4 1 NONE0001017473 Director INSTEEL INDUSTRIES, INC. 000076440156-0674867 02/26/03 4 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 4 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP [ ] Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. 1. Name and Address of Reporting Person(s) Vaughn, C. Richard 1373 BOGGS DRIVE MOUNT AIRY, NORTH CAROLINA 27030 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol INSTEEL INDUSTRIES, INC. (IIIN) 3. I.R.S. Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an entity (Voluntary) 4. Statement for Month/Day/Year 2/26/03 5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year) 6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) [X] Director [ ] 10% Owner [ ] Officer (give title below) [ ] Other (specify below) 7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) [X] Form filed by One Reporting Person [ ] Form filed by More than One Reporting Person Table I Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)Title of Security 2)Trans- 3.Trans- 4.Securities Acquired(A) 5)Amount of 6) 7)Nature of action action or Disposed of (D) Securities Indirect Date Code A Beneficially D Beneficial (Month/ or Owned at or Ownership Day/Year) Code V Amount D Price End of Month I ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table II (PART 1) Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (Columns 1 through 6) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)Title of Derivative 2)Conversion 3)Trans- 4)Trans- 5)Number of Derivative 6)Date Exercisable and Security or Exercise action action Securities Acquired (A) Expiration Date Price of Date Code or Disposed of (D) Derivative Security Code V A D Exercisable Expiration ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Non-Qualified Stock Option $0.7100 02/25/03 A 3,600.00 02/25/13 (right to buy) Table II (PART 2) Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (Columns 1,3 and 7 through 11) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)Title of Derivative 3)Trans- 7)Title and Amount 8)Price 9)Number of 10) 11)Nature of Security action of Underlying of Deri- Derivative Indirect Date Securities vative Securities D Beneficial Amount or Security Beneficially or Ownership Number of Owned at I - Title Shares End of Month ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Non-Qualified Stock Option 02/25/03 Common Stock 3,600.00 3,600.00 D Direct (right to buy) Explanation of Responses: SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON /S/ By: Gary D. Kniskern, attorney-in-fact For: C. Richard Vaughn DATE 02/26/03