TRIANGLE BANK
                              SUPPLEMENTAL EMPLOYEE
                                 RETIREMENT PLAN

                           --------------------------

                         Effective as of January 1, 1998





                                  TRIANGLE BANK
                      SUPPLEMENTAL EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT PLAN

                             -----------------------

                                    ARTICLE I
                                  INTRODUCTION

     1.01. In General.  This Plan is an optional deferred compensation plan that
is intended to provide supplemental  retirement benefits to  __________________,
Executive  Vice  President  of  Triangle  Bank   ("Participant")   to  encourage
Participant  to remain as an  employee  of  Triangle  Bank and to reward him for
contributing  materially  to the  success of  Triangle  Bank.  The Plan shall be
construed  and  interpreted  for purposes of the Code and the Act as an unfunded
plan maintained primarily for the purpose of providing deferred compensation for
a select group of management or highly compensated  employees within the meaning
of Section 201(2) of the Act.

     1.02  Name.  This Plan  shall be known as the  Triangle  Bank  Supplemental
Employee Retirement Plan (herein referred to as the "Plan").

         1.03     Effective Date.  The Plan is effective as of January 1, 1998.

                                   ARTICLE II
                                   DEFINITIONS

     2.01  "Actuarial  Equivalence"  means present values  calculated  using the
interest rate on 30-year  treasury  securities  for the month prior to the first
day of the plan year.

     2.02 "Act" means the Employee  Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 as it
may be amended from time to time.

     2.03  "Beneficiary"  means the  Participant's  spouse,  if  living  and not
legally separated from the Participant.

     2.04 "Board" means the Board of Directors of the Company.

     2.05  "Change in Control"  means,  for purposes of this  Agreement,  that a
change shall have occurred upon any purchase, assignment, merger, consolidation,
pledge or transfer of any kind (e.g., voluntary,  involuntary or by operation of
law) of the voting  securities  of the Company,  or an increase in percentage of
ownership of the Company  resulting from a redemption of voting  securities (any
of the foregoing  transactions  hereinafter referred to as an "Acquisition") if,
after the  Acquisition,  (i) the acquiring  party (or parties acting in concert)
owns,  controls,  or holds the power to vote fifty  percent (50%) or more of any
class of voting securities of the Company, (ii) the Company is not the surviving
entity and holders of the voting securities of the Company  immediately prior to
such  Acquisition  own less than a  majority  of the  voting  securities  of the





surviving entity  immediately after the Acquisition,  (iii) the directors of the
Company  constitute  less  than a  majority  of the  Board of  Directors  of the
surviving entity, or (iv) an agreement,  plan,  contract or other arrangement is
entered into  providing for any  occurrence  which as defined in this  Agreement
would  constitute a Change in Control,  or the  entering  into by the Company of
serious  negotiations  or  receipt  by the  Company  of an offer for the sale of
substantially  all of the  assets or  stock,  or a merger  of the  Company  with
another institution, or any such similar type of transaction, and the occurrence
of any of the events  described in (i) through  (iii) above  within  twelve (12)
months  thereafter,  even if the event resulting in the Change in Control is not
consummated  with the same  group,  institution  or  entity  with  whom  initial
negotiations were commenced.

     2.06 "Code" means the Internal  Revenue Code of 1986,  as amended,  and any
successor  statute thereof,  as interpreted by the rules and regulations  issued
thereunder, in each case as in effect from time to time.

     2.07 "Company" means, as the context of this Plan requires,  Triangle Bank,
a North Carolina  banking  corporation with its principal office in the State of
North Carolina, and/or Triangle Bank's parent holding company, Triangle Bancorp,
Inc., a North  Carolina  corporation  with its principal  office in the State of
North Carolina,  or any company or organization  that (i) succeeds Triangle Bank
or  Triangle  Bancorp,  Inc.  by  merger  of  consolidation,  or  (ii)  acquires
substantially  all of the operating assets of Triangle Bank or Triangle Bancorp,
Inc.

     2.08 "Early Retirement Date" means the first day of the month (prior to the
Normal  Retirement  Date)  coinciding  or next  following  the date on which the
Participant or former  Participant  attains his 55th birthday ("Early Retirement
Age").

     2.09 "Employer" means the Company, and any entity required to be aggregated
with the Company by Sections 414(b), (c), (m), or (o) of the Code.

     2.10  "Normal  Form of  Payment"  means a monthly  annuity  payable  in 180
installments,   to  be  paid  to  the  Participant,  or,  in  the  case  of  the
Participant's death, his Beneficiary.

     2.11 "Normal  Retirement  Date" means the first day of the month coinciding
or next following the Participant's 65th birthday ("Normal Retirement Age").

     2.12 "Plan" means this instrument, including all amendments thereto.

     2.13 "Vested"  means that the benefit  payable under this Plan with respect
to the Participant is nonforfeitable in accordance with Section 3.3.


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                                   ARTICLE III
                              DEFERRED COMPENSATION

     3.01 Normal  Retirement.  Upon retirement on or after his Normal Retirement
Age,  the  Employer  shall  pay  Participant  the  Vested  portion  of an annual
supplemental  retirement  benefit  (which  benefit  is herein  called his Normal
Retirement Benefit), of Fifty Thousand and no/100 dollars ($50,000.00),  without
any reduction or offset for any reason.  Participant  shall become Vested in his
Normal Retirement  Benefit in accordance with Section 3.3. The Normal Retirement
Benefit shall be payable over fifteen (15) years according to the Normal Form of
Payment and shall be paid, at the  Participant's  election,  on either the first
regular  payroll day (A) in the month following his retirement or (B) in January
beginning with the first January after the Participant's retirement.

     3.02 Early Retirement. Upon retirement on or after his Early Retirement Age
but prior to his Normal Retirement Date, the Employer shall pay Participant,  in
lieu of a Normal  Retirement  Benefit,  the Vested portion (in  accordance  with
Section 3.3) of an annual  supplemental  retirement  benefit  (which  benefit is
herein  called his Early  Retirement  Benefit),  of a certain  percentage of the
Normal Retirement Benefit, to be determined as follows:

                                            Early Retirement Benefit as a
           Age at Retirement               Percentage of Normal Retirement
           -----------------               -------------------------------
                   55                                     72%
                   56                                     75
                   57                                     78
                   58                                     81
                   59                                     84
                   60                                     87
                   61                                     90
                   62                                     93
                   63                                     96
                   64                                     99

The Early  Retirement  Benefit shall be payable  according to the Normal Form of
Payment  commencing on the first regular  payroll day of the month following the
Participant's retirement on or after his Early Retirement Date.

     3.03  Vested  Benefit.  Participant  shall  become  Vested  in  his  Normal
Retirement  Benefit at a rate of ten percent (10%) per year on each December 31,
beginning  on December  31,  1998,  and shall be fully  Vested on the earlier of
December 31, 2007 or attainment of Normal  Retirement  Age. Upon  termination of
employment  from the  Employer at any time  before age 55 (for any reason  other
than death,  disability or a Change in Control),  then Participant  shall not be
entitled to any benefits under this Agreement.


                                       3



     3.04 Death Benefit.  If the Participant dies before the commencement of the
payment of benefits  payable  under  Section 3.1, 3.2, 3.5, or 3.6, the Employer
shall  pay  to  the   Participant's   Beneficiary  the  Vested  portion  of  the
Participant's   Normal  Retirement  Benefit  under  Section  3.1  earned  up  to
immediately prior to Participant's  death, payable in the Normal Form of Payment
(or as then payable under Section 3.6)  commencing on the first regular  payroll
day of the month following the date of the  Participant's  death. If Participant
dies after the  commencement  of the payment of benefits  payable  under Section
3.1, 3.2, 3.5 or 3.6, the Employer  shall pay to the  Participant's  Beneficiary
the remaining  installments of the applicable benefit payable to the Participant
immediately prior to his or her death, payable in the Normal Form of Payment (or
as then payable under Section 3.6)  commencing on the first regular  payroll day
of the month following the date of the Participant's  death. No benefit shall be
payable to the Participant's Beneficiary following the date of the Beneficiary's
death, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary.


     3.05 Benefit Payable on Disability. In the event of the Participant's total
and permanent disability, Participant shall be fully vested in his or her Early
Retirement  Benefit or Normal  Retirement  Benefit,  as the case may be, but the
Participant must attain Early Retirement Age before any payment shall begin. The
Participant may elect to begin receiving payment as provided in Section 3.2 upon
attainment of whatever  Early  Retirement  Age the  Participant  elects to begin
receiving  payment  or  as  provided in Section  3.1  upon  attainment  of
Normal Retirement Age. If the Participant has reached Normal Retirement Age at
the time of his or her disability,  the Participant  shall be paid the Normal
Retirement Benefit,  payable  under the  Normal  Form of  Payment  commencing on
the first regular  payroll  day of the  month  following  the  date  of the
Participant's disability.

     3.06  Benefit  Payable on Change in Control.  If a Change in Control of the
ownership of the Company occurs, Participant shall be fully Vested in his or her
Normal  Retirement  Benefit and without regard to the age limitations of Section
3.2. At the Participant's  election,  (A) the Normal Retirement Benefit shall be
payable in the Normal Form of Payment beginning on the first regular payroll day
in January in the year subsequent to the year in which the  Participant  reaches
Normal Retirement Age, or (B) the Normal Retirement Benefit will be converted to
a lump sum by multiplying the Normal Retirement  Benefit by the present value of
one dollar paid at the beginning of each year for fifteen (15) years,  using the
Actuarial  Equivalence  interest  rate for the plan  year in which  distribution
occurs.  The lump sum amount is then payable to the Participant in either one or
two annual installments,  at the Participant's election, to be paid on the first
regular payroll day in a month selected by the Participant,  beginning in either
the year in which the Change in Control  occurs or the  following  year,  at the
Participant's  election.  If,  when a Change in Control  occurs,  payment of the
Participant's  benefit hereunder has already begun, or the Participant or his or
her  Beneficiary  is  eligible  for  payment  on  account  of the  Participant's
disability,   retirement  or  death,  the  Participant  (or  the   Participant's
Beneficiary,  if the  Participant has died) may elect for benefits to be paid or
continue to be paid as provided in, as applicable, Section 3.1, 3.2, 3.4 or 3.5,
or for the  applicable  benefit  to be  converted  into a lump  sum,  using  the
Actuarial  Equivalence  interest  rate for the plan year in which the  Change in
Control  occurs,  payable  in  either  one or  two  annual  installments  at the
Participant's  election (or that of his or her  Beneficiary,  if the Participant
has died) beginning with the year in which the Change in Control occurs.


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                                   ARTICLE IV
                                  MISCELLANEOUS

     4.01  Indemnification  of  Board.  In  addition  to such  other  rights  of
indemnification  as they may have as  directors  of the Company or as members of
the  Compensation  Committee  of the  Board,  the  members  of the  Board or the
Compensation  Committee  shall  be  indemnified  by  the  Employer  against  the
reasonable  expenses,   including  attorneys'  fees,  actually  and  necessarily
incurred in connection with the defense of any action, suit, or proceedings,  or
in  connection  with any appeal  therein,  to which they or any of them may be a
part by reason of any action taken in connection with this Plan, and against all
amounts paid by them in settlement thereof (provided such settlement is approved
by  independent  legal  counsel  selected  by the  Company)  or  paid by them in
satisfaction  of a judgment in any such action,  suit, or proceeding,  except in
relation to matters as to which it shall be adjudged in such  action,  suit,  or
proceeding  that such  member is liable  for  negligence  or  misconduct  in the
performance  of  his  duties;   provided  that  within  sixty  (60)  days  after
institution  of any such action,  suit,  or  proceeding a Board or  Compensation
Committee member shall in writing offer the Company the opportunity,  at its own
expense, to handle and defend the same.

     4.02 Amendments.  The Company may from time to time amend or terminate,  in
whole or in part, any or all of the provisions of the Plan;  provided,  however,
no such action shall adversely affect the existing or future rights or interests
of any Participant under this Plan without his written consent.  Any such action
shall be  adopted  by formal  action of the Board and  executed  by an  officer,
director, or person authorized to act on behalf of the Company.

     4.03 Nonalienation. Except insofar as applicable law may otherwise require,
(i) no amount  payable to or in respect of any  Participant at any time shall be
subject  in any manner to  alienation  by such  Participant  or  Beneficiary  by
anticipation,  sale,  transfer,  assignment,   bankruptcy,  pledge,  attachment,
charge, or encumbrance of any kind, any attempt to so alienate,  sell, transfer,
assign,  pledge,  attach, charge, or otherwise encumber any such amount, whether
presently or thereafter  payable,  shall be void; and (ii) the Employer shall in
no  manner  be liable  for or  subject  to the  debts,  liabilities,  contracts,
engagements, or torts of any Participant or Beneficiary.

     4.04  Employment  Relationship.  Nothing  contained  in this Plan  shall be
deemed to give any  Participant  or  employee  the right to be  retained  in the
service of the  Employer,  or to  interfere  with the right of the  Employer  to
discharge any Participant or employee at any time regardless of the effect which
such discharge shall have upon him as the Participant under this Plan.

     4.05  Participation in Other Employee Benefit Plans.  Nothing  contained in
this Plan shall in any manner modify,  impair,  or affect the existing or future
rights or interests of any Participant  (i) to receive any employee  benefits to
which he would  otherwise be entitled,  or (ii) to participate in any present or
future  "employee  benefit  plan" (as defined in Section 3(3) of the Act) of the
Employer.  Any deferred compensation payable under this Plan shall not be deemed
salary


                                       5



or other  compensation to any Participant for the purpose of computing  benefits
to which he may be entitled under any "employee benefit plan" of the Employer.

     4.06 Relationship.  Notwithstanding  any other provision of this Plan, this
Plan and  action  taken  pursuant  to it shall  not be deemed  or  construed  to
establish a trust or  fiduciary  relationship  of any kind  between or among the
Company, Participant,  beneficiaries, or any other persons. The Plan is intended
to be unfunded for  purposes of the Code and the Act.  The right of  Participant
and his  Beneficiary to receive  payment of deferred  compensation is strictly a
contractual  right to  payment,  and this  Plan  does not  grant nor shall it be
deemed to grant Participant,  his Beneficiary,  or any other person any interest
in or right to any of the funds,  property,  or assets of the Company other than
as an unsecured general creditor of the Company.

     4.07  Construction  of Plan.  This Plan  shall be  construed  and  enforced
according  to the laws of the State of North  Carolina  applicable  to contracts
made in North Carolina,  without reference to doctrines of conflict or choice of
laws, regardless of the Participant's  domicile,  and, to the extent applicable,
federal law.  Whenever any words are used herein in the singular or plural form,
they shall be  construed  as though they were also used in the other form in all
cases where they would so apply.  The use of any gender  pronoun shall be deemed
to  include  all other  genders  or refer to the other  gender,  as the  context
requires.  The  headings  and  subheadings  of this Plan have been  inserted for
convenience  of  reference  and are to be  ignored  in any  construction  of the
provisions hereof.

IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  this Plan has been  executed as of the 1st day of January,
1998.

                                             TRIANGLE BANK


                                             By:
                                                --------------------------------
                                             Michael S. Patterson, President


Attest:


- ---------------------------
Susan C. Gilbert, Secretary

[Corporate Seal]


                                             PARTICIPANT:

                                                                          (SEAL)
                                             -----------------------------


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