Exhibit 31(a)

                                        CERTIFICATE

I, John W. Jordan II, certify that:

1) I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Jordan Industries, Inc;

2) Based on my knowledge, this annual report does not contain any untrue
   statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to
   make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such
   statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
   this annual report;

3) Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
   information included in this annual report, fairly present in all material
   respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
   the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report;

4) The registrant's other certifying officers and I are responsible for
   establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
   in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15) for the registrant and we have:

   a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
      disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
      supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
      registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to
      us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in
      which this annual report is being prepared;

   b) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and
      procedures, and presented in this annual report our conclusions about
      the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the
      end of the period covered by this annual report based on such
      evaluation; and

   c) Disclosed in this annual report any change in the registrant's internal
      control over financial reporting that occurred during the period
      covered by the annual report that has materially affected, or is
      reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal
      control over financial reporting;

5) The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on
   our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
   the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board
   of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function):

   a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
      operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
      reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to
      record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

   b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
      employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal
      control over financial reporting.



Date: March 16, 2004
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                                                   /s/ John W. Jordan II
                                                  ---------------------------
                                                     Name: John W. Jordan II
                                                     Title: Chairman and CEO