A Boston-based lobster company said Thursday that it plans to complete its acquisition of the nation’s last full-time sardine cannery by the middle of January despite snags that have put the purchase of the idled plant months behind schedule.

The closing date for the former Stinson Seafood plant in Gouldsboro is now Jan. 14, but the sale could occur before then, said Antonio Bussone, president of Live Lobster Co. Bussone plans to use the plant to handle lobsters and lobster bait, not to process sardines.

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The Stinson Seafood plant in Gouldsboro was the last full-time sardine factory operating in the U.S. until last April. Press Herald file photo

Bumble Bee Foods LLC closed the plant in April, eliminating nearly 130 jobs. The goal had been to complete the sale by early October.

The sale has been pushed back because of the complexity of the deal and a lawsuit that has forced Live Lobster to find a new lender to finance the purchase, Bussone said.

“We’re talking about a pretty serious purchase here and a big property,” he said. “It’s not as simple as buying a two-bedroom condo.”

Gouldsboro selectmen aren’t convinced that Live Lobster will complete the deal on the century-old property, where generations of workers packed sardines. The company told residents that it would begin operating last summer, even before the sale was completed, but the plant has remained empty, they said.

“I don’t think anyone’s feeling confident,” said Selectman Dana Rice. “Obviously, everyone in this area would like to see jobs created there, there’s no doubt about that. But there are a lot of ifs here.”

When the Stinson plant shut down, it marked the end of an era in Maine, which once had scores of canneries along its coast. Production has declined since peaking 60 years ago, and plants fell by the wayside until the Stinson plant was the last full-time plant operating in the U.S.

Bussone insists that the sale will happen, saying Bumble Bee already has cashed a $100,000 security deposit he made when he signed a purchase-and-sales agreement. In an e-mail from its public relations firm, Bumble Bee said it’s still working toward completing the deal.

One of the complications is a lawsuit filed against Bussone in June by his company’s former general manager. A judge’s decision last week prevents Live Lobster from using its assets as collateral to buy the plant with financing through TD Bank.

Bussone said he’s not pleased with the court order but he has financing lined up from other lenders if needed.

When the sale is complete, Bussone said, he plans to build a tank that can hold as much as 180,000 pounds of lobster and a large cooler to store bait for lobstermen. He hopes to have 30 to 40 employees by the end of 2011.

There are also concerns that the sale of the Stinson plant could be jeopardized by the sale of Bumble Bee Foods itself.

The British investment firm Lion Capital LLP said last month that it has agreed to buy Bumble Bee Foods, which is based in San Diego, from the private equity firm Centre Partners Management LLC for an undisclosed sum.

“I don’t know what they intend to do with this little factory here in Maine,” said Selectman Bill Thayer. “I don’t know what it will mean to the new owners.”

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