ASHLAND, Ohio -- The Archway Cookie plant in Ashland closed Friday, putting about 100 people out of a job.

The company's headquarters in Battle Creek, Mich., also closed, affecting about 60 employees.

"This was one of the staple businesses in Ashland for the last 50 years. Not only are we that worked here shocked, the entire community is shocked," said Michael Davis, machine operator.

No reason was immediately given for the bakery's shutdown.

Ashland Mayor Glen Stewart said he received a letter from Archway officials advising him the plant would be closed effective Monday.

Archway's Ashland plant on Claremont Avenue has been in operation since the 1950s.

According to its Web site, Archway was purchased in 1998 by Specialty Foods Corp., which also owned California-based Mother's Cake & Cookie. The combined companies made Specialty Foods the No. 3 cookie maker in the country.

The company's biggest sellers are variations on its original oatmeal cookie, which together account for more than 40 percent of sales, the Web site stated. Archway's line of over 60 varieties also includes fat-free, low-fat, and sugar-free types, as well as holiday cookies sold at the end of the year.