesses of Corus Group plc and other acquisitions. 
Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements
involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results
could differ materially from those described in the
forward-looking statements.  These risks and uncertainties
would include, without limitation, Aleris's levels of
indebtedness and debt service obligations; its ability to
effectively integrate the business and operations of its
acquisitions; further slowdowns in automotive production in
the U.S. and Europe; the financial condition of Aleris's
customers and future bankruptcies and defaults by major
customers; the availability at favorable cost of aluminum
scrap and other metal supplies that Aleris processes; the
ability of Aleris to enter into effective metals, natural
gas and other commodity derivatives; continued increases in
natural gas and other fuel costs of Aleris; a weakening in
industrial demand resulting from a decline in U.S. or world
economic conditions, including any decline caused by
terrorist activities or other unanticipated events; future
utilized capacity of Aleris's various facilities; a
continuation of building and construction customers and
distribution customers reducing their inventory levels and
reducing the volume of Aleris's shipments; restrictions on
and future levels and timing of capital expenditures;
retention of Aleris's major customers; the timing and
amounts of collections; currency exchange fluctuations;
future write-downs or impairment charges which may be
required because of the occurrence of some of the
uncertainties listed above; and other risks listed in
Aleris's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC"), including but not limited
to Aleris's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2006, particularly the section entitled
"Risk Factors" contained therein.

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    For more information, please contact:

     Michael D. Friday
     Aleris International, Inc.,
     Tel:   [phone]