Posted on 10/09/2008 7:03:23 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
The maker of Archway and Salerno cookies said the company, crumbling under rising prices for raw ingredients, has halted operations and filed for bankruptcy.
The Michigan-based company maintains a distribution center in Mokena's Corporate Corridors business park. Information wasn't available Wednesday about how many employees were affected by the company's shutdown.
In its bankruptcy filing, Archway & Mother's Cookie Co. listed assets in excess of $50 million and liabilities of more than $500 million. The company said it had hired Jeffrey Granger as chief restructuring officer, but it wasn't clear whether Archway's brands or manufacturing operations would be sold.
"Like many other companies, Mother's Cake & Cookie Co. and Archway Cookies LLC have not been immune to the challenging economic environment, and have been operating at a loss due largely to the significant increases in raw material costs and the record high fuel costs across the country," Granger said Monday.
After reviewing all its options, Chapter 11 "was the only course of action" for the company, he said.
Founded in 1936 in Battle Creek, Mich., Archway had previously been owned by Deerfield-based Specialty Foods Corp. According to a company profile, variations of Archway's famous oatmeal cookie had accounted for 40 percent of overall sales.
My grandmother had this old, earthenware light green cookie jar which she kept either Archway oatmeal cookies or Archway fruit-centered cookies in. It was the first thing we'd rush to at night after we pulled into her driveway from our long trip.
My wife and I just went out and picked up a few packages of these. It may be the last time we will have them.
Archway Cookies are awesome! Lemon cookies, soft chocolate cookies, ginger... I hope the company can pull out of Chapter 11.
Crap! I really like Archway cookies. Oh well, I suppose my stomach girth will be the better without them.
This sucks.
I was in Chelsea Michigan yesterday and was surprised at how large the Jiffy Mix plant there has grown.
Great. Now I’m stuck with melamine-laced foreign cookies from China! What exactly do we still make here in the good ol’ USA?
LOL
My first thought was that they must not have been buying those fine melamine ingredients from China.
I’ll look for some tomorrow. I loved their soft Molasses cookies & at Christmas, they made special, decorated cookies. Gosh, I’m going to miss those.
Probably not. Most likely it’s hard to be competitive in a global economy when your competitors don’t play by the same rules (like making stuff to eat that doesn’t kill or hurt the customer). It also doesn’t help that the US Congress is helping to prop up sugar prices to protect a favored special interest at the expense of others.
Do nothing, helpless victims.
Sorry, but Archway cookies are crap. Just like most of the stuff on the shelves from the major brands. The cookies baked on site are always much better.
damn,, I’m gonna miss the windmill and ginger cookies most.
Good grief, was there no adult in charge?
Homemade???
Oh, I LOVE those windmill cookies, the ones with the thin almond slices. Yum!
Hey, I resemble that Cookie Monster!
My parents give thanks that I at least get some healthy food in
the form of tomatoes.
In spaghetti sauce, barbaque sauce and cocktail sauce!!!
Ah yes. The Reagan model. Ketchup is a vegetable. It has worked for me.
I love their Christmas cookies (will NObama make me say “holiday” cookies?).
Maybe we will have Muzzie cookies, “Odinga’s”!!!!!
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