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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10(a)

                                 AMENDMENT NO. 7
                                       TO
                            THE LAMSON & SESSIONS CO.
                              DEFERRED SAVINGS PLAN


                  THIS AMENDMENT is made this 22nd day of December 1999, by The
Lamson and Sessions Co. (hereinafter referred to as the "Company");

                              W I T N E S S E T H:

                  WHEREAS, the Company maintains The Lamson & Sessions Co.
Deferred Savings Plan (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"); and

                  WHEREAS, the Company reserved the right to make certain
amendments thereto; and

                  WHEREAS, it is the desire of the Company to amend the Plan in
order to change the Company matching contribution and to bring the Plan into
compliance with certain tax acts;

                  NOW THEREFORE, the Company hereby amends the Plan as follows,
effective as of the dates set forth below:

                                       I.

                  Effective on and after January 1, 2000, Section 6.4 of the
Plan is hereby amended to provide as follows:

         6.4      MATCHING CONTRIBUTIONS. (a) For each Participant for whom a
                  salary reduction contribution has been made by the Employer
                  pursuant to Section 6.2, the Employer shall, for periods
                  commencing on or after January 1, 1989, also contribute a
                  matching contribution equal to fifty percent (50%) of such
                  salary reduction contribution; provided, however, that no such
                  matching contributions shall be made for salary reduction
                  contributions in excess of the limit set forth in Section 7.6,
                  nor in excess of six percent (6%) of the Participant's
                  Compensation for any Plan Year.

                  (b) For each Salaried Participant for whom a salary reduction
                  contribution has been made by the Employer pursuant to Section
                  6.2, the Employer shall, for periods commencing on or after
                  January 1,2000, also contribute an additional matching
                  contribution equal to twenty-five percent (25%) of such salary
                  reduction contribution; provided, however, that no such
                  matching contributions shall be made for salary reduction
                  contributions in excess of the limit set forth in Section 7.6,
                  nor in excess of six percent (6%) of the Participant's
                  Compensation for any Plan Year.



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                                       II.

                  Effective on and after January 1, 2000, Section 9.1 of the
Plan is hereby amended to provide as follows:

         9.1      INVESTMENT DIRECTION BY PARTICIPANT.

                  (a) Each Participant shall direct how contributions made by
                  the Employer on his behalf shall be invested among the
                  investment options available under the Plan. The Participant
                  shall communicate such investment direction, in such manner as
                  the Plan Administrator may provide, which communication shall
                  specify how such contributions shall be allocated among such
                  investment options. The percentage of such allocation shall be
                  in multiples of one percent (1%) and shall apply uniformly to
                  all contributions.

                  (b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the amount of each
                  Participant's matching contribution under Section 6.4(b), if
                  any, shall be contributed or initially invested in Stock.
                  Immediately following such contribution or initial investment
                  in Stock, the Participant shall have the ongoing option to
                  redirect the investment of such matching contribution among
                  the investment options available under the plan.

                                      III.

                  Effective on and after January 1, 2000, Section 12.1 of the
Plan shall be amended by deleting therefrom the parenthetical "(and did not
exceed as of any prior distribution)" and the parenthetical "(or exceeded as of
any prior distribution)".

                                       IV.

                  Effective December 31, 1999, Section 12.5(c) of the Plan is
hereby amended to provide as follows:

                           (c) If the value of the Participant's benefits is
                  greater than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), he may elect
                  in writing to defer the commencement of his benefits beyond
                  the latest commencement date in (b) above; provided, however,
                  that in no event shall his benefits commence later than the
                  April 1 next following the later of (i) the calendar year in
                  which he attains age seventy and one-half (70-1/2) or (i) the
                  calendar year in which he retires. Notwithstanding the
                  foregoing, in no event shall the benefits of any Participant
                  who (i) is a 5% owner (as defined in Section 416 of the Code),
                  (ii) attains age seventy and one-half (70-1/2) prior to
                  January 1, 1999, or (iii) has terminated employment but who
                  has not commenced to receive his benefits, commence later than
                  April 1 next following the calendar year in which he




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                  attains age seventy and one-half (70-1/2), irrespective of
                  whether he has then terminated his employment with the
                  Employer.

                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company, by its duly authorized
officers, has caused this Amendment to be executed as of the day and year first
above written.

                                     THE LAMSON & SESSIONS CO.



                                     By: /s/ Charles E. Allen
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                                     TRUSTEES:


                                     /s/ James J. Abel
                                     ------------------------------------------




                                     /s/ Charles E. Allen
                                     ------------------------------------------




                                     /s/ Lucille C. Andreano
                                     ------------------------------------------




                                     /s/ Lori L. Spencer
                                     ------------------------------------------