May 6, 1997

                         LONG TERM STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN


     1. Purpose.  The purpose of the Graco Inc. Long Term Stock  Incentive  Plan
(the  "Plan") is to further the growth in earnings  and market  appreciation  of
Graco Inc. (the "Company").  The Plan provides substantial  contributions to the
Company  through  ability,  performance,  industry  and  invention.  The Company
intends that the Plan will thereby facilitate securing, retaining and motivating
officers and key employees of high caliber and good potential.

     2.  Administration.  The Plan shall be  administered  by a  committee  (the
"Committee")  selected by the Board of Directors  of the Company (the  "Board").
The Committee shall consist of three or more members who (a) need not be members
of the Board of Directors or officers of the Company, (b) who shall be appointed
by the Board and (c) who shall be "disinterested  persons" within the meaning of
Rule  16b-3  under  the  Securities  Act of 1934 (the  "Act").  No member of the
Committee  shall be eligible or receive  awards under the Plan while  serving on
the  Committee,  and no member of the  Committee  shall  have been  eligible  to
receive awards for one year prior to serving on the Committee.

     The  Committee  shall have full and final  authority in its  discretion  to
interpret the provisions of the Plan and to decide all questions of fact arising
in its  application;  to  determine  the  employees to whom awards shall be made
under the Plan; to determine the type of award to be made and the amount,  size,
terms and conditions of each such award;  to determine and establish  additional
terms  and  conditions  not  inconsistent  with the Plan and for any  agreements
entered into with  participants  in  connection  with the Plan; to determine the
time when awards will be granted and when rights may be exercised,  which may be
after termination of employment;  and to make all other determinations necessary
or advisable for the administration of the Plan.

     The  Committee  shall  select one of its members as its  Chairman and shall
hold its  meetings at such times and places as it may  determine.  A majority of
its members shall constitute a quorum. All determinations of the Committee shall
be  made  by  not  less  than  a  majority  of  its  members.  Any  decision  or
determination  reduced  to  writing  and  signed  by all of the  members  of the
Committee  shall be fully effective as if it had been made by a majority vote at
a meeting duly called and held.  The  granting of a stock  option or  restricted
stock award pursuant to the Plan shall be effective only if a written  agreement
shall have been duly executed and delivered by and on behalf of the Company and,
in the case of a restricted  stock award,  by the employee to whom such right is
granted.  The  Committee  may  appoint a  Secretary  and may make such rules and
regulations for the conduct of its business as it shall deem advisable.

     3. Participants. Persons eligible to participate in the Plan shall be those
officers  and  key  employees  of the  Company  or its  subsidiaries  who are in
positions in which their decisions, actions and counsel significantly impact the
performance of the Company or its subsidiaries. Directors of the Company who are
not otherwise salaried employees of the Company shall not be eligible to receive
awards under the Plan. For the purpose of awards of incentive  stock options (as
hereinafter  defined) made under the Plan, the term "subsidiary"  shall have the
meaning  given to it by Section 424 of the  Internal  Revenue  Code of 1986,  as
amended (the  "Code").  For the purpose of all other awards made under the Plan,
the term "subsidiary" shall have the meaning given to it by Rule 405 promulgated
under the  Securities  Act of 1933,  as amended.  References to "the Company" in
this Plan or in any option or other award granted  pursuant to the Plan shall be
deemed references to a subsidiary if appropriate.

     4. Awards under the Plan.  Awards by the Committee under the Plan may be in
the form of stock options intended to qualify as "incentive stock options" under
the provision of Section 422 of the Code, stock options which do not qualify for
special tax treatment under Section 422, restricted stock and other stock awards
pursuant  to  such  bonus  and  incentive   plans  as  the  Committee  may  deem
appropriate.

          4.1 Award Limitation.  In any calendar year beginning with January 31,
1997, the Committee may not award stock options or stock appreciation  rights on
more than 200,000 Shares in the aggregate to any  Participant who is an employee
of the  Company at the time of such  award.  This award limit may be adjusted in
accordance  with the  provisions  of Section 15. This  limitation is intended to
qualify the award of options and stock appreciation rights as  performance-based
compensation within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code.

     5. Shares  Subject to Plan.  The shares  that may be issued  under the Plan
shall not exceed in the aggregate  3,475,000 common shares,  $1.00 par value, of
the  Company.  Except as otherwise  provided  herein,  any shares  subject to an
option or right or other  awards  which for any  reason  expires  or  terminates
without  issuance or final vesting of such shares shall again be available under
the Plan. No fractional shares shall be issued under the Plan.

     6.  Stock  Options.  Stock  options  shall be  evidenced  by  stock  option
agreements in such form not  inconsistent  with the Plan as the Committee  shall
approve from time to time,  which  agreements  shall  contain in  substance  the
following terms and conditions.

          6.1.  Option Price.  The purchase  price per common share  deliverable
upon the  exercise  of an option  shall not be less than 100% of the fair market
value of the  stock on the day the  option  is  granted,  as  determined  by the
Committee.

          6.2.  Exercise of Option.  Each stock option agreement shall state the
period or  periods of time  within  which the  option  may be  exercised  by the
participant,  in whole or in part, which shall be such period or periods of time
as may be determined by the Committee, provided that the option period shall not
end later than ten years after the date of the grant of the option.

          6.3.  Payment of Shares.  An  optionee  electing to exercise an option
shall give written  notice to the Company of such  election and of the number of
shares subject to such exercise. The full purchase price of such shares shall be
tendered with such notice of exercise or, at the  discretion  of the  Committee,
pursuant to any  arrangements  satisfactory  to the Committee which provide that
the Company will be paid at the time the shares are delivered to the optionee or
his designee.  Payment shall be made either in cash (including check, bank draft
or money order) or, at the  discretion of the  Committee,  (i) by delivering the
Company's common shares already owned by the optionee having a fair market value
equal to the full purchase  price of the shares,  or (ii) a combination  of cash
and such shares.

          6.4.  Special Rule for Incentive  Stock  Options.  The aggregate  fair
market  value  (determined  as of the time the option is  granted) of the common
shares with respect to which all incentive  stock options  granted after January
1, 1987 are exercisable for the first time by any individual during any calendar
year  (under  all option  plans of the  Company  and its  parent and  subsidiary
corporations) shall not exceed $100,000.

     7. Restricted  Stock Awards.  Restricted stock awards shall be evidenced by
restricted stock  agreements in such form not inconsistent  with the Plan as the
Committee  shall approve from time to time,  which  agreements  shall contain in
substance the following terms and conditions.

          7.1.  Restriction Period.  Shares awarded pursuant to restricted stock
awards shall be subject to such conditions,  terms and  restrictions  (including
continued  employment,   achievement  of  performance  targets,  forfeiture  and
transfer)  and for  such  period  or  periods  as  shall  be  determined  by the
Committee.  The Committee shall have the power, in its discretion,  to permit an
acceleration of the expiration of the applicable restriction period with respect
to any part of all of the shares awarded to a participant.

          7.2 Restrictions Upon Transfer. The common shares subject to an award,
may not be sold, assigned,  transferred,  exchanged,  pledged,  hypothecated, or
otherwise encumbered,  except as herein provided,  during the restriction period
applicable to such shares,  but a participant shall have all the other rights of
a  stockholder,  including the right to receive cash  dividends and the right to
vote such shares,  until such time as the restrictions have lapsed or the shares
have been forfeited.

          7.3 Certificates.  Each certificate issued in respect of common shares
awarded to a participant  shall be deposited with the Company,  or its designee,
and shall bear an appropriate  legend noting the existence of restrictions  upon
the transfer of such Common Stock.

          7.4 Lapse of  Restrictions.  The agreement  governing the awards shall
specify the conditions and terms upon which any restrictions upon shares awarded
under the Plan shall lapse,  as determined by the Committee.  Upon lapse of such
restrictions, common shares free of any restrictive legend, other than as may be
required  under  Section  9  hereof,  shall  be  issued  and  delivered  to  the
participant of his legal representative.

     8. Fair Market Value.  The fair market value of the Company's common shares
for  purposes  of the Plan shall be the last sale price of the common  shares as
reported on the New York Stock Exchange on the business day as of which the fair
market value is being  determined or if no sale occurred on that date,  the last
sale on the most  recent  date for which a sale is  reported.  If the  Company's
common shares are not then traded on the New York Stock Exchange,  the Committee
may determine fair market value in some other reasonable way.

     9. General Restrictions.  Each award under the Plan shall be subject to the
requirement  that,  if at anytime the  Committee  shall  determine  that (a) the
listing,  registration or  qualification of the common shares subject or related
thereto upon any  securities  exchange or under any state or federal law, or (b)
the consent or approval of any government  regulatory  body, or (c) an agreement
by the recipient of an award with respect to the  disposition  of common shares,
is necessary or desirable in connection  with, the granting of such award or the
issue or purchase of common shares thereunder, such award may not be consummated
in whole or in part unless such listing, registration,  qualification,  consent,
approval  or  agreement  shall  have  been  effected  or  obtained  free  of any
conditions  not  acceptable to the Committee.  A participant  shall agree,  as a
condition of receiving any award under the Plan, to execute any documents,  make
any representations, agree to restrictions on stock transferability and take any
actions  which in the opinion of legal counsel to the Company is required by any
applicable law, ruling or regulation.

     10.  Rights of a  Shareholder.  The  recipient of any award under the Plan,
unless  otherwise  provided by the Plan,  shall have no rights as a  shareholder
with respect thereto unless and until  certificates for common shares are issued
to the recipient.

     11. Right to Terminate Employment.  Nothing in the Plan or in any agreement
entered into pursuant to the Plan shall confer upon any participant the right to
continue in the  employment  of the Company or its  subsidiaries,  or affect any
right  which  the  Company  or  such  subsidiaries  may  have to  terminate  the
employment of the participant.

     12. Withholding.

          12.1. Payment of Withholding  Taxes.  Whenever the Company proposes or
is required to issue or transfer common shares under the Plan, the Company shall
have the right to require  the  recipient  to remit to the  Company,  or provide
indemnification satisfactory to the Company for, an amount sufficient to satisfy
any federal,  state or local withholding tax requirements  prior to the issuance
or delivery of any certificate or certificates for such shares.

          12.2.  Use of Common  Shares to Satisfy  Tax  Obligation.  In order to
assist an optionee or grantee in paying all federal, state and local taxes to be
withheld or collected  upon  exercise of an option or the grant of a stock award
or the lapse of restrictions relating to a restricted stock award hereunder, the
Committee in its sole discretion and subject to such rules as it may adopt,  may
permit the  optionee or grantee to satisfy such tax  obligation,  in whole or in
part, by (i) electing to have the Company withhold common shares otherwise to be
delivered  with a fair market value equal to the amount of such tax  obligation,
or (ii) electing to surrender to the Company previously owned common shares with
a fair market  value equal to the amount of such tax  obligation.  The  election
must be made on or before  the date that the  amount  of tax to be  withheld  is
determined.

     13.  Non-Assignability.  No award  under the Plan  shall be  assignable  or
transferable  by the  participant  except  by will or by  laws  of  descent  and
distribution.  During the life of a participant, such award shall be exercisable
only  by  the   participant   or  by  the   participant's   guardian   or  legal
representative.

     14. Non-Uniform  Determinations.  The Committee's  determinations under the
Plan (including,  without  limitation,  determinations of the persons to receive
awards,  the form, amount and timing of such awards, the terms and provisions of
awards and the agreements evidencing the awards, and the establishment of values
and  performance  targets) need not be uniform and may be made by it selectively
among  persons who receive,  or are  eligible to receive,  awards under the Plan
whether or not such persons are similarly situated.

     15.  Adjustments in Shares.  In the event of any change in the  outstanding
common  shares of the  Company by reason of a stock  dividend  or  distribution,
recapitalization,  merger,  consolidation,  split-up,  combination,  exchange of
shares or  otherwise,  the Board shall  adjust the number of shares which may be
issued under the Plan and the Board shall provide for an equitable adjustment of
any shares issuable pursuant to awards outstanding under the Plan.

     16. Adoption, Amendment and Termination.

          16.1.  Adoption.  This Plan was originally adopted in February 1982 as
the Graco Inc. Incentive Stock Option Plan. The Plan was amended and restated as
the Graco Inc. Long Term Stock Incentive Plan by the Board of Directors on March
4, 1988 and was further amended by the Board on December 13, 1991,  February 21,
1992, February 23, 1996 and May 7, 1996, which amendments requiring  shareholder
approval  were  approved  by the  shareholders  on May 5, 1992 and May 7,  1996,
respectively.

          16.2 Amendment. The Board may amend, suspend, or terminate the Plan at
any time,  but without  shareholder  approval,  no  amendment  shall  materially
increase the maximum  number of shares which may be issued under the Plan (other
than increases pursuant to Section 15 hereof),  materially increase the benefits
accruing to participants  under the Plan,  materially modify the requirements as
to eligibility for participation, or extend the term of the Plan.

          16.3. Termination.  Unless the Plan shall have been discontinued at an
earlier  date,  the Plan  shall  terminate  on  December  13,  2001.  No option,
restricted  stock award or stock awards may be granted  after such  termination,
but  termination  of the Plan shall not,  without the consent of the optionee or
grantee,  alter or impair any rights or obligations  under any award theretofore
granted.