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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10(a)

                                 FIRST AMENDMENT
                                     TO THE
                      APPLIED INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
                     SUPPLEMENTAL DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLAN
                          (JANUARY 1, 1997 RESTATEMENT)


         WHEREAS, Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (formerly known as
Bearings, Inc. and hereinafter referred to as the "Company") established the
Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. Supplemental Defined Contribution Plan
(formerly known as the Bearings, Inc. Supplemental Defined Contribution Plan and
hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"), effective as of January 1, 1996, for the
benefit of a select group of management or highly compensated employees; and

         WHEREAS, effective as of January 1, 1997, the Plan was subsequently
amended and restated; and

         WHEREAS, the Company desires to amend said restated Plan;

         NOW, THEREFORE, effective as of October 1, 2000, the Plan is hereby
amended in the respects hereinafter set forth:

         1. Section 1.1 of the Plan is hereby amended by the addition of
Paragraph (23) at the end thereof to provide as follows:

          (23) The term "APPLIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN" shall mean the
     Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan (formerly
     the Bearings, Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan), as amended from time to
     time.

         2. Section 1.1 of the Plan is hereby amended by the addition of
Paragraph (24) at the end thereof to provide as follows:

          (24) The term "TRANSFERRED CONTRIBUTIONS" shall mean the contributions
     that are transferred from the Applied Deferred Compensation Plan pursuant
     to the terms thereof for crediting to the Separate Account of a Participant
     who is a Retired Participant under the Applied Deferred Compensation Plan.

         3. Section 1.1 of the Plan is hereby amended by the addition of
Paragraph (25) at the end thereof to provide as follows:

                  (25) The term "TRANSFERRED CONTRIBUTIONS ACCOUNT" shall mean
         the Separate Account to which Transferred Contributions of a
         Participant who is a Retired Participant under the Applied Industrial
         Technologies, Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan are credited in
         accordance with the provisions of Section 4.1 of the Plan.

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         4. Section 4.1 of the Plan is hereby amended to provide as follows:

                  4.1 TYPES OF SEPARATE ACCOUNTS. Each Participant shall have
         established in his name the following Separate Accounts which shall
         reflect the type of contributions credited to him pursuant to Article
         III or transferred to the Plan from his Deferral Account under the
         Applied Deferred Compensation Plan:

                  (a)      a Supplemental 401(k) Account which shall reflect the
                           Supplemental 401(k) Contributions credited to a
                           Participant pursuant to Section 3.1 as well as any
                           amount transferred from the King Bearing, Inc.
                           Nonqualified Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan,
                           and any adjustment thereto pursuant to Section 4.2;
                           and

                  (b)      a Supplemental Matching Account which shall reflect
                           the Supplemental Matching Contributions credited to a
                           Participant pursuant to Section 3.2, and any
                           adjustment thereto pursuant to Section 4.2; and

                  (c)      a Transferred Contributions Account which shall
                           reflect any Transferred Contributions that are
                           credited to a Participant who is also a Retired
                           Participant under the terms of the Applied Deferred
                           Compensation Plan and that are transferred from the
                           Applied Deferred Compensation Plan pursuant to the
                           procedures thereunder, and any adjustment thereto
                           pursuant to Section 4.2.

         5. Article IV of the Plan is hereby amended by the addition of Section
4.7 at the end thereof to provide as follows:

                  4.7 INVESTMENT OF TRANSFERRED CONTRIBUTIONS. Subject to
         procedures specified by the Company, each Participant who has
         Transferred Contributions credited to his Transferred Contributions
         Account shall elect the Funds in which such Transferred Contributions
         are to be deemed invested. In addition, each such Participant may elect
         to change the manner in which his Transferred Contributions are deemed
         to be invested in the form, time and manner specified by the Company.
         Upon receipt of any such election, the Company shall cause the
         crediting or transfer, as the case may be, of such Transferred
         Contributions among the Funds designated by the Participant pursuant to
         procedures specified by the Company.

         6. Section 5.2 of the Plan is hereby amended to provide as follows:

                  5.2 METHOD OF DISTRIBUTION. Except as otherwise provided in
         Sections 5.3 and 5.4, the balance of a Participant's Separate Accounts
         shall be paid to the

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         Participant, or his Beneficiary, if applicable, in a single sum cash
         payment or in substantially equal annual installment payments over a
         period not in excess of three years and shall be determined as of the
         most recent Valuation Date; provided, however, that any Participant who
         has assets credited to a Transferred Contributions Account shall have
         the balance of his Separate Accounts paid over a period that is not in
         excess of ten years.

         Executed at Cleveland, Ohio this  28th  day of  September  , 2000.
                                           ---------    -----------

                                      APPLIED INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.


                                      By:  /s/ Robert C. Stinson
                                         -----------------------------------
                                      Title:  Vice President



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