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                                                                    EXHIBIT 10-A

                             OTTER TAIL CORPORATION
                         EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
                                    [ NAME ]

         This Executive Employment Agreement (the "Agreement") is entered into
this ___ day of ________________, 2001, by and between Otter Tail Corporation, a
Minnesota corporation (the "Corporation") and [ Name ] ("You"). Corporation
agrees to employ You and You agree to be employed consistent with the terms of
this Agreement as follows:

         1. Employment.  Corporation agrees to employ You and You agree to be
employed as [Title] consistent with the terms and conditions set forth in this
Agreement.

         2. Duties. You shall have such duties as are assigned or delegated to
You by the Corporation's Board of Directors or its designee. Except as provided
for in Section 7 of this Agreement or subsequently agreed upon by You and the
Corporation, You agree to devote Your entire business time, attention, skill,
and energy exclusively to the business of the Corporation, to use Your best
efforts to promote the success of the Corporation's business, and to cooperate
fully with the Board of Directors in the advancement of the best interests of
the Corporation.

         3. Compensation and Benefits.

            a.   Base Pay. You shall be paid an annual salary ("Base Pay") of
                 [$ ], which shall be payable in equal periodic installments
                 according to the Corporation's customary payroll practices, but
                 no less frequently than monthly, and subject to such
                 withholdings and deductions as required by law. Your Base Pay
                 shall be reviewed in April of each year by the Board of
                 Directors, and any change in Base Pay approved by the Board
                 shall become effective April 1 of the year in which it is
                 approved.

            b.   Incentive Compensation. You shall be paid an annual incentive
                 payment based on the Corporation's Management Incentive Plan,
                 or its successor plan, as approved by the Corporation's Board
                 of Directors, and based on the rules of the plan. Your
                 incentive payment shall be paid to You as soon as
                 administratively possible upon approval of the Corporation's
                 financial results after the close of each calendar year.

            c.   Benefits. In addition to the compensation described above and
                 subject to rules of eligibility, You shall be permitted to
                 participate in the benefit plans and long-term incentive plans
                 available to full time executive level employees of the
                 Corporation as they now exist and may from time to time be
                 modified or established by the Corporation. The plan documents
                 shall govern Your participation in any benefit plan.

         4. Expenses. The Corporation shall pay Your dues in such professional
societies and organizations as are appropriate for Your position, and shall pay
on Your behalf (or reimburse the You for) reasonable expenses incurred by You on
behalf of the Corporation in the performance of the Your duties pursuant to this
Agreement, including reasonable expenses incurred by the You in attending
conventions, seminars, and other business meetings, in



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appropriate business entertainment activities, and for promotional expenses. You
shall file such expense reports as are required by the Corporation's policies
and federal income tax laws and regulations.

         5. Confidentiality of Information.

            a.   You acknowledge that the Corporation possesses and will
                 continue to develop and acquire valuable Confidential
                 Information (as defined below), including information that You
                 may develop or discover as a result of your employment with the
                 Corporation. The value of that Confidential Information depends
                 on it remaining confidential. The Corporation depends on You to
                 maintain the confidentiality, and You accept that position of
                 trust.

            b.   As used in this Agreement, "Confidential Information" means any
                 information (including any formula, pattern, compilation,
                 program, device, method, technique or process) that derives
                 independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being
                 generally known to the public or to other persons who can
                 obtain economic value from its disclosure or use and includes
                 information of the Corporation, its customers, suppliers, joint
                 ventures, licensors, distributors and other persons and
                 entities with whom the Corporation does business.

            c.   You shall not disclose or use at any time, either during or
                 after your employment with the Corporation, any Confidential
                 Information except for the exclusive benefit of the Corporation
                 as required by your duties or as the Corporation expressly may
                 consent to in writing. You shall cooperate with the Corporation
                 to implement reasonable measures to maintain the secrecy of,
                 and use your best efforts to prevent the unauthorized
                 disclosure, use or reproduction of all Confidential
                 Information.

            d.   Upon leaving employment with the Corporation for any reason,
                 You shall deliver to the Corporation all tangible, written,
                 graphical, machine readable and other materials (including all
                 copies) in your possession or under your control containing or
                 disclosing Confidential Information.

         6. Termination/Severance.  Either party may terminate the employment
relationship as evidenced by this Agreement at any time and for any reason upon
ninety days written notice to the other.

            a.   If You elect to terminate the employment relationship, or if
                 You are terminated by the Company for Cause, You shall receive
                 Base Pay and benefits through the date of termination. Cause
                 means your termination of employment with the Corporation based
                 upon embezzlement or other intentional misconduct which is
                 materially injurious to the Corporation, monetarily or
                 otherwise.

            b.   If the Corporation elects to terminate the employment
                 relationship or if You elect to resign for Good Reason, You
                 shall receive a severance payment equal




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                 to one and one-half (1-1/2) times the sum of your present Base
                 Pay plus your most recent annual incentive payment (the
                 "Severance Payment"), in full satisfaction of the Corporation's
                 obligations to You as an employee. The Severance Payment will
                 be paid within fifteen (15) days of the date of termination and
                 shall be subject to payroll taxes and any withholding
                 obligations. Good Reason means the occurrence of any of the
                 following events:

                 (1)  a material change in your responsibilities or title which
                      are not of comparable responsibility and status as those
                      held upon execution of this Agreement;

                 (2)  a reduction in your Base Pay, or a modification of the
                      Corporation's incentive compensation program or benefits
                      in a manner materially adverse to You;

                 (3)  a breach or alteration of any material term of this
                      contract without your consent.

            c.   If You are terminated in connection with a Change in Control,
                 as defined by the Change in Control Severance Agreement entered
                 into by You and the Corporation (the "Severance Agreement"),
                 and You receive payment of the severance benefits under Section
                 4 of the Severance Agreement, no Severance Payment shall be due
                 to You under this Agreement.

         7. Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the Change in Control Severance
Agreement represent the entire agreement between You and the Corporation
concerning the employment relationship of the parties commencing on
_______________, 2002 and following and, thus, supersedes any and all previous
written or oral employment agreements or understandings concerning such matter.

         8. Disputes. Disputes under this Agreement shall be determined by
arbitration consistent with rules of the American Arbitration Association. The
costs of Arbitration shall be borne equally between You and the Corporation and
You shall bear your own attorney fees; provided, however, if You are the
prevailing party in Arbitration, all costs and attorney fees shall be paid by
the Corporation.

         9. Amendment/Governing Law.  This Agreement may only be modified or
amended by a writing signed by both parties.  This Agreement is made in and
shall be governed by the substantive laws of the State of Minnesota.





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FOR THE CORPORATION:



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                                                        Date



ACKNOWLEDGED AND ACCEPTED BY:



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                                                         Date



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