Up to 160 shipbuilding jobs

ERIE, Pa. (AP) — The head of a New Jersey firm hopes to hire 150 to 160 shipbuilders by next year as his company takes over the Erie Shipbuilding LLC firm.

Arnold Witte owned DonJon Marine Co. of Hillside, N.J. On Monday, the company announced his company is buying the financially troubled Erie Shipbuilding for undisclosed terms.

As part of the deal, DonJon Marine is taking over the company’s lease with the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority.

Erie Shipbuilding laid off more than 100 workers at the port in January.

So far, DonJon Marine has retained all the laid off workers and hired nine more.