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                                                                    EXHIBIT 10.3

                                  AMENDMENT TO
                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

            THIS AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT entered into and effective as
of November 12, 2004, among, ADVANCED LIGHTING TECHNOLOGIES, INC., an Ohio
corporation ("ADLT"), and WAYNE R. HELLMAN ("EMPLOYEE");

                                    RECITALS

            WHEREAS, ADLT and Employee have entered into an Employment
Agreement, dated as of December 10, 2003, relating to Employee's employment (the
"Original Agreement"); and

            WHEREAS, ADLT and Employee desire to amend the terms of the Original
Agreement to reduce the amount the Additional Bonuses to be applied to ADLT's
loan to the Employee to the amount of the after-tax proceeds of such bonuses,

            NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises herein
contained, the parties agree as follows:

                                    AGREEMENT

      1.    Item II of Exhibit A to the Original Agreement is hereby amended to
            read in its entirety as follows:

                  II. ADDITIONAL BONUS

        Subject to Section 6, Employee will receive additional bonuses of : (1)
        on July 1, 2004, $2,027,000 (of which an amount equal to the after-tax
        proceeds of such additional bonus shall be applied to the outstanding
        loan by the Company to Employee, with the remaining amount being, first,
        applied to required withholding obligations of the Company and, second,
        any remaining amount paid to Employee for payment of taxes); and (2) on
        July 1, 2005, $2,027,000 (of which an amount equal to the after-tax
        proceeds of such additional bonus shall be applied to the outstanding
        loan by the Company to Employee, with the remaining amount being, first,
        applied to required withholding obligations of the Company and, second,
        any remaining amount paid to Employee for payment of taxes).

      2.    This Amendment shall be governed by and construed according to the
            laws of the State of Ohio.

      3.    All initially capitalized terms that are used but not defined herein
            have the meaning ascribed to them in the Original Agreement. As used
            in this Amendment and in the Original Agreement, as amended hereby,
            the term "Employment Agreement" shall mean the Original Agreement as
            amended by this Amendment.

      4.    This Amendment only modifies the Original Agreement to the extent
            provided for herein, and the Original Agreement shall otherwise
            remain in full force and effect without interruption.

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      5.    This Amendment and the Original Agreement, as amended hereby,
            constitute the entire agreement between the parties with respect to
            the matters subject to this agreement and all prior and
            contemporaneous agreements or discussions, written or oral, with
            respect thereto have no force or effect whatsoever. If any amendment
            of the terms of Original Agreement contained in this Amendment shall
            be contrary to applicable law, such amendment shall be of no force
            or effect and the Employment Agreement shall remain in full force
            and effect without any such amendment.

            IN WITNESS WHEREOF, ADLT and Employee have caused this Amendment to
be duly executed and delivered as of the date first above written.

                                            /s/ Wayne R. Hellman
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            WAYNE R. HELLMAN

                                            ADVANCED LIGHTING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

                                            By:   /s/ Wayne J. Vespoli
                                                  ------------------------------

                                            Name:  Wayne J. Vespoli
                                                  ------------------------------

                                            Its:  EVP and Treasurer

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