HUDSON – Altronics Manufacturing Inc., a company that specializes in electronic contract manufacturing services, has been acquired by Varitron Group Inc., of Saint-Hubert, Quebec, and may add up to 20 jobs at its Hudson facility.

Varitron, an electronic products assembly firm, said the acquisition will give the firm an “essential presence” for meeting U.S. content requirement for its customers, locally and abroad, the company said.

Altronics expanded its Hudson manufacturing facility last year, and has about 50 employees.

“Varitron and Altronics provide similar services, but also have complementary offerings intended for different markets,” Michel Farley, president of Varitron, said in a press release. “By pooling our expertise, we will be able to serve more customers and to provide added value in terms of volume with the aim of consolidating the U.S. market and developing new niches.”

Altronics handles a variety of printed circuit board assemblies and value-added services for commercial, military, industrial and medical customers.

It has about 40 customers: the bulk commercial firms, about 20 percent medical firms, and a small number of military contracts.

While perhaps 80 percent of its output is automated, in which assembly is done by machines that can cost in the six figures, the firm still has a number of employees who do hand soldering, attaching large or irregular components to specialty orders. It also has a number of inspectors and other quality-control specialists.

Altronics was founded in 2003 by Jeff Altschuler, a veteran of the circuit board industry. His father, Sam, also founded a contract manufacturer.

Farley said the current senior Altronics management will stay on, and new jobs will be created, because of the higher volumes of business that are anticipated.

Farley will serve as Varitron-Altronics Manufacturing’s president. Jeff Altschuler will become executive vice president of the New Hampshire division. Martial Vincent will remain as CEO of Varitron in Quebec.

“Altronics was at a crossroads, and this acquisition enables us to grow our business more rapidly and develop new markets. This is why I am pleased to be taking up this new challenge as part of the Varitron team, which is the ideal partner for us,” said Altschuler in a prepared statement.