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                                                                   Exhibit 10(a)

                                   ABLEST INC.

                           EXECUTIVE STOCK AWARDS PLAN

1.       Purpose.
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The plan shall be known as the Executive Stock Awards Plan (the "Plan"). The
purpose of the Plan shall be to promote the long-term growth and profitability
of Ablest Inc. (the "Company") and its subsidiaries by providing executive
officers with incentives to improve stockholder value and contribute to the
success of the Company and by enabling the Company to attract, retain and reward
the best available persons for executive officer positions.

2.       Definitions.
         -----------

         (a)      "Beneficial Owner" shall have the meaning provided in Rule
                  13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act.

         (b)      "Cause" means the occurrence of one of the following:

                  (i)      Conviction of, or plea of "no contest" to, a felony;

                  (ii)     Willfully engaging in an act or series of acts of
                           gross misconduct that result in demonstrable and
                           material injury to the Company; or

                  (iii)     Material breach of any provision of an employment
                           agreement between a participating executive and the
                           Company, which breach has not been cured in all
                           material respects within twenty (20) days after the
                           Company gives notice thereof to such executive.

         (c)      "Change in Control" occurs when:

                  (i)      any "Person", other than Clydis D. Heist and her
                           lineal descendants and any trusts for the benefit of
                           her lineal descendants (collectively, the "Heist
                           Family"), and other than any trustee or fiduciary on
                           behalf of any Company benefit plan, becomes the
                           "Beneficial Owner" of securities of the Company
                           having at least 25% of the voting power of the
                           Company's then outstanding securities (unless the
                           event causing the 25% threshold to be crossed is an
                           acquisition of securities directly from the Company)
                           but only if at the time of such person's becoming the
                           beneficial owner of the requisite voting power, the
                           Heist Family (or any trust or Person included
                           therein) no longer holds a majority of the
                           outstanding shares; or

                  (ii)     the stockholders of the Company approve any merger or
                           other business combination of the Company, or any
                           going private transaction subject to Rule 13e-3 of
                           the rules and regulations promulgated under the
                           Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or any sale of all
                           or substantially all of the Company's assets in one
                           or a series of related transactions, or any
                           combination of the foregoing transactions (the
                           "Transactions"), other than a Transaction in which
                           the Heist Family or any trust or Person included
                           within the Heist Family is the Beneficial Owner of
                           50% or more of the voting securities of the surviving
                           company (or its parent) (and, in a



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                           sale of assets, of the purchaser of the assets)
                           immediately following the Transaction; or

                  (iii)    within any 24 month period, the persons who were
                           directors immediately before the beginning of such
                           period (the "Disinterested Directors") cease (for any
                           reason other than death) to constitute at least a
                           majority of the Board or the board of directors of a
                           successor to the Company, with, for this purpose, any
                           director who was not a director at the beginning of
                           such period being deemed to be a Disinterested
                           Director if such director was elected to the Board
                           by, or on the recommendation of or with the approval
                           of, at least two-thirds of the directors who then
                           qualified as Disinterested Directors, so long as such
                           director was not nominated by a person who has
                           entered into an agreement to effect, or threatened to
                           effect, a Change of Control.


         (d)      "Common Stock" means the common stock, $.05 par value, of the
                  Company.

         (e)      "Disability" means disability as defined in Section 72(m)(7)
                  of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

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

         (g)      "Fair Market Value" of restricted shares granted hereunder
                  shall mean the average of the high and low sale prices of a
                  share of Common Stock on the American Stock Exchange on the
                  last trading day of the calendar year ending immediately prior
                  to the date of vesting of such restricted shares, or if the
                  Company's Common Stock is not traded on such exchange, or
                  otherwise traded publicly, the value determined, in good
                  faith, by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors
                  of the Company as of the last day of such calendar year.

         (h)      "Retirement" means voluntary, late, normal or early retirement
                  under a pension plan sponsored by the Company, as defined in
                  such plan, or as otherwise defined or determined by the
                  Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the
                  Company with respect to senior executives of the Company
                  generally.

         (i)      "Subsidiary" means a corporation of which outstanding shares
                  representing 50% or more of the combined voting power of such
                  corporation are owned directly or indirectly by the Company.

3.       Administration.
         --------------

         The Plan shall be administered by the Compensation Committee of the
         Board of Directors of the Company (the "Compensation Committee").
         Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Compensation Committee shall
         be authorized to interpret the Plan and adopt, amend, or rescind such
         rules and regulations for carrying out the Plan as it may deem
         appropriate. Decisions of the Compensation Committee on all matters
         relating to the Plan shall be in its sole discretion and shall be
         conclusive and binding on all parties, including the Company, its
         stockholders, and the participants in the Plan. The validity,
         construction, and effect of the Plan and any rules and regulations
         relating to the Plan shall be determined in accordance with applicable
         federal and state laws and rules and regulations promulgated pursuant
         thereto.



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4.       Shares Available for the Plan.
         -----------------------------

         Subject to adjustments as provided in Section 10, an aggregate of
         135,000 shares of Common Stock (hereinafter the "shares") may be issued
         pursuant to the Plan. Such shares may be unissued or treasury shares.
         If any grant under the Plan is forfeited as to any shares, such
         forfeited shares shall thereafter be available for further grants under
         the Plan.

5.       Participation.
         -------------

         Participation in the Plan will be limited to Kurt R. Moore, President,
         and Vincent J. Lombardo, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer,
         and any other executive officer chosen by the Compensation Committee.

         Nothing in the Plan or in any grant thereunder shall confer any right
         on any participant to continue in the employ of the Company or shall
         interfere in any way with the right of the Company to terminate such
         participant at any time.

         The maximum number of restricted shares that may be granted to any
         single individual in any one calendar year shall not exceed 30,000
         shares.

6.       Restricted Share Grants.
         -----------------------

         Subject to the last sentence of this paragraph, initial grants of
         restricted shares will be made to each participant effective as of
         January 1, 2004, and shares subject thereto will vest on January 1,
         2005. Such initial grants of restricted shares shall not be tied to any
         performance target and are limited to 9,000 shares in the case of the
         President and 4,500 shares each in the case of the Vice President and
         Chief Financial Officer and any other executive officer selected to
         participate in the Plan. Each initial grant of restricted shares made
         prior to the 2004 annual meeting of stockholders of the Company shall
         be subject to approval of the Plan by the holders of a majority of the
         Company's outstanding common stock and the subject shares will be
         forfeited if such approval is not obtained.

         The Compensation Committee shall establish applicable performance
         targets based on earnings before taxes (EBT) of the Company and shall
         determine the number of additional restricted shares that may be earned
         by the participants in the Plan if the applicable performance targets
         are met or exceeded. Performance targets shall be set by the
         Compensation Committee for fiscal years 2004, 2005 and 2006, and the
         number of additional restricted shares that may be earned with respect
         to each performance target for each such fiscal year shall also be set
         by the Compensation Committee.

         At the end of a fiscal year, if the Compensation Committee determines,
         after consultation with management and the Company's independent
         auditors, that EBT for a particular fiscal year meets or exceeds one or
         more of the performance targets, each participant shall receive, with
         respect to such fiscal year and the targets met or exceeded, the number
         of restricted shares provided for by the Compensation Committee . Each
         such grant of restricted shares awarded for a particular fiscal year
         shall vest on January 1 of the second fiscal year following the fiscal
         year for which such award was made. Accordingly, grants awarded for
         fiscal 2004 will vest on January 1, 2006; grants awarded for fiscal
         2005 will vest on January 1, 2007; and grants awarded for fiscal 2006
         will vest on January 1, 2008.




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         No later than December 15 of the year in which any restricted shares
         awarded under the Plan vest, the Company will credit to the participant
         who received such shares an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of
         such shares times the highest marginal tax rate applicable to such
         executive for federal tax purposes. This amount will be withheld and
         applied to the participant's federal tax account.

         The Compensation Committee, after appropriate consultation with
         management and the Company's independent auditors, reserves the right
         to adjust the final calculation of EBT if there occurs an unusual event
         during the fiscal year in question that has more than a minimal impact,
         in the Committee's judgment, on the Company's earnings.

         Each participant will be required to deposit shares with the Company
         during the period of any restriction thereon and to execute a blank
         stock power therefor.

         Except as otherwise provided by the Compensation Committee, in the
         event of a Change in Control or the termination of a participant's
         employment due to death, Disability, Retirement, or termination without
         Cause by the Company, all restrictions on shares granted to such
         participant shall lapse. On termination of a participant's employment
         for any other reason, including, without limitation, termination for
         Cause, all restricted shares subject to grants made to such participant
         shall be forfeited to the Company.

         Each participant who receives restricted shares will have the rights of
         a stockholder with respect thereto from and after the grant thereof, in
         accordance with and subject to the risks of forfeiture set forth
         herein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no recipient may transfer,
         assign or encumber any restricted shares granted to him until such
         shares have vested in accordance with the Plan.

7.       Written Agreement.
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         Each participant to whom a grant is made under the Plan shall enter
         into a written agreement with the Company that shall contain such
         provisions, consistent with the provisions of the Plan, as may be
         established by the Compensation Committee.

8.       Listing and Registration.
         ------------------------

         If the Compensation Committee determines that the listing,
         registration, or qualification upon any securities exchange or under
         any law of shares subject to any grant is necessary or desirable as a
         condition of, or in connection with, the issuance of same, no such
         shares may be issued unless such listing, registration or qualification
         is effected free of any conditions not acceptable to the Compensation
         Committee.

9.       Transfer of Participant.
         -----------------------

         Transfer of a participant from the Company to a subsidiary, from a
         subsidiary to the Company, and from one subsidiary to another shall not
         be considered a termination of employment. Nor shall it be considered a
         termination of employment if participant is placed on military or sick
         leave or such other leave of absence which is considered as continuing
         intact the employment relationship; in such a case, the employment
         relationship shall be continued until the date when the right to
         reemployment shall no longer be guaranteed either by law or by
         contract.



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10.      Adjustments.
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         In the event of a reorganization, recapitalization, stock split, stock
         dividend, combination of shares, merger, consolidation, distribution of
         assets, or any other change in the corporate structure or shares of the
         Company, the Compensation Committee shall make such adjustments as it
         deems appropriate in the number and kind of shares reserved for
         issuance under the Plan, and in the number and kind of shares covered
         by grants awarded under the Plan.

11.      Termination and Modification of the Plan.
         ----------------------------------------

         The Board of Directors, without further approval of the stockholders,
         may modify or terminate the Plan and from time to time may suspend, and
         if suspended, may reinstate any or all of the provisions of the Plan,
         except that no modification, suspension or termination of the Plan may,
         without the consent of the participant affected, alter or impair any
         grant previously made under the Plan.

         The Compensation Committee shall be authorized to make minor or
         administrative modifications to the Plan as well as modifications to
         the Plan that may be dictated by requirements of federal or state laws
         applicable to the Company or that may be authorized or made desirable
         by such laws.

12.      Commencement Date; Stockholder Approval; Termination Date.
         ---------------------------------------------------------

         The Plan shall commence effective with the first day of fiscal 2004,
         subject to approval of the Plan at the 2004 annual meeting of
         stockholders. If such approval is not obtained, the Plan will
         terminate, and all grants made thereunder shall be forfeited,
         immediately following such annual meeting.

         Unless previously terminated, the Plan shall terminate at the close of
         business on the last day of fiscal 2008.


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