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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10(a)

                       MPW INDUSTRIAL SERVICES GROUP, INC.
                             1997 STOCK OPTION PLAN


         1. PURPOSE. The purpose of this Plan is to attract and retain
directors, officers and key employees and consultants for MPW Industrial
Services Group, Inc., an Ohio corporation (the "Corporation"), and its
Subsidiaries and to provide such persons with incentives and rewards for
superior performance.

         2. DEFINITIONS. As used in this Plan,

            "BOARD" means the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

            "CODE" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time
to time.

            "COMMITTEE" means the committee described in Section 11(a) of this
Plan; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that until the Corporation shall have a class of equity
securities registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, the "Committee" shall mean the Board, as defined herein.

            "COMMON SHARES" means (i) shares of the common stock of the
Corporation, no par value, and (ii) any security into which Common Shares may be
converted by reason of any transaction or event of the type referred to in
Section 6 of this Plan.

            "DATE OF GRANT" means the date specified by the Committee on which a
grant of Option Rights shall become effective, which shall not be earlier than
the date on which the Committee takes action with respect thereto.

            "INCENTIVE STOCK OPTIONS" means Option Rights that are intended to
qualify as "incentive stock options" under Section 422 of the Code or any
successor provision.

            "LESS-THAN-80-PERCENT SUBSIDIARY" means a Subsidiary with respect to
which the Corporation directly or indirectly owns or controls less than 80
percent of the total combined voting or other decision-making power.

            "MARKET VALUE PER SHARE" means, at any date, (i) the closing sales
price for the Common Shares on that date, if available, or, if there are no
sales on that date or if a closing sales price is not available, (ii) the
average of the "bid" and "asked" prices of the Common Shares on that date, in
each case as reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers
Automated Quotation System or any national securities exchange on which the
Common Shares are then traded, or, if (i) or (ii) are not available, the fair
market value of the Common Shares as determined by the Committee from time to
time.




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            "NONEMPLOYEE DIRECTOR" means a member of the Board, who is not also
an employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries on the date an Option
Right is granted to him or her pursuant to Section 4(b) of this Plan.

            "OPTIONEE" means the person so designated in an agreement evidencing
an outstanding Option Right.

            "OPTION PRICE" means the purchase price payable upon the exercise of
an Option Right.

            "OPTION RIGHT" means the right to purchase Common Shares upon
exercise of an option granted pursuant to Section 4 of this Plan.

            "PARTICIPANT" means a person who is selected by the Committee to
receive benefits under this Plan and who is at that time an officer, including
without limitation an officer who may also be a member of the Board, any other
key employee of, or a consultant to, the Corporation or any Subsidiary, or who
has agreed to commence serving in any such capacity or a Nonemployee Director
receiving an Option Right pursuant to Section 4(b) hereof.

            "RELOAD OPTION RIGHTS" means additional Option Rights granted
automatically to an Optionee upon the exercise of Option Rights pursuant to
Section 4(f) of this Plan.

            "RULE 16b-3" means Rule 16b-3 of the Securities and Exchange
Commission (or any successor rule to the same effect), as in effect from time to
time.

            "SUBSIDIARY" means a corporation, partnership, joint venture,
unincorporated association or other entity in which the Corporation has a direct
or indirect ownership or other equity interest; provided, however, for purposes
of determining whether any person may be a Participant for purposes of any grant
of Incentive Stock Options, "Subsidiary" means any corporation in which the
Corporation owns or controls directly or indirectly more than 50 percent of the
total combined voting power represented by all classes of stock issued by such
corporation at the time of such grant.

         3. SHARES AVAILABLE UNDER THE PLAN.

            (a) Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 6 of this Plan, the
number of Common Shares issued or transferred upon the exercise of Option Rights
shall not in the aggregate exceed 700,000 Common Shares, which may be Common
Shares of original issuance or Common Shares held in treasury or a combination
thereof. If any award terminates, expires or is canceled with respect to any
Common Shares, new awards may thereafter be granted covering such Common Shares.

            (b) Upon the full or partial payment of any Option Price by the
transfer to the Corporation of Common Shares or upon satisfaction of tax
withholding provisions in connection with any such exercise or any other payment
made or benefit realized under this Plan by the transfer or relinquishment of
Common Shares, there shall be deemed to have been issued or transferred under
this plan only the net number of Common Shares actually issued or transferred by
the Corporation.


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         4. OPTION RIGHTS.

            (a) The Committee may from time to time authorize grants to
Participants of options to purchase Common Shares upon such terms and conditions
as the Committee may determine in accordance with the following provisions:

                (i) Each grant shall specify the number of Common Shares to
which it pertains.

                (ii) Each grant shall specify an Option Price per Common Share,
which in the case of Incentive Options, shall be equal to or greater than the
Market Value per Share on the Date of Grant and, in the case of other options,
shall not be less than eighty-five percent (85%) of the Market Value per Share
on the Date of Grant.

                (iii) Each grant shall specify the form of consideration to be
paid in satisfaction of the Option Price and the manner of payment of such
consideration, which may include (A) cash in the form of currency or check or
other cash equivalent acceptable to the Corporation, (B) nonforfeitable,
unrestricted Common Shares, which are already owned by the Optionee and have a
value at the time of exercise that is equal to the Option Price, (C) any other
legal consideration, including, without limitation, promissory notes, that the
Committee may deem appropriate, including without limitation any form of
consideration authorized under Section 4(a)(iv) below, on such basis as the
Committee may determine in accordance with this Plan and (D) any combination of
the foregoing.

                (iv) Any grant may provide for deferred payment of the Option
Price from the proceeds of sale through a bank or broker on the date of exercise
of some or all of the Common Shares to which the exercise relates.

                (v) Any grant may provide for the automatic grant to the
Optionee of Reload Option Rights upon the exercise of Option Rights, including
Reload Option Rights, for Common Shares or any other noncash consideration
authorized under Sections 4(a)(iii) above.

                (vi) Successive grants may be made to the same Participant
regardless of whether any Option Rights previously granted to such Participant
remain unexercised.

                (vii) Each grant shall specify the period or periods of
continuous employment of the Optionee by the Corporation or any Subsidiary that
are necessary before the Option Rights or installments thereof shall become
exercisable, and any grant may provide for the earlier exercisability of such
rights in the event of retirement, death or disability of the Participant or a
change in control of the Corporation or other similar transaction or event.

                (viii) Option Rights granted under this Plan may be (A) options
that are intended to qualify under particular provisions of the Code, including
without limitation Incentive Stock Options, (B) options that are not intended to
so qualify or (C) combinations of the foregoing.



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                (ix) No Option Right granted under this Plan may be exercised
more than 10 years from the Date of Grant.

                (x) Each grant shall be evidenced by an agreement, which shall
be executed on behalf of the Corporation by any officer thereof and delivered to
and accepted by the Optionee and shall contain such terms and provisions as the
Committee may determine consistent with this Plan.

         (b) (i) Notwithstanding the above, each director who is a Nonemployee
Director is hereby granted, effective the close of business on the first
business day after (1) the date of the first annual meeting of shareholders
occurring after the date of this Plan at which he or she is elected a Director,
an option to purchase 2,000 Common Shares, and (2) the date of each subsequent
annual meeting of shareholders at which he or she is elected a Director, an
option to purchase 1,000 Common Shares.

             (ii) All options granted pursuant to this Section 2(b)(i) hereof
shall be non-statutory options not intended to qualify under Section 422 of the
Code and shall be evidenced by an agreement, which shall be executed on behalf
of the Corporation by any officer thereof and delivered to and accepted by such
Nonemployee Director, and which agreement shall be in the form attached hereto
as Exhibit A.

             (iii) The Option Price per Common Share shall be equal to 100% of
the Market Value per Share as of the date such option is granted, shall be
exercisable in full one year following the date of grant and shall expire ten
years from the date of grant, unless terminated earlier in accordance with the
stock option agreement.

         5. TRANSFERABILITY.

            (a) No Option Right or other derivative security (as that term is
used in Rule 16b-3) awarded under this Plan shall be transferable by a
Participant other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution or, other
than with respect to an Incentive Stock Option, a qualified domestic relations
order, as defined in the Code. Option Rights shall be exercisable during a
Participant's lifetime only by the Participant or, in the event of the
Participant's legal incapacity, by his guardian or legal representative acting
in a fiduciary capacity on behalf of the Participant under state law and court
supervision. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee, in its sole
discretion, may provide for transferability of particular awards under this Plan
so long as such provisions will not disqualify the exemption for other awards
under Rule 16b-3.

            (b) Any award made under this Plan may provide that all or any part
of the Common Shares that are to be issued or transferred by the Corporation
upon the exercise of Option Rights shall be subject to further restrictions upon
transfer.

         6. ADJUSTMENTS. The Committee may make or provide for such adjustments
in the (a) number of Common Shares covered by outstanding Option Rights, (b)
prices per share applicable to such Option Rights, and (c) kind of shares
(including shares of another issuer) covered thereby, as the Committee in its
sole discretion may in good faith determine to be equitably required in order to
prevent dilution or enlargement of the rights of Participants that otherwise
would result from


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(x) any stock dividend, stock split, combination of shares, recapitalization or
other change in the capital structure of the Corporation, (y) any merger,
consolidation, spin-off, spin-out, split-off, split-up, reorganization, partial
or complete liquidation or other distribution of assets, issuance of rights or
warrants to purchase securities or (z) any other corporate transaction or event
having an effect similar to any of the foregoing. In the event of any such
transaction or event, the Committee may provide in substitution for any or all
outstanding awards under this Plan such alternative consideration as it may in
good faith determine to be equitable under the circumstances and may require in
connection therewith the surrender of all awards so replaced. Moreover, the
Committee may on or after the Date of Grant provide in the agreement evidencing
any award under this Plan that the holder of the award may elect to receive an
equivalent award in respect of securities of the surviving entity of any merger,
consolidation or other transaction or event having a similar effect, or the
Committee may provide that the holder will automatically be entitled to receive
such an equivalent award. In any case, such substitution of securities shall not
require the consent of any person who is granted awards pursuant to this Plan.

         7. FRACTIONAL SHARES. The Corporation shall not be required to issue
any fractional Common Shares pursuant to this Plan. The Committee may provide
for the elimination of fractions or for the settlement thereof in cash.

         8. WITHHOLDING TAXES. To the extent that the Corporation is required to
withhold federal, state, local or foreign taxes in connection with any payment
made or benefit realized by a Participant or other person under this Plan, and
the amounts available to the Corporation for such withholding are insufficient,
it shall be a condition to the receipt of such payment or the realization of
such benefit that the Participant or such other person make arrangements
satisfactory to the Corporation for payment of the balance of such taxes
required to be withheld. At the discretion of the Committee, such arrangements
may include relinquishment of a portion of such benefit. The Corporation and any
Participant or such other person may also make similar arrangements with respect
to the payment of any taxes with respect to which withholding is not required.

         9. PARTICIPATION BY EMPLOYEES OF A LESS-THAN-80-PERCENT SUBSIDIARY. As
a condition to the effectiveness of any grant or award to be made hereunder to a
Participant who is an employee of a Less-Than-80-Percent Subsidiary, regardless
whether such Participant is also employed by the Corporation or another
Subsidiary, the Committee may require the Less-Than-80-Percent Subsidiary to
agree to transfer to the Participant (as, if and when provided for under this
Plan and any applicable agreement entered into between the Participant and the
Less-Than-80-Percent Subsidiary pursuant to this Plan) the Common Shares that
would otherwise be delivered by the Corporation upon receipt by the
Less-Than-80-Percent Subsidiary of any consideration then otherwise payable by
the Participant to the Corporation. Any such award may be evidenced by an
agreement between the Participant and the Less-Than-80-Percent Subsidiary, in
lieu of the Corporation, on terms consistent with this Plan and approved by the
Committee and the Less-Than-80-Percent Subsidiary. All Common Shares so
delivered by or to a Less-Than-80-Percent Subsidiary will be treated as if they
had been delivered by or to the Corporation for purposes of Section 3 of this
Plan, and all references to the Corporation in this Plan shall be deemed to
refer to the Less-Than-80-Percent Subsidiary except with respect to the
definitions of the Board and the Committee and in other cases where the context
otherwise requires.



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         10. CERTAIN TERMINATIONS OF EMPLOYMENT, HARDSHIP AND APPROVED LEAVES OF
ABSENCE. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary, in
the event of termination of employment by reason of death, disability, normal
retirement, early retirement with the consent of the Corporation, termination of
employment to enter public service with the consent of the Corporation or leave
of absence approved by the Corporation, or in the event of hardship or other
special circumstances, of a Participant who holds an Option Right that is not
immediately and fully exercisable, the Committee may in its sole discretion take
any action that it deems to be equitable under the circumstances or in the best
interests of the Corporation, including without limitation waiving or modifying
any limitation or requirement with respect to any award under this Plan.

         11. ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN.

            (a) This Plan shall be administered by the Compensation Committee of
the Board appointed from time to time by the Board of Directors of the
Corporation. The Committee shall be composed of not less than two members of the
Board, each of whom shall be a "disinterested person" within the meaning of Rule
16b-3 and an "outside director" within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the
Code. A majority of the Committee shall constitute a quorum, and the acts of the
members of the Committee who are present at any meeting thereof at which a
quorum is present, or acts unanimously approved by the members of the Committee
in writing, shall be the acts of the Committee.

            (b) The interpretation and construction by the Committee of any
provision of this Plan or of any agreement, notification or document evidencing
the grant of Option Rights, and any determination by the Committee pursuant to
any provision of this Plan or any such agreement, notification or document,
shall be final and conclusive. No member of the Committee shall be liable for
any such action taken or determination made in good faith.

         12. AMENDMENTS AND OTHER MATTERS.

            (a) This Plan may be amended from time to time by the Committee, but
except as expressly authorized by this Plan no such amendment shall increase the
maximum number of shares specified in Section 3(a) of this Plan (except that
adjustments authorized by Section 6 of this Plan shall not be limited by this
provision), or cause Rule 16b-3 to become inapplicable to this Plan, without the
further approval of the shareholders of the Corporation, unless permitted by
Rule 16b-3. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Committee may
amend this Plan to eliminate provisions which are no longer necessary as a
result of changes in tax or securities laws or regulations, or in the
interpretation thereof.

            (b) With the concurrence of the affected Optionee, the Committee may
cancel any agreement evidencing Option Rights or any other award granted under
this Plan. In the event of such cancellation, the Committee may authorize the
granting of new Option Rights or other awards hereunder, which may or may not
cover the same number of Common Shares that had been the subject of the prior
award, at such Option Price and subject to such other terms, conditions and
discretions as would have been applicable under this Plan had the canceled
Option Rights or other awards been granted.



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            (c) The Committee may, in its sole discretion, accelerate the time
at which any Option Right may be exercised. The Committee also may permit
Participants to elect to defer the issuance of Common Shares pursuant to such
rules, procedures or programs as it may establish for purposes of this Plan. The
Committee also may provide that deferred settlements include the payment or
crediting of interest on the deferral amounts, or the payment or crediting of
dividend equivalents where the deferral amounts are denominated in Common
Shares.

            (d) This Plan shall not confer upon any Participant any right with
respect to continuance of employment or other service with the Corporation or
any Subsidiary and shall not interfere in any way with any right that the
Corporation or any Subsidiary would otherwise have to terminate any
Participant's employment or other service at any time.

            (e) To the extent that any provision of this Plan would prevent any
Option Right that was intended to qualify under particular provisions of the
Code from so qualifying, such provision of this Plan shall be null and void with
respect to such Option Right; provided, however, that such provision shall
remain in effect with respect to other Option Rights, and there shall be no
further effect on any provision of this Plan.



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