Exhibit10.1

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

This Agreement is made byand between Metaldyne Corporation, a Delaware corporation("Company") and Jeffrey Stafeil (hereinafter"Executive") effective July 16, 2003("Effective Date"). In order to induceExecutive to serve as its Executive Vice President and Chief FinancialOfficer, Company enters into this Agreement with Executive to set outthe terms and conditions that will apply to Executive'semployment with Company. Executive is willing to accept such employmentand assignment and to perform services on the terms and conditionshereinafter set forth. It is therefore hereby agreed by and between theparties as follows:

Section 1 —Employment.

|  | (a) | Company employsExecutive as its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.In this capacity, Executive shall report to the Chief Executive Officer("CEO"). Executive accepts employment inaccordance with this Agreement and agrees to devote his full businesstime and efforts to the performance of his duties and responsibilitieshereunder. |
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|  | (b) | Nothing in this Agreement shallpreclude Executive from engaging in charitable and community affairs,from managing any passive investment (i.e., an investment with respectto which Executive is in no way involved with the management oroperation of the entity in which Executive has invested) made by him inpublicly traded equity securities or other property (provided that nosuch investment may exceed five percent (5%) of the equity ofany entity, without the prior approval of the Board of Directors ofMetaldyne Corporation (the "Board")), or fromserving, subject to the prior approval of the Board, as a member ofboards of directors or as a trustee of any other corporation,association or entity, to the extent that any of the above activitiesdo not conflict with any provision of this Agreement. |
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**Section 2 — Term of Employment.**    Executive'sterm of employment under this Agreement ("Term ofEmployment") shall commence on the Effective Date and,subject to the terms hereof, shall terminate on the earlier of:December 31, 2005 ("Initial Period"); or thedate that either party terminates Executive's employment underthis Agreement; provided that subsequent to the Initial Period, theTerm of Employment shall automatically renew each January for one year("Renewal Period"), unless Company deliversto Executive or Executive delivers to Company written notice at leastthirty (30) days in advance of the expiration of the Initial Period orany Renewal Period, that the Term of Employment shall not be extended,in which case the Term of Employment shall end at the end of the Yearin which such notice was delivered and shall not be further extendedexcept by written agreement of Company and Executive. The expiration ofthe Term of Employment under this Agreement shall not be a terminationof this Agreement to the extent that other provisions of this Agreementby their terms survive the Term of Employment. For purposes of thisAgreement, the term "Year" shall mean thetwelve-month period commencing on the Effective Date and eachanniversary of the Effective Date.

Section 3 —Compensation.

|  | (a) | Salary.    Duringthe Initial Period, Company shall pay Executive at the rate of ThreeHundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) per annum ("BaseSalary"). Base Salary shall be payable in accordance withthe ordinary payroll practices of Company and shall be subject to allapplicable federal, state and local withholding and reportingrequirements. Base Salary may be adjusted by the President and CEOduring the Term of Employment. |
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|  | (b) | Annual ValueCreation Plan ("AVCP").    Executiveshall be eligible to participate in the AVCP, a copy of which has beenprovided to Executive, subject to all the terms and conditions of suchplan, as such plan may be modified from time to time. |
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Section 4 — EmployeeBenefits.

|  | (a) | EmployeeRetirement Benefit Programs, Welfare Benefit Programs, Plans andPractices. Company shall provide Executive with coverage under anyretirement benefit programs, |
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|  |  | welfare benefit programs, plans and practices,that Company makes available to its senior executives, in accordancewith the terms thereof, as such programs, plans and practices may beamended from time to time in accordance with theirterms. |
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|  | (b) | Vacation.    Executive shall beentitled to twenty (20) business days of paid vacation each calendaryear, which shall be taken at such times as are consistent withExecutive's responsibilities hereunder. Vacation days shall besubject to the Company's general policies regarding vacationdays, as such policies may be modified from time totime. |
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|  | (c) | Perquisites.    DuringExecutive's employment hereunder, Company shall provideExecutive, subject to review and approval by the President and CEO,with such additional perquisites as are generally available tosimilarly-situated executives. |
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|  | (d) | StockOptions.    Executive shall be eligible to participate in theMetaldyne Corporation 2001 Long Term Equity Incentive Plan inaccordance with the terms and conditions of such plan and any grantagreements thereunder. |
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**Section 5 —Expenses.**    Subject to prevailing Company policy or suchguidelines as may be established by the CEO or his delegee, Companywill reimburse Executive for all reasonable expenses incurred byExecutive in carrying out his duties.

**Section 6 —Termination of Employment.**    The respective rights andresponsibilities of the parties to this Agreement notwithstanding,Executive remains an employee-at-will, and his Term of Employment maybe terminated by either party at any time for any reason by writtennotice.

|  | (a) | TerminationWithout Cause or for Good Reason.    If Executive'semployment is terminated during the Term of Employment by Company forany reason other than Cause (as defined in Section 6(c) hereof),Disability (as defined in Section 6(e) hereof) or death, or ifExecutive's employment is terminated by Executive for Good Reason(as defined in Section 6(a)(2) hereof), then Company shall payExecutive the Severance Package. Any termination of employment thatresults from a notice of nonrenewal given in accordance with Section 2of this Agreement shall not be a termination under this Section 6(a)but shall instead be a termination under Section  6(b) below.Likewise, a termination by Executive without Good Reason shall be atermination under Section 6(b) below and not a termination under thisSection  6(a). |
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|  | (1) | For purposes of this Agreement,"Severance Package" shallmean: |
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|  | (A) | Base Salarycontinuation for twenty-four (24) months at Executive's annualBase Salary rate in effect on the date of termination, subject to allapplicable federal, state and local withholding and reportingrequirements. These salary continuation payments shall be paid inaccordance with usual Company payroll practices; |
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|  | (B) | Abonus equal to two hundred percent (200%) of the target bonusopportunity under AVCP, payable in equal installments over thetwenty-four (24) month period described in Section 6(a)(1)(A) above,subject to the same withholding and reporting requirements. Inaddition, Executive shall receive the bonus for the most recentlycompleted bonus term if a bonus has been declared for such term but notpaid, and a pro rata bonus for the year of termination through the dateof termination calculated at one hundred percent (100%) of thebonus opportunity for target performance for that term, multiplied by afraction the numerator of which is the number of days that Executivewas employed during such bonus term and the denominator of which is365. The prorated bonus for the final year shall be paid in a singlesum within ten (10) days of the termination of Executive'semployment with Company. Any unpaid bonus shall be paid in accordancewith customary practices for payment of bonuses under AVCP;and |
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|  | (C) | Continuation of benefitsunder any life, group medical, and dental insurance benefitssubstantially similar to those which Executive was receivingimmediately prior to termination of employment until the earlierof: |
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|  | (i) | the endof the twenty-four (24) month period following Executive'stermination of employment, or |
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|  | (ii) | the date on whichExecutive becomes eligible to receive any benefits under any plan orprogram of any other employer. |
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The continuingcoverage provided under this Section 6(a)(1)(C) is subject toExecutive's eligibility to participate in such plans and allother terms and conditions of such plans, including without limitation,any employee contribution requirements and Company's ability tomodify or terminate such plans or coverages. Company may satisfy thisobligation in whole or in part by paying the premium otherwise payableby Executive for continuing coverage under Section 601 et seq. of theEmployee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as it may be amendedor replaced from time to time. If Executive is not eligible forcontinued coverage under one of the Company-provided benefit plansnoted in this paragraph (C) that he was participating in during hisemployment, Company shall pay Executive the cash equivalent of theinsurance cost for the duration of the applicable period at the rate ofthe Company's cost of coverage for Executive's benefits asof the date of termination. Any obligation to pay the cash equivalentof such cost under this item may be settled, at Company'sdiscretion, by a lump-sum payment of any remaining premiums.

|  | (2) | For purposes of this Agreement, atermination of employment by Executive for "GoodReason" shall be a termination by Executive following theoccurrence of any of the following events unless Company has cured asprovided below: |
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|  | (A) | Amaterial and permanent diminution in Executive's duties orresponsibilities; |
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|  | (B) | A material reduction in theaggregate value of Base Salary and bonus opportunity;or |
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|  | (C) | A permanent reassignment of Executive toanother primary office, or a relocation of the Company office that isExecutive's primary office, unless Executive's primaryoffice following such reassignment or relocation is within thirty-five(35) miles of Executive's primary office before the reassignmentor relocation or Executive's permanent residence on the date ofthe reassignment or relocation. |
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Executive mustnotify Company of any event constituting Good Reason within one hundredtwenty (120) days after Executive becomes aware of such event or suchevent shall not constitute Good Reason for purposes of this Agreementprovided that Company shall have fifteen (15) days from the date ofsuch notice to cure the Good Reason event. Executive cannot terminatehis employment for Good Reason if Cause exists at the time of suchtermination. A termination by Executive following cure shall not be atermination for Good Reason. A failure of Executive to notify Companyafter the first occurrence of an event constituting Good Reason shallnot preclude any subsequent occurrences of such event (or similarevent) from constituting GoodReason.

|  | (b) | VoluntaryTermination by Executive; Expiration of Employment Term.    IfExecutive terminates his employment with Company without Good Reason,or if the Employment Term expires following notice of nonrenewal byeither party under Section 2, then Company shall pay Executive hisaccrued unpaid Base Salary through the date of termination and the AVCPaward for the most recently completed year if an award has beendeclared for such year but not paid. The accrued unpaid Base Salaryamounts payable under this Section 6(b) shall be payable in a lump sumwithin ten (10) days of termination of employment. Any accrued unpaidbonus amounts payable under this Section 6(b) shall be payable inaccordance with customary |
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|  |  | practices for payment of bonuses under AVCP.No prorated bonus for the year of termination shall be paid. Any otherbenefits under other plans and programs of Company in which Executiveis participating at the time of Executive's termination ofemployment shall be paid, distributed, settled, or shall expire inaccordance with their terms, and Company shall have no furtherobligations hereunder with respect to Executive following the date oftermination ofemployment. |
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|  | (c) | Terminationfor Cause.    If Executive's employment is terminated forCause, Company shall pay Executive his accrued but unpaid Base Salarythrough the date of the termination of employment, and no furtherpayments or benefits shall be owed. The accrued unpaid Base Salaryamounts payable under this Section 6(c) shall be payable in a lump sumwithin ten (10) days of termination of employment. As used herein, theterm "Cause" shall be limitedto: |
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|  | (1) | Executive'sconviction of or plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a crimeconstituting a felony under the laws of the United States or any statethereof or any other jurisdiction in which Company conductsbusiness; |
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|  | (2) | Executive's willful misconduct inthe performance of his duties toCompany; |
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|  | (3) | Executive's willful and continuedfailure to follow the instructions of Company's Board or CEO;or |
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|  | (4) | Executive's willful and/or continuedneglect of duties (other than any such neglect resulting fromincapacity of Executive due to physical or mental illness); |
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provided, however, that Cause shall arise under items (3)or (4) only following ten (10) days written notice thereof from Companywhich specifically identifies such failure or neglect and thecontinuance of such failure or neglect during such notice period. Anyfailure by Company to notify Executive after the first occurrence of anevent constituting Cause shall not preclude any subsequent occurrencesof such event (or a similar event) from constituting Cause.

|  | (d) | Termination Following aChange of Control.    In the event Executive's employmentwith Company terminates by reason of a Qualifying Termination (asdefined below) within three (3) years after a Change of Control ofCompany (as defined below), then, in lieu of the Severance Package, andsubject to the limitations described in Section 7 below, the Companyshall provide Executive the following terminationbenefits: |
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|  | (1) | TerminationPayments.    Company shall pay Executive: |
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|  | (A) | A single sum paymentequal to three hundred percent (300%) of Executive'sannual Base Salary rate in effect on the date of termination, subjectto all applicable federal, state and local withholding and reportingrequirements. This single-sum payment shall be paid within ten (10)days of termination of employment; |
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|  | (B) | A bonus equalto three hundred percent (300%) of the target bonus opportunityunder AVCP. In addition, Executive shall receive the bonus for the mostrecently completed bonus term if a bonus has been declared for suchterm but not paid, and a pro rata bonus for the year of terminationthrough the date of termination calculated at one hundred percent(100%) of the bonus opportunity for target performance for thatterm, multiplied by a fraction the numerator of which is the number ofdays that Executive was employed during such bonus term and thedenominator of which is 365. The prorated bonus for the final yearshall be paid as a single sum within ten (10) days of termination ofemployment. Any unpaid bonus shall be paid in accordance with customarypractices for payment of bonuses under AVCP. |
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All payments under this Section 6(d), however, are subjectto the timing rules, calculations and adjustments described in Sections7 and 8.

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|  | (2) | BenefitsContinuation.    Executive shall continue to receive life, groupmedical and dental insurance benefits substantially similar to thosewhich Executive was receiving immediately prior to the QualifyingTermination until the earlierof: |
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|  | (A) | the endof the thirty-six (36) month period following Executive'stermination of employment, or |
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|  | (B) | the date on whichExecutive becomes eligible to receive any benefits under any plan orprogram of any other employer. |
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The continuingcoverage provided under this Section 6(d)(2) is subject toExecutive's eligibility to participate in such plans and allother terms and conditions of such plans, including without limitation,any employee contribution requirements and Company's ability tomodify or terminate such plans or coverages. Company may satisfy thisobligation in whole or in part by paying the premium otherwise payableby Executive for continuing coverage under Section 601 et seq. of theEmployee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as it may be amendedor replaced from time to time. If Executive is not eligible forcontinued coverage under one of the Company-provided benefit plansnoted in this paragraph (2) that he was participating in during hisemployment, Company shall pay Executive the cash equivalent of theinsurance cost for the duration of the applicable period at the rate ofthe Company's cost of coverage for Executive's benefits asof the date of termination. Any obligation to pay the cash equivalentof such cost of coverage under this item may be settled, atCompany's discretion, by a lump-sum payment of any remainingpremiums.

|  | (3) | QualifyingTermination.    For purposes of this Agreement, the term"Qualifying Termination" means a terminationof Executive's employment with the Company for any reason otherthan: |
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|  | (A) | death; |
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|  | (B) | Disability,as defined herein; |
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|  | (C) | Cause, as defined herein;or |
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|  | (D) | A termination by Executive without Good Reason,as definedherein. |
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|  | (4) | Changeof Control Defined.    For purposes of this Agreement, a"Change of Control" means the first of thefollowing events to occur following the datehereof: |
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|  | (A) | Thesale, lease, or transfer in one or a series of related transactions (I)of eighty percent (80%) or more of the consolidated assets ofCompany and its subsidiaries or (II) of seventy-five percent(75%) or more of Capital Stock of Company held by the HeartlandEntities as of November 28, 2000 (appropriately adjusted for stocksplits, combinations, subdivisions, stock dividends and similar events)to any Person or group of persons other than an affiliate of theHeartland Entities, whether directly or indirectly or by way of anymerger, consolidation or other business combination or purchase ofbeneficial ownership or otherwise. The term "group ofpersons" shall have the meaning of the term"person" set forth in Sections 13(d) and14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("1934Act") or any similar successor provision, and the rules,regulations and interpretations promulgated thereunder. The term"beneficial ownership" shall have the meaningdefined under Rule 13d-3 under the 1934 Act or any similar successorrules, regulations and interpretations promulgatedthereunder. |
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|  | (B) | The date on which the individuals whoconstitute Company's Board of Directors on the date of thisagreement, and any new Directors who are hereafter designated by theHeartland entities cease, for any reason, to constitute at least amajority of the members of the Board. |
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Except as otherwise indicatedherein, the definition of all capitalized terms in this Section 6(d)(4)is set forth in the Shareholders Agreement by and among MascoTech,Inc., Masco Corporation, Richard Manoogian, The Richard and JaneManoogian Foundation, and the Heartland Entities, et al., datedNovember 28, 2000 (the "ShareholdersAgreement").

|  | (e) | Disability.    Inthe event that Executive is unable to perform his duties under thisAgreement on account of a disability which continues for one hundredeighty (180) consecutive days or more, or for an aggregate of onehundred eighty (180) days in any period of twelve (12) months, Companymay, in its discretion, terminate Executive's employmenthereunder. Company's obligation to make payments under thisAgreement shall, except for earned but unpaid Base Salary and AVCPawards, cease on the first to occur of (i) the date that is six (6)months after such termination or (ii) the date Executive becomesentitled to benefits under a Company-provided long-term disabilityprogram. For purposes of this Agreement,"Disability" shall be defined by the terms ofCompany's long-term disability policy, or, in the absence of suchpolicy, as a physical or mental disability that prevents Executive fromperforming substantially all of his duties under this Agreement andwhich is expected to be permanent. Company may only terminate Executiveon account of Disability after giving due consideration to whetherreasonable accommodations can be made under which Executive is able tofulfill his duties under this Agreement. The commencement date andexpected duration of any physical or mental condition that preventsExecutive from performing his duties hereunder shall be determined by amedical doctor selected by Company. Company may, in its discretion,require written confirmation from a physician of Disability during anyextended absence. |
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|  | (f) | Death.    In the eventof Executive's death during the Term of Employment, allobligations of Company to make any further payments, other than anobligation to pay any accrued but unpaid Base Salary to the date ofdeath and any accrued but unpaid bonuses under AVCP to the date ofdeath, shall terminate upon Executive'sdeath. |
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|  | (g) | No Duplication ofBenefits.    Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement tothe contrary, if Executive's employment is terminated for anyreason, in no event shall Executive be eligible for payments under morethan one subsection of this Section 6. |
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|  | (h) | PaymentsNot Compensation.    Any participation by Executive in, and anyterminating distributions and vested rights under, Company-sponsoredretirement or savings plans, regardless of whether such plans arequalified or nonqualified for tax purposes, shall be governed by theterms of those respective plans. For purposes of determining benefitsand the amounts to be paid to Executive under such plans, any salarycontinuation or severance benefits other than salary or bonus accruedbefore termination shall not be compensation for purposes of accruingadditional benefits under such plans. |
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|  | (i) | Executive's Duty to ProvideMaterials.    Upon the termination of the Term of Employment forany reason, Executive or his estate shall surrender to Company allcorrespondence, letters, files, contracts, mailing lists, customerlists, advertising material, ledgers, supplies, equipment, checks, andall other materials and records of any kind that are the property ofCompany or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, that may be inExecutive's possession or under his control, including all copiesof any of the foregoing. |
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Section7 — Cap onPayments.

|  | (a) | GeneralRules.    The Internal Revenue Code (the"Code") may place significant tax burdens onExecutive and Company if the total payments made to Executive due to aChange of Control exceed prescribed limits. For example, ifExecutive's "Base Period Income" (asdefined below) is $100,000, Executive's limit or"Cap" is $299,999. If Executive's"Total Payments" exceed the Cap by even$1.00, Executive is subject to an excise tax under Section 4999 of theCode of 20% of all amounts paid to Executive in excess of$100,000. In other words, if Executive's Cap is $299,999,Executive will not be subject to an excise tax if Executive receivesexactly $299,999. If Executive receives $300,000, Executive will besubject to an excise tax of $40,000 (20% of |
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|  |  | $200,000). In order to avoid this excise taxand the related adverse tax consequences for Company, by signing thisAgreement, Executive will be agreeing that, subject to the exceptionnoted below, the present value of Executive's Total Payments willnot exceed an amount equal to Executive'sCap. |
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|  | (b) | Special Definitions.    For purposesof this Section, the following specialized terms will have thefollowingmeanings: |
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|  | (1) | "BasePeriod Income".    "Base PeriodIncome" is an amount equal to Executive's"annualized includable compensation" for the"base period" as defined in Sections280G(d)(1) and (2) of the Code and the regulations adopted thereunder.Generally, Executive's "annualized includablecompensation" is the average of Executive's annualtaxable income from Company for the "baseperiod," which is the five calendar years prior to theyear in which the Change of Control occurs. These concepts arecomplicated and technical and all of the rules set forth in theapplicable regulations apply for purposes of thisAgreement. |
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|  | (2) | "Cap" or"280GCap".    "Cap" or"280G Cap" shall mean an amount equal to 2.99times Executive's "Base Period Income."This is the maximum amount which Executive may receive without becomingsubject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code or whichCompany may pay without loss of deduction under Section 280G of theCode. |
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|  | (3) | "TotalPayments".    The "TotalPayments" include any "payments in the natureof compensation" (as defined in Section 280G of the Codeand the regulations adopted thereunder), made pursuant to thisAgreement or otherwise, to or for Executive's benefit, thereceipt of which is contingent on a Change of Control and to whichSection 280G of the Codeapplies. |
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|  | (c) | Calculatingthe Cap and Adjusting Payments.    If Company believes that theserules will result in a reduction of the payments to which Executive isentitled under this Agreement, it will so notify Executive as soon aspossible. Company will then, at its expense, retain a"Consultant" (which shall be a law firm, acertified public accounting firm, and/or a firm of recognized executivecompensation consultants) to provide an opinion or opinions concerningwhether Executive's Total Payments exceed the limit discussedabove. Company will select the Consultant. At a minimum, the opinionsrequired by this Section must set forth the amount of Executive'sBase Period Income, the present value of the Total Payments and theamount and present value of any excess parachute payments. If theopinions state that there would be an excess parachute payment,Executive's payments under this Agreement will be reduced to theextent necessary to eliminate the excess. Executive will be allowed tochoose the payment that should be reduced or eliminated, but thepayment Executive chooses to reduce or eliminate must be a paymentdetermined by such Consultant to be includable in Total Payments.Executive's decision shall be in writing and delivered to Companywithin thirty (30) days of Executive's receipt of such opinions.If Executive fails to so notify Company, Company will decide whichpayments to reduce or eliminate. If the Consultant selected to providethe opinions referred to above so requests in connection with theopinion required by this Section, a firm of recognized executivecompensation consultants selected by Company shall provide an opinion,upon which such Consultant may rely, as to the reasonableness of anyitem of compensation as reasonable compensation for services renderedbefore or after the Change of Control. If Company believes thatExecutive's Total Payments will exceed the limitations of thisSection, it will nonetheless make payments to Executive, at the timesstated above, in the maximum amount that it believes may be paidwithout exceeding such limitations. The balance, if any, will then bepaid after the opinions called for above have been received. If theamount paid to Executive by Company is ultimately determined, pursuantto the opinion referred to above or by the Internal Revenue Service, tohave exceeded the limitation of this Section, the excess will betreated as a loan to Executive by Company and shall be repayable on theninetieth (90th) day following demand by Company, togetherwith interest at the lowest |
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|  |  | "applicable federalrate" provided in Section 1274(d) of the Code. If it isultimately determined, pursuant to the opinion referred to above or bythe Internal Revenue Service, that a greater payment should have beenmade to Executive, Company shall pay Executive the amount of thedeficiency, together with interest thereon from the date such amountshould have been paid to the date of such payment, at the rate setforth above, so that Executive will have received or be entitled toreceive the maximum amount to which Executive is entitled under thisAgreement. |
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|  | (d) | Effect of Repeal.    In theevent that the provisions of Sections 280G and 4999 of the Code arerepealed without succession, this Section shall be of no further forceor effect. |
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|  | (e) | Exception.    The Consultantselected pursuant to Section 7(c) will calculate Executive's"Uncapped Benefit" and Executive's"Capped Benefit." The limitations of Section7(a) will not apply to Executive if Executive's Uncapped Benefitis at least one hundred five percent (105%) of Executive'sCapped Benefit. For this purpose, Executive's"Uncapped Benefit" is the amount to whichExecutive would be entitled pursuant to Section 6(d), without regard tothe limitations of Section 7(a). Executive's "CappedBenefit" is the amount to which Executive would beentitled pursuant to Section 6(d) after the application of thelimitations of Section 7(a). |
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Section 8 — TaxGross-Up.

|  | (a) | Gross-UpPayment.    If the Cap imposed by Section 7(a) does not apply toExecutive because of the exception provided by Section 7(e), Companywill provide Executive with a "Gross-UpPayment" if an excise tax is imposed on Executive pursuantto Section 4999 of the Code. Except as otherwise noted below, thisGross-Up Payment will consist of a single lump sum payment in an amountsuch that after payment by Executive of the "totalpresumed federal and state taxes" and the excise taxesimposed by Section 4999 of the Code on the Gross-Up Payment (and anyinterest or penalties actually imposed), Executive would retain anamount of the Gross-Up Payment equal to the remaining excise taxesimposed by Section 4999 of the Code on Executive's Total Payments(calculated before the Gross-Up Payment). For purposes of calculatingExecutive's Gross-Up Payment, Executive's actual federaland state income taxes will not be used. Instead, Company will useExecutive's "total presumed federal and statetaxes." For purposes of this Agreement, Executive's"total presumed federal and state taxes"shall be conclusively calculated using a combined tax rate equal to thesum of the maximum marginal federal and applicable state income taxrates. The state tax rate for Executive's principal place ofresidence will be used and no adjustments will be made for thededuction of state taxes on the federal return, any deduction offederal taxes on a state return, the loss of itemized deductions orexemptions, or for any otherpurpose. |
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|  | (b) | Calculations.    Alldeterminations concerning whether a Gross-Up Payment is requiredpursuant to Section 8(a) and the amount of any Gross-Up Payment (aswell as any assumptions to be used in making such determinations) shallbe made by the Consultant selected pursuant to Section 7(c). TheConsultant shall provide Executive and Company with a written notice ofthe amount of the excise taxes that Executive is required to pay andthe amount of the Gross-Up Payment. The notice from the Consultantshall include any necessary calculations in support of its conclusions.All fees and expenses of the Consultant shall be paid by Company. AnyGross-Up Payment shall be made by Company within fifteen (15) daysafter the mailing of such notice. As a general rule, theConsultant's determination shall be binding on Executive andCompany. The application of the excise tax rules of Section 4999,however, is complex and uncertain and, as a result, the InternalRevenue Service may disagree with the Consultant concerning the amount,if any, of the excise taxes that are due. If the Internal RevenueService determines that excise taxes are due, or that the amount of theexcise taxes that are due is greater than the amount determined by theConsultant, the Gross-Up Payment will be recalculated by the Consultantto reflect the actual excise taxes that Executive is required to pay(and any related interest and penalties). Any deficiency will then bepaid to Executive by Company within fifteen (15) days of the receipt ofthe revised calculations from the Consultant. If the Internal RevenueService determines that the amount of excise taxes that Executive paid |
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|  |  | exceeds the amount due, Executive shall returnthe excess to Company (along with any interest paid to Executive on theoverpayment) immediately upon receipt from the Internal Revenue Serviceor other taxing authority. Company has the right to challenge anyexcise tax determinations made by the Internal Revenue Service. IfCompany agrees to indemnify Executive from any taxes, interest andpenalties that may be imposed upon Executive (including any taxes,interest and penalties on the amounts paid pursuant to Company'sindemnification agreement), Executive must cooperate fully with Companyin connection with any such challenge. Company shall bear all costsassociated with the challenge of any determination made by the InternalRevenue Service and Company shall control all such challenges. Theadditional Gross-Up Payments called for by the preceding paragraphshall not be made until Company has either exhausted its (orExecutive's) rights to challenge the determination or indicatedthat it intends to concede or settle the excise tax determination.Executive must notify Company in writing of any claim or determinationby the Internal Revenue Service that, if upheld, would result in thepayment of excise taxes in amounts different from the amount initiallyspecified by the Consultant. Such notice shall be given as soon aspossible but in no event later than fifteen (15) days followingExecutive's receipt of notice of the Internal RevenueService's position. |
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**Section 9 —Notices**.    All notices or communications hereunder shall be inwriting, addressed as follows:

| ToCompany: | Metaldyne Corporation 47603 HalyardDrive Plymouth, MI 48170 ATTN: Chairman of the Board |
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| with a copy to: | R. Jeffrey Pollock, Esq.McDonald, Hopkins, Burke &     Haber Co., L.P.A. 600Superior Avenue, Suite 2100 Cleveland, OH 44114 |
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| ToExecutive: | ______________________________________________________________________________ |
|--------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| witha copyto: | ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
|---------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Anysuch notice or communication shall be delivered by hand or by courieror sent certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postageprepaid, addressed as above (or to such other address as such party maydesignate in a notice duly delivered as described above), and the third(3rd) business day after the actual date of mailing shallconstitute the time at which notice was given.

**Section 10— Separability; Legal Fees.**    If any provision of thisAgreement shall be declared to be invalid or unenforceable, in whole orin part, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect theremaining provisions hereof which shall remain in full force andeffect. In the event of a dispute by Company, Executive or others as tothe validity or enforceability of, or liability under, any provision ofthis Agreement, Company shall reimburse Executive for all reasonablelegal fees and expenses incurred by him in connection with such disputeif Executive substantially prevails in the dispute and if Executive hasnot substantially prevailed in such dispute one-half(1⁄2) the amount of all reasonable legal fees andexpenses incurred by him in connection with such dispute except to theextent Executive's position is found by a tribunal of competentjurisdiction to have been frivolous.

**Section 11 —Assignment and Assumption.**    This contract shall be binding uponand inure to the benefit of the heirs and representatives of Executiveand the assigns and successors of Company, but 

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neither this Agreement nor any rights orobligations hereunder shall be assignable or otherwise subject tohypothecation by Executive (except by will or by operation of the lawsof intestate succession) or by Company, except that Company may assignthis Agreement to any successor (whether by merger, purchase orotherwise) to all or substantially all of the stock, assets or businessof Company.

**Section 12 — Amendment.**    ThisAgreement may only be amended by written agreement of the partieshereto.

Section 13 —Non-Competition; Non-Solicitation;Confidentiality.

|  | (a) | Executiverepresents that acceptance of employment under this Agreement andperformance under this Agreement are not in violation of anyrestrictions or covenants under the terms of any other agreements towhich Executive is a party. |
|--|-----|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|  | (b) | Executive acknowledgesand recognizes the highly competitive nature of the business of Companyand accordingly agrees that, in consideration of this Agreement, therights conferred hereunder, and any payment hereunder, during the Termof Employment and for the six (6) month period following thetermination of Executive's employment with Company, for anyreason ("Non-Compete Term"), Executive shallnot engage, either directly or indirectly, as a principal forExecutive's own account or jointly with others, or as astockholder in any corporation or joint stock association, or as apartner or member of a general or limited liability entity, or as anemployee, officer, director, agent, consultant or in any other advisorycapacity in any business other than Company or its subsidiaries whichdesigns, develops, manufacturers, distributes, sells or markets thetype of products or services sold, distributed or provided by Companyor its subsidiaries during the two (2) year period prior to the date oftermination (the "Business"); providedthat nothing herein shall prevent Executive from owning, directly orindirectly, not more than five percent (5%) of the outstandingshares of, or any other equity interest in, any entity engaged in theBusiness and listed or traded on a national securities exchanges or inan over-the-counter securities market. |
|--|-----|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|  | (c) | During theNon-Compete Term, Executive shall not (i) directly or indirectly employor solicit, or receive or accept the performance of services by, anyactive employee of Company or any of its subsidiaries who is employedprimarily in connection with the Business, except in connection withgeneral, non-targeted recruitment efforts such as advertisements andjob listings, or directly or indirectly induce any employee of Companyto leave Company, or assist in any of the foregoing, or (ii) solicitfor business (relating to the Business) any person who is a customer orformer customer of Company or any of its subsidiaries, unless suchperson shall have ceased to have been such a customer for a period ofat least six (6) months. |
|--|-----|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|  | (d) | Executive shall not atany time (whether during or after his employment with Company) discloseor use for Executive's own benefit or purposes or the benefit orpurposes of any other person, firm, partnership, joint venture,association, corporation or other business organization, entity orenterprise other than Company and any of its subsidiaries, any tradesecrets, information, data, or other confidential information of theCompany, including but not limited to, information relating tocustomers, development programs, costs, marketing, trading, investment,sales activities, promotion, credit and financial data, financingmethods, plans or the business and affairs of Company generally, or ofany subsidiary of Company, unless required to do so by applicable lawor court order, subpoena or decree or otherwise required by law, withreasonable evidence of such determination promptly provided to Company.The preceding sentence of this paragraph (d) shall not apply toinformation which is not unique to Company or which is generally knownto the industry or the public other than as a result ofExecutive's breach of this covenant. Executive agrees that upontermination of employment with Company for any reason, Executive willreturn to Company immediately all memoranda, books, papers, plans,information, letters and other data, and all copies thereof ortherefrom, in any way relating to the business of Company and itssubsidiaries, except that Executive may retain |
|--|-----|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

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|  |  | personal notes, notebooks and diaries.Executive further agrees that Executive will not retain or use forExecutive's account at any time any trade names, trademark orother proprietary business designation used or owned in connection withthe business of Company or its subsidiaries. |
|--|--|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|  | (e) | It isexpressly understood and agreed that although Executive and Companyconsider the restrictions contained in this Section 13 to bereasonable, if a final judicial determination is made by a court ofcompetent jurisdiction that the time or territory or any otherrestriction contained in this Agreement is an unenforceable restrictionagainst Executive, the provisions of this Agreement shall not berendered void but shall be deemed amended to apply as to such maximumtime and territory and to such maximum extent as such court mayjudicially determine or indicate to be enforceable. Alternatively, ifany tribunal of competent jurisdiction finds that any restrictioncontained in this Agreement is unenforceable, and such restrictioncannot be amended so as to make it enforceable, such finding shall notaffect the enforceability of any of the other restrictions containedherein. |
|--|-----|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|  | (f) | As a condition to the receipt of anybenefits described in this Agreement, Executive shall be required toexecute an agreement pursuant to which Executive releases any claims hemay have against Company and agrees to the continuing enforceability ofthe restrictive covenants of this Agreement. |
|--|-----|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|  | (g) | ThisSection 13 will survive the termination of this Agreement. |
|--|-----|----------------------------------------------------------------|

**Section 14 — Remedies.**    Executive acknowledges andagrees that Company's remedies at law for a breach or threatenedbreach of any of the provisions of Section 13 would be inadequate and,in recognition of this fact, Executive agrees that, in the event ofsuch a breach or threatened breach, in addition to any remedies at law,Executive shall forfeit all payments otherwise due under this Agreementand shall return any Severance Package payment made. Moreover, Company,without posting any bond, shall be entitled to seek equitable relief inthe form of specific performance, temporary restraining order,temporary or permanent injunction or any other equitable remedy whichmay then be available.

**Section 15 —Survivorship.**    The respective rights and obligations of theparties hereunder shall survive any termination of this Agreement tothe extent necessary to the intended preservation of such rights andobligations. The provisions of this Section 15 are in addition to thesurvivorship provisions of any other section of this Agreement.

**Section 16 — Governing Law; Revenue andJurisdiction.**    If any judicial or administrative proceeding orclaim relating to or pertaining to this Agreement is initiated byeither party hereto, such proceeding or claim shall and must be filedin a state or federal court located in Wayne County, Michigan and suchproceeding or claim shall be governed by and construed under Michiganlaw, without regard to conflict of law and principals.

**Section 17 — Dispute Resolution.**    Any disputerelated to or arising under this Agreement shall be resolved inaccordance with the Metaldyne Dispute Resolution Policy in effect atthe time such dispute arises. The Metaldyne Dispute Resolution Policyin effect at the time of this Agreement is attached to thisAgreement.

**Section 18 — Effect on PriorAgreements.**    This Agreement contains the entire understandingbetween the parties hereto and supersedes in all respects any prior orother agreement or understanding, both written and oral, betweenCompany, any affiliate of Company or any predecessor of Company oraffiliate of any predecessor of Company and Executive; provided,however, that this Agreement does not supercede the MascoTech, Inc.Retention Plan or any change in control agreements between Executiveand Simpson Industries, Inc., Global Metal Technologies, Inc.("GMTI"), or MascoTech, Inc. that predatesthe Heartland Industrial Partners' acquisition of SimpsonIndustries, Inc., GMTI, or MascoTech, Inc. in the year 2000 or 2001 andwhich agreements by their terms survive such acquisition for aspecified period.

**Section 19 —Withholding.**    Company shall be entitled to withhold frompayment any amount of withholding required by law.

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**Section 20 — Section Headingsand Construction.**    The headings of sections in this Agreementare provided for convenience only and will not effect its constructionor interpretation. All references to"Section" or"Sections" refer to the corresponding sectionor sections of this Agreement unless otherwise specified. All wordsused in this Agreement will be construed to be of such gender or numberas circumstances require.

**Section 21 —Counterparts.**    This Agreement may be executed in one (1) ormore counterparts, each of which will be deemed to be an original copyof this Agreement and all of which, when taken together, will be deemedto constitute one and the same Agreement.

Intending to belegally bound hereby, the parties have executed this Agreement on thedates set forth next to their names below.

COMPANYMETALDYNE CORPORATION

| October 14, 2003 | By:  /s/ Timothy D. Leuliette |
|------------------|-----------------------------------------|

Date

|  | Its:  ChiefExecutive Officer |
|--|----------------------------------------|

EXECUTIVE

| August 5, 2003 | /s/ JeffreyM. Stafeil |
|----------------|-----------------------|

Date

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