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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.bi

                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

SBS TECHNOLOGIES, INC. ("Company") and Bret J. Farnum agree:

1.   EMPLOYMENT. Company employs Employee for the period beginning on the date
     of this Employment Agreement and ending upon discharge or resignation of
     Employee (the "Employment Period"). During the Employment Period, Employee
     will serve in the capacities determined by the Company. Employee will
     devote sufficient time and energies to the business of Company to
     accomplish the duties assigned, will perform to the best of Employee's
     ability all duties assigned to Employee by Company and will devote
     Employee's best efforts to advance the interests of Company. Employee will
     have the power and authority determined by Company.

2.   REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES. Company recognizes that Employee in performing
     Employee's duties hereunder, may be required to spend sums of money in
     connection with those duties for the benefit of Company. Employee may
     present to Company an itemized voucher listing expenses paid by Employee in
     the performance of Employee's duties on behalf of Company, and on
     presentation of such itemized voucher, Company will reimburse Employee for
     all reasonable expenses itemized thereon, including, but not limited to,
     travel, meals, lodging, entertainment, and promotion with respect to all
     activities approved in advance by the Company. Employee may receive
     advances from Company for anticipated expenses. Employee agrees that the
     amount by which an advance exceeds actual expenses ("Amount") will be
     promptly refunded to Company upon determination by Company that it is due,
     that the Amount may be deducted from any payments of any nature (including
     without limitation salary) owed by Company to employee, and that the Amount
     will constitute a debt from Employee to Company, enforceable by Company in
     all respects as if Employee had executed a promissory note or other
     instrument acknowledging the debt, bearing interest at a rate of 10% per
     year from the date repayment is due and payable in full on demand without
     set-off or deduction.

3.   SICK LEAVE AND DISABILITY. Employee will be entitled to sick leave for the
     number of days determined by Company ("Sick Leave"). Employee will be
     considered to be disabled during any period in excess of Sick Leave during
     which Employee is unable to work because of illness or incapacity
     ("Disability Period"). Employee will be entitled to receive Employee's full
     salary during Sick Leave and will be deemed to be on leave, without pay,
     during the Disability Period. If Employee is unable to work for a period in
     excess of 180 days, the Employee, at the discretion of the Board of
     Directors of Company, will be considered to have resigned. In no event will
     Employee be entitled to payment or other compensation for unused Sick Leave
     or Disability Period, unless required by law or otherwise provided in a
     policy or employment manual adopted by the Board of Directors of Company.

4.   RESTRICTIONS. Employee may not during the Employment Period, directly or
     indirectly, own, manage, operate, invest in, control, be employed by,
     participate in, be a financial sponsor of, or be connected in any manner
     with the ownership, management, operation or control of any business which
     competes with a business conducted by Company at any time during the
     Employment Period or a business which Employee knows, during the Employment
     Period, that Company intends to conduct. The ownership restriction applies,
     however, only in the Employee owns a beneficial interest of 5% or more the
     capital or profits of the business.

5.   RESIGNATION AND DISCHARGE. Employee may resign by giving two weeks' written
     notice to Company before resigning. Employee's death will constitute a
     voluntary resignation. Company

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT - PAGE 1
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     may discharge Employee without cause upon two weeks' notice. If the
     Employment Period is terminated by resignation or discharge without cause,
     Employee will be paid Employee's salary on a pro-rata basis through the
     effective date of resignation or discharge ("Effective Date"), and if
     requested by Company, employee will continue to render Employee's services
     through the Effective Date. If Employee refuses, upon Company's requests,
     or fails to render services competently and in good faith to the Company's
     benefit through the Effective Date, Company may deem the Effective Date to
     be the date of refusal or failure, as the case may be. If during the
     Employment Period, Employee violates any provision or restriction or fails
     to perform any obligation contained in this Employment Agreement or in any
     Company policy or Company employment manual or practice, or, unless
     otherwise provided by Company policy or Company employment manual, (a) is
     reasonably believed by Company (i) to have failed to comply with any
     employment or nondiscrimination or similar law, regulation or policy, (ii)
     to abuse, as determined by the Company, alcohol or to use drugs, (other
     than as prescribed by Employee's physician), or (b) refuses to submit to
     testing for alcohol or drugs, or (c) is reasonably believed by Company to
     have committed or is charged with any felony or misdemeanor (except minor
     traffic violations and similar offenses), Company may immediately discharge
     Employee without liability for salary after the date of the discharge and
     without any other liability to Employee. In no event will Employee be
     entitled, upon resignation or discharge with or without cause, to payment
     for sick leave or similar benefits of any kind unless required by law or
     otherwise provided in a policy or employment manual adopted by the Board of
     Directors of Company.

6.   CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. Employee acknowledges and recognizes that
     Employee is, or will be, employed by Company in a confidential relationship
     and may receive and have access to the confidential business information,
     customer names, contracts and other customer data, business methods,
     techniques and trade secrets of Company ("Confidential Information").
     Employee may develop ideas, conceptions, inventions, processes, methods,
     products and improvements; and Employee may receive disclosures of ideas,
     conceptions, inventions, processes, methods, products and improvements made
     by other employees of Company ("Company Inventions"). Employee may
     participate with Company in improving and developing Confidential
     Information and Company Inventions. Confidential Information and Company
     Inventions developed on behalf of Company are neither commonly known nor
     readily accessible to others and are used by Company in its business to
     obtain a competitive advantage over Company's competitors who do not know
     or use the Confidential Information or Company Inventions. Protection of
     the Confidential Information and Company Inventions against unauthorized
     disclosure and use is of critical importance to Company in maintaining its
     competitive position. Employee agrees that Employee will not, at any time,
     during or after the Employment Period, make any independent use of, or
     disclose to any other person or organization, except as authorized by
     Company in writing, any Confidential Information or Company Inventions.
     Upon termination of the Employment Period for any reason, Employee shall
     promptly deliver to Company all drawings, manuals, letters, notes,
     notebooks, reports, customer lists, customer data, mailing lists, and all
     other materials and records of any kind, and all copies thereof, that may
     be in the possession of, or under the control of, Employee pertaining to
     Company's business including any that contain any Confidential Information
     or Company Inventions.

7.   PERSONNEL POLICIES. Company's personnel policies apply to all of Company's
     employees including Employee and describe additional terms and conditions
     of employment of Employee. Those terms and conditions, as they may be
     revised from time to time by Company, are incorporated by reference into
     this Employment Agreement. Company reserves the right to revise the
     personnel policies from time to time, as Company deems necessary. If any
     personnel policy provision conflicts with a provision of this Employment
     Agreement, the terms of this Employment Agreement shall govern.

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8.   ALCOHOL AND DRUG TESTING. Employee agrees to comply with and submit to any
     Company program or policy for testing for alcohol abuse or use of drugs.

9.   BINDING EFFECT. This Employment Agreement constitutes the entire
     understanding of the parties, may be modified only in writing, is governed
     by laws of New Mexico, and will bind and inure to the benefit of Employee
     and Employee's personal representative and Company and Company's successors
     and assigns.


                              DATED: August 12, 1998
                                     -------------------------------------------


                                     COMPANY:

                                     SBS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

                                     By:/s/ James E. Dixon
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                        James E. Dixon
                                        Vice President, Finance & Administration


                                     EMPLOYEE:

                                     /s/ Bret J. Farnum
                                     -------------------------------------------
                                     Bret J. Farnum

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT - PAGE 3