Exhibit 99(a)

               STATEMENT UNDER OATH OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER
       REGARDING FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES RELATING TO EXCHANGE ACT FILINGS


I, David L. Pugh, state and attest that:

(1)      To the best of my knowledge, based upon a review of the covered reports
         of Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc., and, except as corrected or
         supplemented in a subsequent covered report:

         -        no covered report contained an untrue statement of a material
                  fact as of the end of the period covered by such report (or in
                  the case of a report on Form 8-K or definitive proxy
                  materials, as of the date on which it was filed); and

         -        no covered report omitted to state a material fact necessary
                  to make the statements in the covered report, in light of the
                  circumstances under which they were made, not misleading as of
                  the end of the period covered by such report (or in the case
                  of a report on Form 8-K or definitive proxy materials, as of
                  the date on which it was filed).

(2)      I have reviewed the contents of this statement with the Company's audit
         committee.

(3)      In this statement under oath, each of the following, if filed on or
         before the date of this statement, is a "covered report":

         -        2002 Annual Report on Form 10-K of Applied Industrial
                  Technologies, Inc.;

         -        all reports on Form 10-Q, all reports on Form 8-K and all
                  definitive proxy materials of Applied Industrial Technologies,
                  Inc. filed with the Commission subsequent to the filing of the
                  Form 10-K identified above; and

         -        any amendments to any of the foregoing.



  /s/ David L. Pugh                    Subscribed and sworn to before me this
--------------------------------       23rd day of September, 2002.
David L. Pugh                          --

Date: September 23, 2002               /s/ Fred D. Bauer
                                       -----------------------------------------
                                       Notary Public

                                       My Commission Expires:
                                       Fred D. Bauer, Attorney at Law
                                       Notary Public - State of Ohio
                                       My commission has no expiration date
                                       Section 147.03 R.C.