PORT ANGELES — Officials from PRIME, the recently closed marine topside repair company, are hopeful that a returning competitor will continue to employ a local skilled labor force.
Pacific Rim Industrial & Marine Engineering, better known by the acronym PRIME, ended its operations last Friday due to financial woes.
Bellingham-based Wight Marine Services has told the Port of Port Angeles it will return to the city to fill the void left by PRIME’s departure.
That could mean PRIME’s regular work force of 50 local people, plus dozens more part-time skilled workers, will not lose their jobs, PRIME partner Lynn Mattix said Thursday.
“Hopefully, there will be the same amount of work here,” said Mattix, wife of PRIME president and partner Jim Mattix.
“That’s certainly our fervent hope,” she said. “We’re very glad that Wight is going to continue the ship repairs here. It’s important for the jobs to stay here.”
Mattix confirmed the 3½-year-old PRIME has folded for financial reasons, but declined to elaborate.
The company is now invoicing its remaining jobs and collecting receivables, Mattix said.
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