BEDFORD — Car axle manufacturer Flo-Pro was losing money at its Bedford plant, and says a decline in demand for its product forced the decision to close its Iron Horse Drive plant that employed about 100.

“We're sorry to see this happen, but it was a business decision,” said Ricardo Moreno, vice president of Torrance, Calif.-based Motorcar Parts of America.

“Overall, the work from the employees has been excellent,” said Pete Lepple, Flo-Pro production manager. “They are being as positive as they can be, losing their jobs.”

Moreno said the company provided lunch for employees to express their appreciation for their service.

Employees were paid through Tuesday, and about 21 will remain for three to six weeks as inventory is sent to other facilities or recycled, Moreno said. Motorcar Parts purchased Fenwick Motor Parts, Flo-Pro's parent company, when it was in financial difficulty last May, he said. FMP has two other plants in Pennsylvania.

“They were looking for a buyer, so we came into the picture,” Moreno said.

Moreno said Flo-Pro's product — constant-velocity axles, used in front-wheel-drive vehicles — is being discontinued. Flo Pro was involved in rebuilding CV axles for resale at parts stores such as NAPA and Pep Boys.

Moreno said when a company buys another company, it isn't unusual for it to evaluate which operations are working and which are not, and discontinue those that are not. Flo-Pro's business was not profitable, he said.

“We're losing money at this facility,” Moreno said.

Moreno said employees were given notice in December that the facility would close, and that the closing was not a reflection on their work.

Moreno said rumors of off-shoring the product line to Mexico are false.

“We're not off-shoring this product anywhere,” Moreno said. “It's being discontinued.”