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                                                                 EXHIBIT 10.22.3

                      CHANGE IN CONTROL SEVERANCE AGREEMENT

         THIS CHANGE IN CONTROL SEVERANCE AGREEMENT (the "Agreement") is made
and entered into this 20th day of May, 2003, between INSTEEL INDUSTRIES, INC. a
North Carolina corporation (the "Company") and GARY D. KNISKERN (the
"Executive"). Certain capitalized terms used in this Agreement are defined in
Section 6.

                                 R E C I T A L S

         The Company acknowledges that Executive has made and is expected to
make significant contributions to the growth and success of the Company. The
Company also acknowledges that there exists the possibility of a Change in
Control of the Company. The Company recognizes that the possibility of a Change
in Control may contribute to uncertainty on the part of senior management and
may result in the departure or distraction of senior management from their
operating responsibilities.

         Strong and competent management of the Company is essential to
advancing the best interests of the Company and its partners and its
shareholders. In the event of a threat or occurrence of a bid to acquire or
change control of the Company or to effect a business combination, it is
particularly important that the business of the Company be continued with a
minimum of disruption. The Company believes that the objective of securing and
retaining strong management will be achieved if the Company's key management
employees are given assurances of employment security so that they will not be
distracted by personal uncertainties and risks created by such circumstances.

         NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and
obligations herein the Company and Executive agree as follows:

1.       EFFECTIVE DATE. The Effective Date of this Agreement is May 20, 2003.

2.       TERM OF AGREEMENT. The Term of this Agreement begins on the Effective
Date and ends on the day before the second anniversary of the Effective Date.
Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the Term of this Agreement shall be
extended for an additional twelve month period, as of each anniversary of the
Effective Date, unless either party gives written notice, at least ninety days
prior to the applicable anniversary of the Effective Date, that the Term of this
Agreement will not be extended.

3.       RIGHT TO RECEIVE TERMINATION BENEFITS. Executive shall be entitled to
receive the Termination Benefits described in Section 4 if (i) a Change in
Control occurs during the Term of this Agreement and (ii) within two years after
the Control Change Date either (x) the Company terminates Executive's employment
with the Company without Cause or (y) Executive resigns from the employment of
the Company and Executive has Good Reason to resign from the Company.

No amounts will be payable under this Agreement unless Executive's employment
with the Company terminates or is terminated as described in the foregoing
subsection.


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4.       TERMINATION BENEFITS. Upon a termination of Executive's employment in
accordance with Section 3, Executive shall be entitled to receive the following
Termination Benefits:

         (a)      A lump sum payment of any accrued but unpaid salary from the
Company through the date Executive's employment terminates;

         (b)      A lump sum payment of any bonus that has been earned from the
Company but which remains unpaid as of Executive's termination of employment;

         (c)      Reimbursement for any expenses Executive incurred on behalf of
the Company prior to termination of employment to the extent that such expenses
are reimbursable under the Company's standard reimbursement policies but have
not been reimbursed as of Executive's termination of employment;

         (d)      Continued payment of Executive's base salary, for one year
following Executive's termination, at the rate in effect on the date of
Executive's termination of employment or, if greater, at the rate in effect on
the Control Change Date (such payments to be made in accordance with the
Company's payroll practices);

         (e)      A lump sum payment equal to one times the average bonus paid
to the Executive for the three year period prior to the Executive's termination;

         (f)      Outplacement services provided by the firm selected by
Executive, the cost of which will be paid by the Company; provided, however,
that the Company's obligation under this subsection (e) will not exceed $15,000;

         (g)      Continued participation in the "employee welfare benefit
plans" (as defined in Section 3(1) of the Employee Retirement Income Security
Act of 1974, as amended) in which Executive participates immediately prior to
Executive's date of termination on such terms as are then in effect for one year
following the termination of Executive's employment with the Company. In the
event that the continued coverage of Executive in any such employee welfare
benefit plan is barred by its terms, the Company shall pay Executive, for one
year following Executive's termination, the cash equivalent of the portion of
the insurance premium charged to the Company for Executive's participation in
such employee welfare benefit plan(s) prior to Executive's termination plus an
additional amount such that after payment of the income and employment tax
liability on such payment, Executive retains an amount equal to the portion of
the insurance premium charged to the Company for Executive's participation in
such employee welfare benefit plans prior to Executive's termination.

         (h)      Payment by the Company of the cost or premium for continued
coverage in the Company health plan for a period of one year following
Executive's termination.

         (i)      All stock options and any other stock-based awards outstanding
immediately prior to Executive's termination of employment shall immediately
vest and become exercisable by Executive for the remainder of the term provided
for in the agreement evidencing the stock option or award in which such options
or other stock-based awards were granted.


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         (j)      Lump sum Termination Benefits shall be payable within 45 days
of Executive's termination of employment in accordance with Section 3. The
payment of the Termination Benefits shall be reduced by amounts required to be
withheld for applicable income and employment taxes.

5.       LIMITATION ON PARACHUTE PAYMENTS. The Termination Benefits and other
payments, distributions and benefits provided by the Company for Executive's
benefit pursuant to this Agreement and under other plans, programs, and
agreements may constitute Parachute Payments (as defined in Section 280G(b) of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the "Code") that are subject to the "golden
parachute" rules of Code section 280G and the excise tax of Code section 4999.
The Company and Executive intend to reduce any Parachute Payments (but not any
payment, distribution or other benefit that is not a Parachute Payment) if, and
only to the extent that, a reduction will allow Executive to receive a greater
Net After Tax Amount than he would receive absent a reduction. The remaining
provisions of this subsection describe how that intent will be effectuated.

         (a)      The Company will first determine the amount of any Parachute
Payments that are payable to Executive. The Company will also determine the Net
After Tax Amount attributable to total Parachute Payments.

         (b)      The Company will next determine the amount of Executive's
Capped Parachute Payments. Thereafter, the Company will determine the Net After
Tax Amount attributable to Executive's Capped Parachute Payments.

         (c)      Executive shall receive the total Parachute Payments unless
the Company determines that the Capped Parachute Payments will yield Executive a
higher Net After Tax Amount, in which case Executive will receive the Capped
Parachute Payments. If Executive will receive the Capped Parachute Payments, the
total Parachute Payments will be adjusted by first reducing the amount payable
under any other plan, program, or agreement that, by its terms, requires a
reduction to prevent a "golden parachute" payment under Code section 280G; by
next reducing Executive's benefit, if any, under this Agreement, to the extent
it is a Parachute Payment; and thereafter by reducing Parachute Payments payable
under other plans and agreements (with the reductions first coming from cash
benefits and then from noncash benefits). The Company will notify Executive if
it determines that the Parachute Payments must be reduced to the Capped
Parachute Payments and will send Executive a copy of its detailed calculations
supporting that determination. Within 45 days after Executive's termination, the
Company will pay Executive the Termination Benefits or the reduced Termination
Benefits as determined in this Section 5.

6.       CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. As used in this Agreement, certain terms have the
definitions set forth below.

         (a)      Acquiring Person means that a Person, considered alone or
together with all Control Affiliates and Associates of that Person, is or
becomes directly or indirectly the beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3
under the Exchange Act) of securities representing at


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least twenty five percent (25%) of the Company's then outstanding securities
entitled to vote generally in the election of the Board.

         (b)      Associate, with respect to any Person, is defined in Rule
12b-2 under the Exchange Act; provided, however, that an Associate shall not
include the Company or a majority-owned affiliate of the Company.

         (c)      Board means the Board of Directors of the Company.

         (d)      Capped Parachute Payments means the largest amount of
Parachute Payments that may be paid without liability for any excise tax under
Code section 4999.

         (e)      Cause means (i) willful, deliberate and continued failure by
Executive (other than for reason of mental or physical illness) to perform his
duties as established by the Board, or fraud or dishonesty in connection with
such duties, in either case, if such conduct has a materially detrimental effect
on the business operations of the Company; (ii) a material breach by Executive
of his fiduciary duties of loyalty or care to the Company; (iii) conviction of
any crime (or upon entering a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a charge of
any crime) constituting a felony; (iv) misappropriation of the Company's funds
or property; or (v) willful, flagrant, deliberate and repeated infractions of
material published policies and regulations of the Company of which Executive
has actual knowledge.

         (f)      Change in Control means (i) a Person is or becomes an
Acquiring Person; (ii) holders of the securities of the Company entitled to vote
thereon approve any agreement with a Person (or, if such approval is not
required by applicable law and is not solicited by the Company, the closing of
such an agreement) that involves the transfer of more than fifty percent (50%)
of the Company's and its affiliates' total assets on a consolidated basis, as
reported in the Company's consolidated financial statements filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission; (iii) holders of the securities of the
Company entitled to vote thereon approve a transaction (or, if such approval is
not required by applicable law and is not solicited by the Company, the closing
of such a transaction) pursuant to which the Company will undergo a merger,
consolidation, or statutory share exchange with a company, regardless of whether
the Company is intended to be the surviving or resulting entity after the
merger, consolidation, or statutory share exchange, other than a transaction
that results in the voting securities of the Company carrying the right to vote
in elections of persons to the Board outstanding immediately prior to the
closing of the transaction continuing to represent (either by remaining
outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving
entity) more than fifty percent (50%) of the Company's voting securities
carrying the right to vote in elections of persons to the Board, or such
securities of such surviving entity, outstanding immediately after the closing
of such transaction; (iv) the Continuing Directors cease for any reason to
constitute a majority of the Board; (v) holders of the securities of the Company
entitled to vote thereon approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company
or an agreement for the sale or liquidation by the Company or its affiliates of
substantially all of the assets of the Company and its affiliates (or, if such
approval is not required by applicable law and is not solicited by the Company,
the commencement of actions constituting such a plan or the closing of such an
agreement); or (vi) the Board adopts a resolution to the effect that, in its
judgment, as a consequence of any one or


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more transactions or events or series of transactions or events, a Change in
Control of the Company has effectively occurred.

         (g)      Continuing Director means any member of the Board, while a
member of the Board and (i) who was a member of the Board on the Effective Date
or (ii) whose nomination for or election to the Board was recommended or
approved by a majority of the Continuing Directors.

         (h)      Control Affiliate, with respect to any Person, means an
affiliate as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act.

         (i)      Control Change Date means the date on which a Change in
Control occurs. If a Change in Control occurs on account of a series of
transactions or events, the "Control Change Date" is the date of the last of
such transactions or events in the series.

         (j)      Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.

         (k)      Good Reason means Executive's resignation from the employment
of the Company and its affiliates on account of one or more of the following
events:

                  (i)      a material diminution by the Board of the duties,
functions and responsibilities of Executive as the VICE PRESIDENT-ADMINISTRATION
AND SECRETARY of the Company without his consent;

                  (ii)     the failure of the Company to permit Executive to
exercise such responsibilities as are consistent with Executive's positions or
are of a nature as are usually associated with such offices of a corporation
engaged in substantially the same business as the Company;

                  (iii)    the Company's causing Executive to relocate his
employment more than fifty (50) miles from Mt. Airy, North Carolina, or his
place of primary residence as of the effective date of this agreement, without
the consent of Executive;

                  (iv)     the failure of the Company to make a payment to
Executive when due or, if later, within 10 days after Executive has made demand
for such payment;

                  (v)      the Company's material reduction of Executive's (A)
annual base salary, as in effect from time to time after the Effective Date; (B)
bonus, such that the aggregate threshold, target, or maximum bonus projected for
Executive for a fiscal year is lower than the aggregate threshold, target, or
maximum bonus, respectively, projected for Executive for the immediately
preceding fiscal year; or (C) employee welfare, fringe or pension benefits,
other than reductions determined to be necessary to comply with the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, or to retain the
tax-qualified or tax-favored status of the benefit under the Code, which
determination shall be made by the Board in good faith;

                  (vi)     a breach of Section 10 of this Agreement;


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                  (vii)    the Company or the Board directs Executive to engage
in unlawful or unethical conduct or conduct contrary to the Company's good
business practices.

         (l)      Net After Tax Amount means the amount of any Parachute
Payments or Capped Parachute Payments, as applicable, net of taxes imposed under
Code sections 1, 3101(b) and 4999 and any state or local income taxes applicable
as in effect on the date of the payment under Section 5 of this Agreement. The
determination of the Net After Tax Amount shall be made using the highest
combined effective rate imposed by the foregoing taxes on income of the same
character as the Parachute Payments or Capped Parachute Payments, as applicable,
in effect for the year for with the determination is made.

         (m)      Person means any human being, firm, corporation, partnership,
or other entity. "Person" also includes any human being, firm, corporation,
partnership, or other entity as defined in sections 13(d)(3) and 14(d)(2) of the
Exchange Act. The term "Person" does not include the Company, or any Related
Entity, and the term Person does not include any employee-benefit plan
maintained by the Company or any Related Entity, and any person or entity
organized, appointed, or established by the Company or any Related Entity for or
pursuant to the terms of any such employee-benefit plan, unless the Board
determines that such an employee-benefit plan or such person or entity is a
"Person".

         (n)      Related Entity means any entity that is part of a controlled
group of corporations or is under common control with the Company within the
meaning of section 1563(a), 414(b) or 414(c) of the Code.

7.       ATTORNEYS' FEES. Executive shall be entitled to reimbursement by the
Company for any attorneys' fees and any other reasonable expenses that Executive
incurs in enforcing or protecting his rights under this Agreement. Such
reimbursement shall be made within thirty days following final resolution of the
dispute or occurrence giving rise to such fees and expenses, regardless of
whether Executive is deemed the prevailing party in the resolution of the
dispute or occurrence.

8.       NO ASSIGNMENT. Except as required by applicable law, no right to
receive payments under this Agreement shall be subject to anticipation,
commutation, alienation, sale, assignment, encumbrance, charge, pledge or
hypothecation or to execution, attachment, levy or similar process or assignment
by operation of law and any attempt to effect any such action shall be null,
void and no effect.

9.       GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the
State of North Carolina other than its choice of law provisions to the extent
that they would require the application of the laws of a State other than the
State of North Carolina.

10.      SUCCESSORS. The Company shall require any successor to all or
substantially all of the Company's respective business or assets (whether direct
or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise), to expressly
assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same
extent that the Company would be required to perform it if no such succession
had taken place. Failure of the Company to obtain such assumption and agreement
prior to the effectiveness of any such succession shall be a breach of this
Agreement and shall


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entitle Executive to resign from the employ of the Company and to receive the
Termination Benefits and other benefits under this Agreement in the same amount
and on the same terms as Executive would be entitled to hereunder if he
terminated his employment for Good Reason following a Change in Control.
References in this Agreement to the "Company" include the Company as herein
before defined and any successor to the Company's business, assets or both which
assumes and agrees to perform this Agreement by operation of law or otherwise.

11.      BINDING AGREEMENT. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be
enforceable by Executive and his personal or legal representatives, executors,
administrators, successors, heirs, distributees, devisees and legatees. If
Executive dies while any amount remains payable to him hereunder, all such
amounts shall be paid in accordance with the terms of this Agreement to
Executive's devisee, legatee or other designee or, if there is none, to
Executive's estate.

12.      NO EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS. Nothing in this Agreement confers on Executive
any right to continuance of employment by the Company or any affiliate. Nothing
in this Agreement interferes with the right of the Company or an affiliate to
terminate Executive's employment at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or
without Cause, subject to the requirements of this Agreement. Nothing in this
Agreement restricts the right of Executive to terminate his employment with the
Company and affiliates at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without
Good Reason.

13.      COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in one or more
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which
together constitute one and the same instrument.

14.      ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This Agreement expresses the whole and entire
agreement between the parties with reference to the payment of the Termination
Benefits and supersedes and replaces any prior agreement, understanding or
arrangement (whether oral or written) by or between the Company and Executive
with respect to the payment of the Termination Benefits.

15.      NOTICES. All notices, requests and other communications to any party
under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given to such party at its
address set forth below or such other address as such party may hereafter
specify for the purpose by notice to the other party:

                  If to Executive:           164 Fernbrook Place
                                             Mount Airy, North Carolina 27030

                  If to the Company:         Insteel Industries, Inc.
                                             1373 Boggs Drive
                                             Mt. Airy, North Carolina  27030

Each notice, request or other communication shall be effective if (i) given by
mail, seventy-two hours after such communication is deposited in the mails with
first class postage prepaid, address as aforesaid or (ii) if given by any other
means, when delivered at the address specified in this Section 15.


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16.      MODIFICATION OF AGREEMENT. No waiver or modification of this Agreement
shall be valid unless in writing and duly executed by the party to be charged
therewith. No evidence of any waiver or modification shall be offered or
received in evidence at any proceeding, arbitration or litigation between the
parties unless such waiver or modification is in writing, duly and executed. The
parties agree that this Section 16 may not be waived except as herein set forth.

17.      RECITALS. The Recitals to this Agreement are incorporated herein and
shall constitute an integral part of this Agreement.

                            [SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]


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         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement on the day
and year first above written.

                                         GARY D. KNISKERN



                                         /s/ Gary D. Kniskern
                                         --------------------------------------

                                         INSTEEL INDUSTRIES, INC.



                                         By: /s/ H.O. Woltz III
                                             ----------------------------------
                                             Name  H.O. Woltz IIII
                                             Title CEO and President