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                                                                  EXHIBIT 3.1(A)
                                                                  --------------
                          CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS

                                      of

                 SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

                                      of

                             Citation Corporation

            Pursuant to Section 151 of the General Corporation law
                           of the State of Delaware

     Citation Corporation, a corporation organized and existing under the
General Corporation law of the State of Delaware, in accordance with the
provisions of Section 103 thereof, DOES HEREBY CERTIFY:

     That pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of Directors in
accordance with the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation of the said
Corporation, the said Board of Directors on November 25, 1998 adopted the
following resolution creating a series of 300,000 shares of Preferred Stock
designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock":

               RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of
          Directors of this Corporation in accordance with the provisions of the
          Certificate of Incorporation, a series of Preferred Stock, par value
          $0.01 per share, of the Corporation be and hereby is created, and that
          the designation and number of shares thereof and the voting and other
          powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other
          rights of the shares of such series and the qualifications,
          limitations and restrictions thereof are as follows:

                 SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

     1.   Designation and Amount.  There shall be a series of Preferred Stock
that shall be designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock," and
the number of shares constituting such series shall be 300,000.  Such number of
shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors;
provided, however, that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock to less than the number of shares then
issued and outstanding plus the number of shares issuable upon exercise of
outstanding rights, options or warrants or upon conversion of outstanding
securities issued by the Corporation.
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     2.   Dividends and Distribution.

          (A)  Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any
shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the shares
of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the
holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in
preference to the holders of shares of any class or series of stock of the
Corporation ranking junior to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock,
shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors
out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in
cash on such quarterly dates as shall be determined by the Corporation's Board
of Directors in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a
"Quarterly Dividend Payment Date"), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded
to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $1.00 or (b) the Adjustment
Number (as defined below) times the aggregate per share amount of all cash
dividends, and the Adjustment Number times the aggregate per share amount
(payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions other than a
dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Corporation (the "Common Stock")
since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with
respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance
of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock.  The "Adjustment Number" shall initially be 100.  In the event the
Corporation shall at any time after November 25, 1998 (i) declare any dividend
on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the
outstanding Common Stock or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a
smaller number of shares, then in each such case the Adjustment Number in effect
immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such Adjustment
Number by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common
Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is
the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to
such event.

          (B)  The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) above
immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock
(other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock).

          (C)  Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock from the Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares
is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in
which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue
of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date
or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly
dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which

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events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear
interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the
time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-
by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of
Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a
dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more
than 30 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.

     3.   Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:

          (A)  Each share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall
entitle the holder thereof to a number of votes equal to the Adjustment Number
on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Corporation.

          (B)  Except as required by law, holders of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their
consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote
with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate
action.

     4.   Certain Restrictions.

          (A)  Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions
payable on the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock as provided in
Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends
and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the
Corporation shall not:

               (i)    declare or pay dividends on, make any other distributions
on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of
stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up) to the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock;

               (ii)   declare or pay dividends on or make any other
distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends
or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which
dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which
the holders of all such shares are then entitled; or

               (iii)  purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock
ranking on a parity with the Series A 

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Junior Participating Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer
made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to
all holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, or to such holders
and holders of any such shares ranking on a parity therewith, upon such terms as
the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend
rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and
classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable
treatment among the respective series or classes.

          (B)  The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the
Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of
stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph (A) of
this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in
such manner.

     5.   Reacquired Shares.  Any shares of Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner
whatsoever shall be retired promptly after the acquisition thereof.  All such
shares shall upon their retirement become authorized but unissued shares of
Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock
to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to
any conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein.

     6.   Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.  (A) Upon any liquidation
(voluntary or otherwise), dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no
distribution shall be made to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior
(either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders
of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall have received
$100.00 per share, plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and
distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment (the
"Series A Liquidation Preference").  Following the payment of the full amount of
the Series A Liquidation Preference, no additional distributions shall be made
to the holders of shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall have received
an amount per share (the "Common Adjustment") equal to the quotient obtained by
dividing (i) the Series A Liquidation Preference by (ii) the Adjustment Number.
Following the payment of the full amount of the Series A Liquidation Preference
and the Common Adjustment in respect of all outstanding shares of (1) Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock and (2) Common Stock, respectively, (a)
holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and (b) holders of
shares of Common Stock shall, subject to the prior rights of all other series of
Preferred Stock, if any, ranking prior thereto, receive their ratable and
proportionate share of the remaining assets to be distributed in the ratio of
the Adjustment Number to 1 with respect to (x) the Series A Junior Participating
Preferred Stock and (y) the Common Stock, on a per share basis, respectively.

          (B)  In the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets
available to permit payment in full of the Series A Liquidation Preference and
the liquidation preferences of all other series of Preferred Stock, if any, that
rank on a parity with the Series A Junior Participating Preferred 

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Stock, then such remaining assets shall be distributed ratably to the holders of
such parity shares in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences. In
the event, however, that there are not sufficient assets available to permit
payment in full of the Common Adjustment, then such remaining assets shall be
distributed ratably to the holders of Common Stock.

          (C)  Neither the merger or consolidation of the Corporation into or
with another corporation nor the merger or consolidation of any other
corporation into or with the Corporation shall be deemed to be a liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Corporation within the meaning of this Section
6.

     7.   Consolidation, Merger, Etc.  In case the Corporation shall enter into
any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares
of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities,
cash and/or any other property, then in any such case each share of Series A
Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly
exchanged or changed in an amount per share equal to the Adjustment Number times
the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property
(payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of
Common Stock is changed or exchanged.

     8.   No Redemption.  Shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred
Stock shall not be subject to redemption by the Company.

     9.   Ranking.  The Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock shall rank
junior to all other series of the Corporation's Preferred Stock as to the
payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, unless the terms of any
such series shall provide otherwise, and shall rank senior to the Common Stock
as to such matters.

     10.  Amendment.  At any time that any shares of Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Certificate of Incorporation
of the Corporation shall not be amended in any manner which would materially
alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Junior
Participating Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the
affirmative vote of the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares of
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.

     11.  Fractional Shares.  Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock may
be issued in fractions of a share that shall entitle the holder, in proportion
to such holder's fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive
dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of all other
rights of holders of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Certificate this
30/th/ day of November, 1998.

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ATTEST:                            CITATION CORPORATION



/s/ Stanley B. Atkins              By:   /s/ Federick F. Sommer
------------------------------        ------------------------------------------
Name:  Stanley B. Atkins                  Name: Frederick F. Sommer
Title: Vice President and          Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
       Corporate Secretary

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