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Metaldyne Corp., an auto parts maker, said Wednesday it plans to close its chassis operations in Whitsett, putting 144 people out of work.

The Plymouth, Mich.-based company, which supplies parts for cars and trucks, filed for bankruptcy in May.

Earlier this month, Metaldyne sold much of its business to MD Investors Corp., but the new buyer said it doesn’t need the plant in Rock Creek Center, just south of Interstate 40-85.

“The business outlook just continued shrinking,” said Marge Sorge, a Metaldyne spokeswoman. “As a result, (Rock Creek) doesn’t fit into the footprint ... that MD is creating.”

Sorge said there’s no timetable for the plant to close. “It is going to depend on what the customers need,” she said.

Sorge said the sale to MD Investors should be completed by Oct. 1, indicating that local employees should know more about their status by then.

She said the existing business will be shifted to other plants. Metaldyne also has chassis operations in Spain, Mexico and Edon, Ohio.

The closing will leave a 220,000-square-foot plant empty.

“It is disappointing to see another manufacturing company close operations in Guilford County,” said Richard Beard, a partner in Simpson Schulman & Beard, which handles marketing and development for Rock Creek Center. “This is another effect of the downturn in the U.S. automotive industry. (But) I am confident somebody is going to find (the building) and fill it up in fairly short order.”

Metaldyne occupied the building in 2003 after buying Dana Corp.’s Greensboro subsidiary. Metaldyne employs more than 4,400 employees at 33 plants in 14 countries. Last year, the company had revenues of about $1.5 billion.

Contact Donald W. Patterson at 373-7027 or don.patterson@news-record.com