Mobile shipyard purchase expected

A former secretary of the U.S. Navy, John Lehman, is negotiating to buy one of Mobile’s two largest shipyards, Atlantic Marine officials confirmed Wednesday.

Lehman’s New York-based firm, J.F. Lehman & Co., is expected to complete the purchase of Atlantic Marine Holding Co. within a few weeks, according to a spokesman for Atlantic Marine. Since its 1992 founding, J.F. Lehman has acquired 13 maritime, defense and aerospace companies through $1.2 billion in transactions, according to the company.