<PAGE>   1
                                                                    Exhibit 10-r


                               NORDSON CORPORATION
                               28601 CLEMENS ROAD
                            WESTLAKE, OHIO 44145-1119

                                October 31, 1999

Personal and Confidential
-------------------------

Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
2513 Marlboro Road
Cleveland Heights, OH  44118

Dear Christian:

This letter sets forth the agreement (this "Agreement") we have reached
regarding the termination of your status as an officer and employee of Nordson
Corporation ("Nordson"), the compensation and benefits to be paid to you, and
certain other matters. You should review this Agreement with legal counsel of
your choice to be certain that you understand and agree with all of the
provisions of this Agreement.

1. Cessation of Status as an Officer. On the date hereof, your status as an
officer of Nordson, and of any subsidiaries and other affiliates of Nordson of
which you are an officer, and your status as a trustee of The Nordson
Corporation Foundation will cease. By signing this Agreement, you hereby resign
as an officer of Nordson and of each such subsidiary and affiliate and as a
trustee of The Nordson Corporation Foundation. After the date hereof, you will
not hold yourself out as being an officer or trustee, or as having any authority
to bind, Nordson, any such subsidiary or affiliate, or The Nordson Corporation
Foundation.

2. Continued Employment through the Termination Date. You will continue as an
employee of Nordson through December 31, 1999. As an employee, you will report
to the Chief Executive Officer of Nordson and will perform such duties as you
and the Chief Executive Officer may from time-to-time agree. All of these duties
will be performed in Westlake, Ohio, unless you otherwise agree. Your employment
with Nordson may be terminated by Nordson before December 31, 1999, only for
cause. For this purpose, "for cause" means a material breach of the provisions
of this Agreement or the Standard Employee Agreement referred to in paragraph 6
hereof (the "Standard Employee Agreement"), including but not limited to a
material breach of the confidentiality provisions and the covenant not to
compete in the Standard Employee Agreement, following notice of the breach and
an opportunity to cure for 30 days after receipt of the notice. As used in this
Agreement, "Termination Date" means the earlier of (a) December 31, 1999, and
(b) the date of any such termination for cause.

3. Compensation. In consideration of your execution of this Agreement, your
continued employment with Nordson through the Termination Date, the modification
of the Standard Employee Agreement, and your observance of the other terms and
conditions hereof, Nordson

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Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
October 31, 1999                                                          Page 2


will pay to you or your estate the following amounts and provide you with the
following benefits:

1.       Salary; Lump Sum Termination Benefit. Through the Termination Date,
         Nordson will continue to pay your salary at the annual rate of
         $227,000. In the first week of January 2000, Nordson will pay you a
         lump sum termination benefit in the amount of $302,667.

2.       Bonus. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 1999, Nordson will pay a
         bonus to you under the Nordson Corporation 1995 Management Incentive
         Compensation Plan to the extent earned by you, payable in the first
         week of January 2000. For the period from November 1, 1999 through the
         Termination Date, you will receive a severance bonus in the amount of
         $221,325, payable in the first week of January 2001.

3.       Stock Options. No additional stock options will be granted to you. Each
         outstanding stock option previously granted to you under the Nordson
         Corporation 1993 Long-Term Performance Plan, as amended (the "Omnibus
         Plan"), will vest in full at the Termination Date (to the extent not
         therefore vested) and may be exercised at any time before its
         expiration, notwithstanding the earlier termination of your employment.
         Each outstanding stock option granted to you under any plan or program
         other than the Omnibus Plan may be exercised by you until the earlier
         of (a) the termination of the option and (b) the Termination Date. A
         schedule of the outstanding stock options granted to you is set forth
         in Exhibit 1 hereto.

d.       Other Benefits. You will be entitled to other benefits as and to the
         extent provided under the Nordson Salaried Employees' Pension Plan, the
         Nordson Corporation Excess Defined Benefit Pension Plan, the Nordson
         Employees' Savings Trust Plan, the Nordson Corporation Excess Defined
         Contribution Retirement Plan, the Nordson Corporation Non-Union
         Employees Stock Ownership Plan and Trust, and the Nordson Corporation
         Officers' Deferred Compensation Plan. The lump sum termination benefit
         referred to in paragraph 3(a) and the severance bonus referred to in
         paragraph 3(b) will not be counted for purposes of determining the
         amount of your benefits under any of Nordson's benefit plans. During
         the continuation of your employment, you will be entitled to benefits
         as and to the extent provided under Nordson's medical, dental, life
         insurance, and disability income plans and programs. You will be
         entitled to outplacement support consisting of the Executive Service
         Program provided by Right Associates, a car allowance pro-rated through
         the Termination Date, and tax preparation assistance for the 1999 and
         the 2000 tax years. After the Termination Date, you will have such
         rights to continuing medical insurance coverage as Nordson is required
         to provide under Part 6 of Title I of ERISA (commonly referred to as
         "COBRA"); Nordson will pay the COBRA premiums through December 31, 2000
         or until such earlier time as you are covered by another medical
         benefit program.


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Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
October 31, 1999                                                          Page 3


     e.  If you have not begun employment with another employer on or before May
         1, 2001, Nordson will pay you an additional $31,213 in cash, and, if
         you have not begun employment with another employer on or before June
         1, 2001, Nordson will pay you another $31,213 in cash, provided, in
         each case, that you use all reasonable efforts (taking into
         consideration the state of your health) to obtain such employment.

4. Nordson Equipment and Property. As soon as practicable, you will return to
Nordson any equipment and property that belongs to Nordson, and all materials
that contain any Nordson confidential or proprietary information (including
floppy disks and other storage devices for computer files), that you may have in
your possession. You will be given access to your former office at Nordson to
obtain your personal effects at a time agreed upon by you and Nordson. After the
execution of this Agreement, you will not access any Nordson computer network,
whether directly or by use of a modem.

5. Termination of Change of Control Agreement. The Employment Agreement between
you and Nordson that is effective upon a change in control (the "Change of
Control Agreement") is hereby terminated, and, after the execution of this
Agreement, you will have no rights or obligations under the Change of Control
Agreement.

6. Modification of Standard Employee Agreement. The Standard Employee Agreement,
signed by you and accepted by Nordson on March 11, 1988, will remain in effect
during the continuation of your employment and thereafter in accordance with its
terms, except that (a) the period in which the covenants in paragraphs 5, 6, and
7 of the Standard Employee Agreement apply will be extended until the end of the
third year after the Termination Date and (b) Nordson will have no obligation to
make payments to you under paragraph 9 of the Standard Employee Agreement.
Nordson acknowledges that neither this Agreement nor the Standard Employee
Agreement precludes you from obtaining employment with any company that you
researched as a potential acquisition candidate of Nordson while you were a
Nordson employee, or obtaining employment with any company in connection with
the implementation of enterprise-wide software (including SAP), provided in
either case that the company does not design, manufacture, market, or sell any
products or services that are competitive with any products or services
designed, manufactured, marketed, or sold by Nordson at the time you obtain
employment with that company. Nordson also acknowledges that the term
"Confidential Information," as used in the Standard Employee Agreement, does not
include information that is generally available to the public, information about
enterprise-wide software (including SAP), or information about acquisition
candidates that came to your attention while you were a Nordson employee.

7. Restrictions Applicable to Transactions in Nordson Common Shares. Even though
you will no longer be an officer of Nordson or of any subsidiary or other
affiliate of Nordson, certain restrictions will apply to any purchase or sale of
Nordson Common Shares by you. By signing


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Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
October 31, 1999                                                          Page 4


this Agreement, you acknowledge that you have received the summary of those
restrictions that is attached to this Agreement as Exhibit 2 hereto and agree
that you will comply with those restrictions.

8. Confidentiality; Nondisparagement; Cooperation. In consideration of the
payments and benefits to be provided to you by Nordson pursuant to this
Agreement:

   1.    You will not reveal any information regarding the substance of this
         Agreement to any person or entity other than (i) your wife, (ii) your
         personal accountant or other person preparing your tax returns, and
         (iii) counsel retained by you in connection with this Agreement, and
         you will be responsible to see to it that none of these people reveals
         any information regarding the substance of this Agreement to any other
         person or organization.

   2.    You will not disparage, attempt to discredit, or otherwise call into
         disrepute Nordson, its affiliates, successors, assigns, officers,
         directors, employees, or agents (in their capacity as agents of
         Nordson), or any of their products or services, in any manner that
         might damage the business or reputation of Nordson or its affiliates,
         successors, assigns, officers, directors, employees, or agents. The
         preceding sentence applies to any statement that disparages,
         discredits, or calls into disrepute without regard to the truth or
         falsehood of the statement. It does not, however, apply to statements
         about Nordson's products or services that you make more than three
         years after the Termination Date in the course of your employment with
         a competitor of Nordson, provided that the statements are not based on
         any Confidential Information (as defined in the Standard Employee
         Agreement).

   3.    You will not assist any party other than Nordson in any litigation or
         investigation against Nordson or its affiliates, successors, assigns,
         officers, directors, employees, or agents with respect to any facts or
         circumstances existing at any time on or before the Termination Date,
         except as may be required by law. If you believe any such action is
         required by law, you will use your best efforts to afford Nordson the
         opportunity to raise any objection that Nordson may have to the
         purported requirement that such action be taken by you.

Your obligations under this paragraph 8 will remain in effect without any
limitation as to time.

9. Nondisparagement. In consideration of your execution of this Agreement,
Nordson agrees that none of its corporate officers will disparage you, attempt
to discredit you, or otherwise call you into disrepute in any manner that might
damage your reputation. The preceding sentence applies to any statement that
disparages, discredits, or calls into disrepute without regard to the truth or
falsehood of the statement. Nordson's obligations under this paragraph 9 will
remain in effect without any limitation as to time.


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Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
October 31, 1999                                                          Page 5


10. Release. In consideration of the payments and benefits to be provided to you
by Nordson pursuant to this Agreement:

    1.   For yourself, your heirs, executors, administrators, successors, and
         assigns, you hereby release and discharge forever Nordson, its
         affiliates, successors, assigns, officers, directors, employees, and
         agents from any and all claims, demands, causes of action, losses, and
         expenses, whether known or unknown, arising out of or in any way
         connected with any facts or circumstances existing on or occurring
         before the date of this Agreement or arising out of or in any way
         connected with your employment by Nordson, the termination of your
         employment, or any breach of contract (express or implied), promissory
         estoppel, wrongful discharge, intentional infliction of emotional harm,
         defamation, libel, slander, or other tort, or any violation of federal,
         state, or municipal law relating to discrimination in employment,
         including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. Section
         2000(e) et seq.), Ohio Revised Code Section 4112 et seq., the Americans
         with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. Section 12101, or any state
         laws of similar import.

    2.   You agree not to bring any suit or action in any court or
         administrative agency against any of the beneficiaries of this release
         arising out of or relating to the subject matter of this release.

Nothing in this paragraph 10 will release Nordson from its obligations under
this Agreement or prevent you from bringing an action to enforce or seek damages
for breach of this Agreement by Nordson.

11.  Certain Statements and Procedures.

     1.  Nordson will make the following statement regarding your termination of
         employment:

              "Christian Bernadotte has resigned from his position as Vice
              President of Nordson. During his tenure with Nordson, Christian
              made a significant contribution to the growth and profitability of
              the Company, and we wish him continued professional and personal
              success in his future endeavors."

     2.  You may make the following statement regarding your termination of
         employment:

              "I resigned on mutually agreed upon terms. I wish Nordson
              continued success in the future."

     c.  If you request Nordson or any of its officers, directors, employees, or
         agents to provide to any prospective employer a recommendation or
         evaluation of your services to Nordson,

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Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
October 31, 1999                                                          Page 6


         they will be permitted to provide the recommendation or evaluation to
         the employer. In that event, you hereby waive any claim that you may
         have against them by reason of the disclosure of the recommendation or
         evaluation, including any claim that the recommendation or evaluation
         is unfair in any respect.

     d.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party may communicate with its or
         his own counsel, with counsel for the other party, and with such other
         agents or representatives of the other party as may be authorized by
         the other party.

12. Injunctive Relief. In the event of a breach by you of your obligations under
this Agreement or the Standard Employee Agreement as modified hereby, Nordson
will be entitled to an injunction against any further breach, as well as money
damages suffered by it or any of the beneficiaries of the release set forth in
paragraph 10 above as a result of the breach.

13. Legal Fees. If either party to this Agreement brings any suit or action to
enforce or seek damages for breach of this Agreement, the parties agree that the
court in which the suit or action is brought may, in its discretion, award to
the prevailing party recovery of his or its reasonable legal fees and expenses
incurred in the suit or action.

14. Governing Law; Venue. This Agreement will be governed by the laws of the
State of Ohio applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely within
that state. Any suit, action, or other legal proceeding arising out of or
relating to this Agreement may only be brought in the Court of Common Pleas of
Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Nordson and you each (a) consents to the jurisdiction of
that court in any such suit, action, or proceeding and (b) waives, to the
fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any objection that it or he may have
to the laying of venue of any such suit, action, or proceeding in that court and
any claim that any such suit, action, or proceeding has been brought in an
inconvenient forum.

15. Withholding. All payments to be made by Nordson pursuant to this Agreement
are subject to applicable federal, state, and local tax withholding.


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Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
October 31, 1999                                                          Page 7

16. Entire Agreement, Binding Nature. This Agreement and the Standard Employee
Agreement as modified hereby set forth the entire agreement between you and
Nordson regarding the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior agreements
and understandings, whether oral or written, between you and Nordson with
respect to the subject matter. This Agreement and the Standard Employee
Agreement as modified hereby will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of
you and your heirs, executors, administrators, personal representatives,
successors, and assigns and Nordson and its successors and assigns.

Sincerely,

NORDSON CORPORATION


By  /s/ Edward P. Campbell
    ----------------------
    Edward P. Campbell
    President and Chief Executive Officer


I hereby accept and agree to all of the terms of this Agreement.


/s/ Christian C. Bernadotte  11/16/99
-------------------------------------
    Christian C. Bernadotte

October 31, 1999


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Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
October 31, 1999                                                          Page 8

                                    EXHIBIT 1

                      SCHEDULE OF OUTSTANDING STOCK OPTIONS


1.   Options Granted under Omnibus Plan

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

Date of Grant       No. of Options      Exercise Price       Expiration Date       Date Must Exercise
-------------       --------------      --------------       ---------------       ------------------
<S>                 <C>                 <C>                  <C>                    <C>
   11/2/98              14,000              $44.81               11/2/08                 11/2/08
   11/3/97              12,000              $49.63               11/3/07                 11/3/07
   11/4/96              12,000              $55.25               11/4/06                 11/4/06
  10/30/95              10,000              $57.25              10/30/05                10/30/05
  10/31/94               8,000              $57.00              10/31/04                10/31/04
   11/1/93               3,600              $53.50               11/1/03                 11/1/03

</TABLE>

2.   Options Granted under Other Plans or Programs

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

Date of Grant       No. of Options      Exercise Price       Expiration Date       Date Must Exercise
-------------       --------------      --------------       ---------------       ------------------
<S>                  <C>                 <C>                  <C>                    <C>
  11/2/92               3,600               $47.00               11/2/02                12/31/99
  11/4/91               3,000               $42.50               11/4/01                12/31/99

</TABLE>


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Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
October 31, 1999                                                          Page 9


                                    EXHIBIT 2

                      STOCK TRANSFER ISSUES ARISING OUT OF
                          TERMINATION OF OFFICER STATUS


Insider Trading Prohibition.
----------------------------

         The prohibition on trading in Nordson Common Shares while you are in
         possession of "inside information" will continue to apply to you after
         you cease to be an officer of Nordson.

Affiliate Status.
-----------------

         You have been an affiliate of Nordson because of your status as an
         officer. You will continue to be deemed to be an affiliate for purposes
         of federal securities laws until January 25, 2000, three months after
         you cease to be an officer, but will not be deemed to be an affiliate
         thereafter.

         Accordingly, from October 25, 1999 through January 25, 2000, you will
         be subject to the same restrictions on sales of your Nordson Common
         Shares as applied while you were an officer of Nordson. You will be
         able to sell Nordson Common Shares during this three-month period only
         in compliance with the requirements of Rule 144.

         After January 25, 2000, you will no longer be deemed to be an affiliate
         of Nordson and, insofar as Rule 144 is concerned, there will be no
         restrictions on your sale of (a) any unregistered Nordson Common Shares
         that you have held for at least one year or (b) any registered Nordson
         Common Shares, regardless of the holding period. We believe that all of
         the Nordson Common Shares acquired by you from Nordson were registered,
         and, therefore, that the one-year holding period does not apply to you.

Window Period.
--------------

         In order to comply with Nordson's policy on trading in Nordson Common
         Shares by its associates, while you continue to be an employee of
         Nordson, you may not purchase or sell Nordson Common Shares except
         during an open window period and then only with the consent of the Vice
         President - Law of Nordson.



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Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
October 31, 1999                                                         Page 10

Margin Restrictions.
--------------------

         For so long as you might be prevented either by Nordson's policy or by
         federal securities laws from selling Nordson Common Shares on any given
         day, you should not margin any of your Nordson Common Shares. Doing so
         would subject you to a risk of a margin call when the margined stock
         could not be sold. Accordingly, you should not margin any Nordson
         Common Shares until after January 25, 2000, when you will no longer be
         subject to restrictions on the purchase and sale of Nordson Common
         Shares.

Section 16.
-----------

         You have been subject to Section 16 and the requirement that any
         profits on purchases and sales within six months be disgorged to
         Nordson.

         After you cease to be an officer, you will no longer be subject to
         Section 16 except that any purchase or sale by you after you cease to
         be an officer may be matched with any sale or purchase that was made
         during the preceding six months while you were an officer of Nordson.
         For example, if you purchased Nordson Common Shares on August 31, 1999,
         while you were still an officer of Nordson, that purchase could be
         matched with a sale on or before February 29, 2000, even though you are
         no longer an officer.

Reporting Obligation.
---------------------

         Any sale or purchase that might be matched with a transaction while you
         were still an officer of Nordson will have to be reported on a Form 4.
         Accordingly, counsel to Nordson should be advised if you engage in any
         purchase or sale of Nordson Common Shares before the later of (i)
         October 25, 1999 and (ii) six months after any previous sale or
         purchase of Nordson Common Shares by you while you were an officer of
         Nordson.