At 2:45 p.m. Thursday, workers at General Assembly’s plant in Beaver Creek got a shock.

According to workers on the scene, they were told to leave the plant, and that it was closing. One worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the employees did not receive final paychecks and were told the company’s assets had been frozen by a bank in Boone. The company had employed about 45 workers.

“We received the first phone calls around 3:30 p.m.,” said Louis Birge, manager of the Ashe County office of the Employment Security Commission of N.C. While the workers are eligible for unemployment, they will not receive Trade Adjustment Act or other educational benefits.

The sudden closing of the plant and the future of the company leaves many questions. A woman who answered the door at the plant Friday would only say, “We would prefer not to comment.” The company had not released information on its future at press time.