Ohio company seeks to buy Louisiana shipyards

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — An Ohio company has written governors in three Southern states in a push to purchase the military shipbuilding division of Northrop Grumman Corp., pledging to keep a major Louisiana shipyard open.

Cleveland Ship LLC sent letters this week through its Cleveland Shipbuilding Division to Govs. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Haley Barbour of Mississippi and Bob McDonnell of Virginia

Northrop Grumman Corp. announced plans on July 13 to shutter the Avondale shipyard near New Orleans in early 2013 and consolidate its Gulf Coast military shipbuilding at Pascagoula, Miss. About 4,600 people now work at Avondale.

Also today, Northrop Grumman said it took an initial step toward creating a potential spinoff of its Northrop Grumman Ship Systems with a federal securities registration for a separate shipbuilding company.