A Wilmington-based health care firm continues to grow in North Carolina, with long-term expectations of future expansion in the Wilmington area.

Liberty Healthcare and Rehabilitation recently purchased Pisgah Valley Retirement Community in Asheville for a reported $16.5 million.

“The Asheville market has been of interest to Liberty for some time, and this particular community was a great fit,” said Will Purvis, chief development officer of Liberty Healthcare Management, in an email Monday.

But the firm is also looking to increase its footprint in the Cape Fear region in years to come.

“We have long-range plans to grow our existing communities in Wilmington but nothing immediate,” Purvis said. “Currently operating Southport Nursing Center as well as Ocean Trail Health & Rehabilitation, we are excited about the increasing quality health care contributions we are now part of in Brunswick County and continue to look for other opportunities in the area including Brunswick County.”

St. James Plantation’s developers have sold property to Liberty Healthcare, which the firm is expected to use to offer assisted living and nursing care sometime in the future, said Bobby Masters, St. James Plantation general manager, in a Greater Wilmington Business Journal story last year.

Liberty Healthcare and affiliated companies employ nearly 1,000 associates in the greater Wilmington market, which for the firm's purposes includes Columbus County, according to company officials. More than 550 associates are employed in New Hanover County, more than 150 in Brunswick and more than 250 in Columbus, officials said. 

As for current expansions, Purvis said in the email, “Along with the acquisition of Pisgah Valley Retirement Community in Asheville, we have new retirement communities under development in Cary and Charlotte in addition to a new CCRC [Continuing Care Retirement Community] that will open Summer of 2018 in Mount Pleasant, S.C.” 

The facilities in Wilmington that Liberty operates include Brightmore of Wilmington, Carolina Bay at Autumn Hall and Liberty Commons Rehabilitation Center.