Document:

<PAGE>   1
                                                                    Exhibit 10-e

                               NORDSON CORPORATION

                               BOARD OF DIRECTORS

                           DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

                           AS AMENDED OCTOBER 27, 1988

          This Deferred Compensation Plan (hereinafter referred to as the
"Plan") affords the members of the Board of Directors of Nordson Corporation
(the "Company") and members of the Compensation Committee, the Audit Committee,
and other Committees appointed by the Board of Directors of the Company the
right to defer the receipt, to a later period of time, of all or a portion of
the fees (including quarterly retainer fees, meeting fees, and such special or
other fees as may be authorized by the Board of Directors, all of which shall be
referred to herein as "Directors Compensation") paid to them by reason of their
serving on the Board and, if applicable, on Committees of the Board. The Plan
provides that the Directors Compensation shall, at the option of each Director
who elects to defer Directors Compensation, be either credited to an account
maintained for him by the Company as cash or allocated as stock equivalent units
("Stock Units") representing Common Shares of the Company ("Common Shares"). The
purpose of the Plan is to provide an incentive for service on the Board of
Directors by permitting Directors to defer the receipt of Directors
Compensation, as well as an additional incentive to Directors through the
indirect equity participation represented by the Stock Units. References in this
Plan to a "year" or to a

<PAGE>   2

"quarter" are to a calendar year or quarter. The provisions of the Plan are as
follows:

          1. ELECTIONS TO DEFER DIRECTORS COMPENSATION.

             (a) TIME OF ELECTION. Any person who is appointed to fill a vacancy
on the Board, or is newly elected as a Director, may elect at any time within
the first Window Period (as hereinafter defined) after commencement of his term
as Director to defer the receipt of all or a specified portion of his Directors
Compensation for the balance of the year in which his term begins and succeeding
years. Any Director who does not make such an election within the first Window
Period after commencement of his term as a Director, may thereafter elect within
the last Window Period in any year to defer the receipt of Directors
Compensation for the year following his election and succeeding years. For
purposes of the Plan, a Window Period shall be the period beginning on the third
business day following the date of the release of quarterly or annual summary
statements of sales and earnings of the Company and ending on the twelfth
business day following the date of such release.

             (b) DURATION OF AN ELECTION. An election to defer Directors
Compensation shall be irrevocable and shall continue from year to year until a
Director terminates the election by written request or until the end of the year
preceding the initial distribution to the Director under the schedule set forth
in Section 3 hereof, whichever first occurs, but, in the event of a termination,
the amount theretofore

<PAGE>   3

deferred shall not be paid to the Director until the dates specified in the
schedule set forth in Section 3 hereof.

             (c) ELECTION TO DEFER LESS THAN ALL DIRECTORS COMPENSATION. In the
event that any Director elects to defer less than all of the Directors
Compensation payable to him for any period, the Company shall first pay the
non-deferred portion of the Directors Compensation to the Director in cash and
shall only commence to defer his Directors Compensation, whether as cash or as
Stock Units, at such time as the entire non-deferred portion has been paid to
the Director in cash.

          2. Election of Cash or Stock Units.

             (a) TIME OF ELECTION. At the time that each Director makes an
election to defer the receipt of all or a specified portion of his Directors
Compensation, the Director shall designate whether the amount of the Directors
Compensation he elects to defer shall be credited to his account as cash or
allocated as Stock Units. Moreover, each Director who, prior to the amendment of
the Plan on May 30, 1986, has elected to defer the receipt of all or a portion
of his Directors Compensation and, as a result, has an amount credited to his
account as cash may elect (i) to have the cash credited to his account as of May
30, 1986 converted into Stock Units equal in number to the quotient of the
amount of cash credited to his account at that time divided by the Market Price
(as hereinafter defined) of the Common Shares on May 30, 1986, and (ii) to have
the Directors Compensation he elects to defer in the future allocated to his

<PAGE>   4

account as Stock Units. For purposes of the Plan, the Market Price of Common
Shares on a particular date shall be the closing price of the Common Shares on
the immediately preceding trading date as quoted in the NASDAQ system for
national market issues.

             (b) CASH CREDITS. The Company shall establish and maintain an
account for each Director who elects to defer as cash Directors Compensation due
after May 30, 1986 and shall credit his account (i) on the first day of each
month after May 1986 with the amount of Directors Compensation he elects to
defer which otherwise would have been paid to him during the month and (ii) on
the last day of each quarter commencing the fourth quarter of 1987, with
interest on the balance in this account at a rate equal to the rate of interest
of Ten Year Treasury Securities as reported in the Federal Reserve Bank Constant
Maturity Series H-15 Report for the last business day of the quarter, paid on
the average daily balance in the account during the quarter. For each Director
who elected to defer Directors Compensation prior to May 30, 1986 and does not
elect to have the cash credited to his account converted into Stock Units, the
Company shall maintain a second account and shall credit this second account (i)
with the amount credited to his account as of May 30, 1986 and (ii) on the last
day of each quarter with interest on the balance in this second account at the
rate specified in the preceding sentence. A Director whose account is credited
with cash shall receive all distributions in cash.

<PAGE>   5

             (c) STOCK UNITS. The Company shall establish and maintain an
account for each Director who elects to defer as Stock Units Directors
Compensation due after May 30, 1986 and shall credit his account (i) on the 1st
day of each month after May, 1986 with a number of Stock Units equal to the
quotient of the amount of Directors Compensation he elects to defer which
otherwise would have been paid to him during the month divided by the Market
Price of the Common Shares on that day and (ii) on dividend payment dates with
an additional number of Stock Units, equal to the product of the number of Stock
Units credited to this account immediately prior to the dividend payment date
multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the amount of the dividend
per Common Share and the denominator of which is the Market Price of the Common
Shares on the dividend payment date. For each Director who elected to defer
Directors Compensation prior to May 30, 1986 and elects to have the cash
credited to his account converted into Stock Units, the Company shall maintain a
second account and shall credit this second account (i) with the number of Stock
Units into which the cash is converted, as provided in Section 2(a), and (ii) on
dividend payment dates with an additional number of Stock Units credited to this
second account immediately prior to the dividend payment date multiplied by the
fraction specified in the preceding sentence. A Director whose account is
credited with Stock Units shall receive all distributions in Common Shares.

<PAGE>   6

             (d) SUBJECT TO CLAIMS OF GENERAL CREDITORS. All Directors
Compensation deferred and amounts credited to accounts as cash or Stock Units
under the terms of the Plan shall remain part of the assets of the Company and
shall be subject to the claims of its general creditors.

          3. DISTRIBUTION. The account maintained for each Director who elects
to defer Directors Compensation due after May 30, 1986 shall be distributed in
16 quarterly installments (the amount of each to equal the balance in this
account at the particular time divided by the number of remaining installments)
beginning with the first day of the month immediately succeeding the month in
which that Director ceases to be a Director. The second account maintained for
each Director who elected to defer Directors Compensation prior to May 30, 1986
shall be distributed in 16 quarterly installments (the amount of each to equal
the balance in this second account at the particular time divided by the number
of remaining installments) beginning with the first day of the month immediately
succeeding the month in which that Director (i) ceases to be a Director or (ii)
attains age 70, whichever occurs first. The undistributed balance of any account
shall bear interest, or be credited with additional Stock Units upon the payment
of dividends, as provided in Section 2 hereof until the account shall have been
completely distributed.

          4. DEATH OF A DIRECTOR. A Director may elect whether, in the event of
his death prior to the expiration of the period during which his account balance
is distributable, the

<PAGE>   7

account balance shall be distributed to his estate (or his designated
beneficiary) in a single distribution or in the installments contemplated by
Section 3 hereof. Such election shall be made at the time of the election
contemplated by Section 1 hereof; if no such election is made, the account
balance shall be distributed in a single distribution.

          5. NON-COMPETITION. In the event a Director ceases to be a Director
and becomes a proprietor, officer, partner, or employee of, or otherwise becomes
affiliated with, any business that is in competition with the Company, his
account balance shall, if the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors
of the Company in its sole discretion so directs, be distributed immediately to
him in single cash distribution. Any Stock Units allocated to the Director's
account will be converted into an amount of cash equal to the product of the
number of Stock Units allocated to his account multiplied by the Market Price of
the Common Shares on the date of the distribution.

          6. PLAN TERMINATION. This Plan may be terminated or amended at any
time at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors. In the event of a
termination of the Plan, the respective account balances shall be distributed
under the terms of this Plan with no additional deferrals permitted.

          7. ADMINISTRATION. This Plan shall be administered by the Compensation
Committee of the Board of Directors, which shall have the sole right and
authority to interpret and construe the Plan and to resolve any disputes arising
hereunder, and its

<PAGE>   8

decisions shall be binding and conclusive upon the participants. In the event
that a participant is a member of the Committee, he shall not participate in any
deliberations or actions of the Committee relating exclusively to his
participation in this Plan.

          8. NON-ALIENATION. The amount credited to any accounts maintained
under the Plan may not be pledged, assigned or transferred by the Director for
whom such account is maintained or by any other individual, and any purported
pledge, assignment or transfer shall be void and unenforceable.<PAGE>   1
                                                                    Exhibit 10-r

                               NORDSON CORPORATION
                               28601 CLEMENS ROAD
                            WESTLAKE, OHIO 44145-1119

                                October 31, 1999

Personal and Confidential
-------------------------

Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
2513 Marlboro Road
Cleveland Heights, OH  44118

Dear Christian:

This letter sets forth the agreement (this "Agreement") we have reached
regarding the termination of your status as an officer and employee of Nordson
Corporation ("Nordson"), the compensation and benefits to be paid to you, and
certain other matters. You should review this Agreement with legal counsel of
your choice to be certain that you understand and agree with all of the
provisions of this Agreement.

1. Cessation of Status as an Officer. On the date hereof, your status as an
officer of Nordson, and of any subsidiaries and other affiliates of Nordson of
which you are an officer, and your status as a trustee of The Nordson
Corporation Foundation will cease. By signing this Agreement, you hereby resign
as an officer of Nordson and of each such subsidiary and affiliate and as a
trustee of The Nordson Corporation Foundation. After the date hereof, you will
not hold yourself out as being an officer or trustee, or as having any authority
to bind, Nordson, any such subsidiary or affiliate, or The Nordson Corporation
Foundation.

2. Continued Employment through the Termination Date. You will continue as an
employee of Nordson through December 31, 1999. As an employee, you will report
to the Chief Executive Officer of Nordson and will perform such duties as you
and the Chief Executive Officer may from time-to-time agree. All of these duties
will be performed in Westlake, Ohio, unless you otherwise agree. Your employment
with Nordson may be terminated by Nordson before December 31, 1999, only for
cause. For this purpose, "for cause" means a material breach of the provisions
of this Agreement or the Standard Employee Agreement referred to in paragraph 6
hereof (the "Standard Employee Agreement"), including but not limited to a
material breach of the confidentiality provisions and the covenant not to
compete in the Standard Employee Agreement, following notice of the breach and
an opportunity to cure for 30 days after receipt of the notice. As used in this
Agreement, "Termination Date" means the earlier of (a) December 31, 1999, and
(b) the date of any such termination for cause.

3. Compensation. In consideration of your execution of this Agreement, your
continued employment with Nordson through the Termination Date, the modification
of the Standard Employee Agreement, and your observance of the other terms and
conditions hereof, Nordson

<PAGE>   2

Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
October 31, 1999                                                          Page 2

will pay to you or your estate the following amounts and provide you with the
following benefits:

1.       Salary; Lump Sum Termination Benefit. Through the Termination Date,
         Nordson will continue to pay your salary at the annual rate of
         $227,000. In the first week of January 2000, Nordson will pay you a
         lump sum termination benefit in the amount of $302,667.

2.       Bonus. For the fiscal year ended October 31, 1999, Nordson will pay a
         bonus to you under the Nordson Corporation 1995 Management Incentive
         Compensation Plan to the extent earned by you, payable in the first
         week of January 2000. For the period from November 1, 1999 through the
         Termination Date, you will receive a severance bonus in the amount of
         $221,325, payable in the first week of January 2001.

3.       Stock Options. No additional stock options will be granted to you. Each
         outstanding stock option previously granted to you under the Nordson
         Corporation 1993 Long-Term Performance Plan, as amended (the "Omnibus
         Plan"), will vest in full at the Termination Date (to the extent not
         therefore vested) and may be exercised at any time before its
         expiration, notwithstanding the earlier termination of your employment.
         Each outstanding stock option granted to you under any plan or program
         other than the Omnibus Plan may be exercised by you until the earlier
         of (a) the termination of the option and (b) the Termination Date. A
         schedule of the outstanding stock options granted to you is set forth
         in Exhibit 1 hereto.

d.       Other Benefits. You will be entitled to other benefits as and to the
         extent provided under the Nordson Salaried Employees' Pension Plan, the
         Nordson Corporation Excess Defined Benefit Pension Plan, the Nordson
         Employees' Savings Trust Plan, the Nordson Corporation Excess Defined
         Contribution Retirement Plan, the Nordson Corporation Non-Union
         Employees Stock Ownership Plan and Trust, and the Nordson Corporation
         Officers' Deferred Compensation Plan. The lump sum termination benefit
         referred to in paragraph 3(a) and the severance bonus referred to in
         paragraph 3(b) will not be counted for purposes of determining the
         amount of your benefits under any of Nordson's benefit plans. During
         the continuation of your employment, you will be entitled to benefits
         as and to the extent provided under Nordson's medical, dental, life
         insurance, and disability income plans and programs. You will be
         entitled to outplacement support consisting of the Executive Service
         Program provided by Right Associates, a car allowance pro-rated through
         the Termination Date, and tax preparation assistance for the 1999 and
         the 2000 tax years. After the Termination Date, you will have such
         rights to continuing medical insurance coverage as Nordson is required
         to provide under Part 6 of Title I of ERISA (commonly referred to as
         "COBRA"); Nordson will pay the COBRA premiums through December 31, 2000
         or until such earlier time as you are covered by another medical
         benefit program.

<PAGE>   3

Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
October 31, 1999                                                          Page 3

     e.  If you have not begun employment with another employer on or before May
         1, 2001, Nordson will pay you an additional $31,213 in cash, and, if
         you have not begun employment with another employer on or before June
         1, 2001, Nordson will pay you another $31,213 in cash, provided, in
         each case, that you use all reasonable efforts (taking into
         consideration the state of your health) to obtain such employment.

4. Nordson Equipment and Property. As soon as practicable, you will return to
Nordson any equipment and property that belongs to Nordson, and all materials
that contain any Nordson confidential or proprietary information (including
floppy disks and other storage devices for computer files), that you may have in
your possession. You will be given access to your former office at Nordson to
obtain your personal effects at a time agreed upon by you and Nordson. After the
execution of this Agreement, you will not access any Nordson computer network,
whether directly or by use of a modem.

5. Termination of Change of Control Agreement. The Employment Agreement between
you and Nordson that is effective upon a change in control (the "Change of
Control Agreement") is hereby terminated, and, after the execution of this
Agreement, you will have no rights or obligations under the Change of Control
Agreement.

6. Modification of Standard Employee Agreement. The Standard Employee Agreement,
signed by you and accepted by Nordson on March 11, 1988, will remain in effect
during the continuation of your employment and thereafter in accordance with its
terms, except that (a) the period in which the covenants in paragraphs 5, 6, and
7 of the Standard Employee Agreement apply will be extended until the end of the
third year after the Termination Date and (b) Nordson will have no obligation to
make payments to you under paragraph 9 of the Standard Employee Agreement.
Nordson acknowledges that neither this Agreement nor the Standard Employee
Agreement precludes you from obtaining employment with any company that you
researched as a potential acquisition candidate of Nordson while you were a
Nordson employee, or obtaining employment with any company in connection with
the implementation of enterprise-wide software (including SAP), provided in
either case that the company does not design, manufacture, market, or sell any
products or services that are competitive with any products or services
designed, manufactured, marketed, or sold by Nordson at the time you obtain
employment with that company. Nordson also acknowledges that the term
"Confidential Information," as used in the Standard Employee Agreement, does not
include information that is generally available to the public, information about
enterprise-wide software (including SAP), or information about acquisition
candidates that came to your attention while you were a Nordson employee.

7. Restrictions Applicable to Transactions in Nordson Common Shares. Even though
you will no longer be an officer of Nordson or of any subsidiary or other
affiliate of Nordson, certain restrictions will apply to any purchase or sale of
Nordson Common Shares by you. By signing

<PAGE>   4

Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
October 31, 1999                                                          Page 4

this Agreement, you acknowledge that you have received the summary of those
restrictions that is attached to this Agreement as Exhibit 2 hereto and agree
that you will comply with those restrictions.

8. Confidentiality; Nondisparagement; Cooperation. In consideration of the
payments and benefits to be provided to you by Nordson pursuant to this
Agreement:

   1.    You will not reveal any information regarding the substance of this
         Agreement to any person or entity other than (i) your wife, (ii) your
         personal accountant or other person preparing your tax returns, and
         (iii) counsel retained by you in connection with this Agreement, and
         you will be responsible to see to it that none of these people reveals
         any information regarding the substance of this Agreement to any other
         person or organization.

   2.    You will not disparage, attempt to discredit, or otherwise call into
         disrepute Nordson, its affiliates, successors, assigns, officers,
         directors, employees, or agents (in their capacity as agents of
         Nordson), or any of their products or services, in any manner that
         might damage the business or reputation of Nordson or its affiliates,
         successors, assigns, officers, directors, employees, or agents. The
         preceding sentence applies to any statement that disparages,
         discredits, or calls into disrepute without regard to the truth or
         falsehood of the statement. It does not, however, apply to statements
         about Nordson's products or services that you make more than three
         years after the Termination Date in the course of your employment with
         a competitor of Nordson, provided that the statements are not based on
         any Confidential Information (as defined in the Standard Employee
         Agreement).

   3.    You will not assist any party other than Nordson in any litigation or
         investigation against Nordson or its affiliates, successors, assigns,
         officers, directors, employees, or agents with respect to any facts or
         circumstances existing at any time on or before the Termination Date,
         except as may be required by law. If you believe any such action is
         required by law, you will use your best efforts to afford Nordson the
         opportunity to raise any objection that Nordson may have to the
         purported requirement that such action be taken by you.

Your obligations under this paragraph 8 will remain in effect without any
limitation as to time.

9. Nondisparagement. In consideration of your execution of this Agreement,
Nordson agrees that none of its corporate officers will disparage you, attempt
to discredit you, or otherwise call you into disrepute in any manner that might
damage your reputation. The preceding sentence applies to any statement that
disparages, discredits, or calls into disrepute without regard to the truth or
falsehood of the statement. Nordson's obligations under this paragraph 9 will
remain in effect without any limitation as to time.

<PAGE>   5

Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
October 31, 1999                                                          Page 5

10. Release. In consideration of the payments and benefits to be provided to you
by Nordson pursuant to this Agreement:

    1.   For yourself, your heirs, executors, administrators, successors, and
         assigns, you hereby release and discharge forever Nordson, its
         affiliates, successors, assigns, officers, directors, employees, and
         agents from any and all claims, demands, causes of action, losses, and
         expenses, whether known or unknown, arising out of or in any way
         connected with any facts or circumstances existing on or occurring
         before the date of this Agreement or arising out of or in any way
         connected with your employment by Nordson, the termination of your
         employment, or any breach of contract (express or implied), promissory
         estoppel, wrongful discharge, intentional infliction of emotional harm,
         defamation, libel, slander, or other tort, or any violation of federal,
         state, or municipal law relating to discrimination in employment,
         including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. Section
         2000(e) et seq.), Ohio Revised Code Section 4112 et seq., the Americans
         with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. Section 12101, or any state
         laws of similar import.

    2.   You agree not to bring any suit or action in any court or
         administrative agency against any of the beneficiaries of this release
         arising out of or relating to the subject matter of this release.

Nothing in this paragraph 10 will release Nordson from its obligations under
this Agreement or prevent you from bringing an action to enforce or seek damages
for breach of this Agreement by Nordson.

11.  Certain Statements and Procedures.

     1.  Nordson will make the following statement regarding your termination of
         employment:

              "Christian Bernadotte has resigned from his position as Vice
              President of Nordson. During his tenure with Nordson, Christian
              made a significant contribution to the growth and profitability of
              the Company, and we wish him continued professional and personal
              success in his future endeavors."

     2.  You may make the following statement regarding your termination of
         employment:

              "I resigned on mutually agreed upon terms. I wish Nordson
              continued success in the future."

     c.  If you request Nordson or any of its officers, directors, employees, or
         agents to provide to any prospective employer a recommendation or
         evaluation of your services to Nordson,

<PAGE>   6

Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
October 31, 1999                                                          Page 6

         they will be permitted to provide the recommendation or evaluation to
         the employer. In that event, you hereby waive any claim that you may
         have against them by reason of the disclosure of the recommendation or
         evaluation, including any claim that the recommendation or evaluation
         is unfair in any respect.

     d.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party may communicate with its or
         his own counsel, with counsel for the other party, and with such other
         agents or representatives of the other party as may be authorized by
         the other party.

12. Injunctive Relief. In the event of a breach by you of your obligations under
this Agreement or the Standard Employee Agreement as modified hereby, Nordson
will be entitled to an injunction against any further breach, as well as money
damages suffered by it or any of the beneficiaries of the release set forth in
paragraph 10 above as a result of the breach.

13. Legal Fees. If either party to this Agreement brings any suit or action to
enforce or seek damages for breach of this Agreement, the parties agree that the
court in which the suit or action is brought may, in its discretion, award to
the prevailing party recovery of his or its reasonable legal fees and expenses
incurred in the suit or action.

14. Governing Law; Venue. This Agreement will be governed by the laws of the
State of Ohio applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely within
that state. Any suit, action, or other legal proceeding arising out of or
relating to this Agreement may only be brought in the Court of Common Pleas of
Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Nordson and you each (a) consents to the jurisdiction of
that court in any such suit, action, or proceeding and (b) waives, to the
fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any objection that it or he may have
to the laying of venue of any such suit, action, or proceeding in that court and
any claim that any such suit, action, or proceeding has been brought in an
inconvenient forum.

15. Withholding. All payments to be made by Nordson pursuant to this Agreement
are subject to applicable federal, state, and local tax withholding.

<PAGE>   7

Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
October 31, 1999                                                          Page 7

16. Entire Agreement, Binding Nature. This Agreement and the Standard Employee
Agreement as modified hereby set forth the entire agreement between you and
Nordson regarding the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior agreements
and understandings, whether oral or written, between you and Nordson with
respect to the subject matter. This Agreement and the Standard Employee
Agreement as modified hereby will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of
you and your heirs, executors, administrators, personal representatives,
successors, and assigns and Nordson and its successors and assigns.

Sincerely,

NORDSON CORPORATION

By  /s/ Edward P. Campbell
    ----------------------
    Edward P. Campbell
    President and Chief Executive Officer

I hereby accept and agree to all of the terms of this Agreement.

/s/ Christian C. Bernadotte  11/16/99
-------------------------------------
    Christian C. Bernadotte

October 31, 1999

<PAGE>   8

Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
October 31, 1999                                                          Page 8

                                    EXHIBIT 1

                      SCHEDULE OF OUTSTANDING STOCK OPTIONS

1.   Options Granted under Omnibus Plan

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

Date of Grant       No. of Options      Exercise Price       Expiration Date       Date Must Exercise
-------------       --------------      --------------       ---------------       ------------------
<S>                 <C>                 <C>                  <C>                    <C>
   11/2/98              14,000              $44.81               11/2/08                 11/2/08
   11/3/97              12,000              $49.63               11/3/07                 11/3/07
   11/4/96              12,000              $55.25               11/4/06                 11/4/06
  10/30/95              10,000              $57.25              10/30/05                10/30/05
  10/31/94               8,000              $57.00              10/31/04                10/31/04
   11/1/93               3,600              $53.50               11/1/03                 11/1/03

</TABLE>

2.   Options Granted under Other Plans or Programs

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

Date of Grant       No. of Options      Exercise Price       Expiration Date       Date Must Exercise
-------------       --------------      --------------       ---------------       ------------------
<S>                  <C>                 <C>                  <C>                    <C>
  11/2/92               3,600               $47.00               11/2/02                12/31/99
  11/4/91               3,000               $42.50               11/4/01                12/31/99

</TABLE>

<PAGE>   9

Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
October 31, 1999                                                          Page 9

                                    EXHIBIT 2

                      STOCK TRANSFER ISSUES ARISING OUT OF
                          TERMINATION OF OFFICER STATUS

Insider Trading Prohibition.
----------------------------

         The prohibition on trading in Nordson Common Shares while you are in
         possession of "inside information" will continue to apply to you after
         you cease to be an officer of Nordson.

Affiliate Status.
-----------------

         You have been an affiliate of Nordson because of your status as an
         officer. You will continue to be deemed to be an affiliate for purposes
         of federal securities laws until January 25, 2000, three months after
         you cease to be an officer, but will not be deemed to be an affiliate
         thereafter.

         Accordingly, from October 25, 1999 through January 25, 2000, you will
         be subject to the same restrictions on sales of your Nordson Common
         Shares as applied while you were an officer of Nordson. You will be
         able to sell Nordson Common Shares during this three-month period only
         in compliance with the requirements of Rule 144.

         After January 25, 2000, you will no longer be deemed to be an affiliate
         of Nordson and, insofar as Rule 144 is concerned, there will be no
         restrictions on your sale of (a) any unregistered Nordson Common Shares
         that you have held for at least one year or (b) any registered Nordson
         Common Shares, regardless of the holding period. We believe that all of
         the Nordson Common Shares acquired by you from Nordson were registered,
         and, therefore, that the one-year holding period does not apply to you.

Window Period.
--------------

         In order to comply with Nordson's policy on trading in Nordson Common
         Shares by its associates, while you continue to be an employee of
         Nordson, you may not purchase or sell Nordson Common Shares except
         during an open window period and then only with the consent of the Vice
         President - Law of Nordson.

<PAGE>   10

Mr. Christian C. Bernadotte
October 31, 1999                                                         Page 10

Margin Restrictions.
--------------------

         For so long as you might be prevented either by Nordson's policy or by
         federal securities laws from selling Nordson Common Shares on any given
         day, you should not margin any of your Nordson Common Shares. Doing so
         would subject you to a risk of a margin call when the margined stock
         could not be sold. Accordingly, you should not margin any Nordson
         Common Shares until after January 25, 2000, when you will no longer be
         subject to restrictions on the purchase and sale of Nordson Common
         Shares.

Section 16.
-----------

         You have been subject to Section 16 and the requirement that any
         profits on purchases and sales within six months be disgorged to
         Nordson.

         After you cease to be an officer, you will no longer be subject to
         Section 16 except that any purchase or sale by you after you cease to
         be an officer may be matched with any sale or purchase that was made
         during the preceding six months while you were an officer of Nordson.
         For example, if you purchased Nordson Common Shares on August 31, 1999,
         while you were still an officer of Nordson, that purchase could be
         matched with a sale on or before February 29, 2000, even though you are
         no longer an officer.

Reporting Obligation.
---------------------

         Any sale or purchase that might be matched with a transaction while you
         were still an officer of Nordson will have to be reported on a Form 4.
         Accordingly, counsel to Nordson should be advised if you engage in any
         purchase or sale of Nordson Common Shares before the later of (i)
         October 25, 1999 and (ii) six months after any previous sale or
         purchase of Nordson Common Shares by you while you were an officer of
         Nordson.

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