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Baldor 3rd Quarter 2000 Dividend Increase

16 August 2000

Baldor 3rd Quarter 2000 Dividend Increase

    FORT SMITH, Ark. - Baldor Electric Company markets, designs, and 
manufactures electric motors and drives and is based in Fort Smith, Arkansas.  
Baldor's Board of Directors met on Monday, August 14, 2000.  R. S. Boreham, Jr., 
Chairman of the Board, announced the following:

    CASH DIVIDEND  ...  The Board of Directors declared an 8% increase in the
regular quarterly dividend.  The increase for the 3rd quarter of 2000
represents the 7th increase in the last five years and the 13th increase in
the last ten years.  The cash dividend of $0.13 per share on the Company's
common stock is payable on September 29, 2000, to shareholders of record on
September 15, 2000.