After more than nine months of working on the transformation of a 90-year-old building in downtown Wilmington, Ironclad Brewery begins welcoming customers this weekend.

“The renovation of this building was a major undertaking,” Ted Coughlin, CEO of Ironclad, said Friday. “We’re still making a few changes, but we’re 99 percent done with that, which is great.”

One of several new Wilmington businesses to become part of the growing craft beer industry, Ironclad Brewery at 115 N. 2nd St. will serve two beers made from its own recipes when it opens at noon Saturday, Coughlin said. Ironclad contracted with other breweries to make the beer for its soft opening, he said, because the company is still working on getting the brewing portion of its business up and running before celebrating a grand opening in the spring.

Working with building owner Don Lashley, Ironclad used the services of 33 Wilmington area companies in the restoration of 115 N. 2nd St., which has in the past housed a funeral home, candy store, car dealership and auto repair shop, a company news release said. After that, the building was vacant and mostly used for storage for about 20 years.

All of the utilities had to be replaced but the interior brick walls and roof are intact, the release said. The original second-story wood was removed piece by piece, planed and reused within the brewery. Ironclad’s head brewer, Ethan Hall, has been managing the project for the company.

Combined, Lashley and Ironclad have spent “well over $1 million” on the restoration, said Coughlin (shown below with Hall inside the newlyl renovated brewery).

Ironclad Brewery is leasing the 11,000-square-foot, two-story building from Lashley and has the ability to accommodate more than 400 people. With about 25 employees now, Ironclad is expected to employ about 40 by its grand opening, Coughlin said. Beginning Saturday, Ironclad will be open from noon to midnight Monday through Saturday, opening a little later and closing a little earlier on Sundays.

“We are ecstatic to be part of the downtown Wilmington scene. The other business owners downtown have come in, and they’ve been excited, too,” Coughlin said.

In addition to undertaking the soft opening and planning for a grand one, Ironclad has been working to promote the Wilmington craft beer scene as well as North Carolina’s, Coughlin said, and will eventually serve other local and state craft beer alongside its own.

In a news release, Coughlin credited the city of Wilmington staff for its progress.

“They took the initiative to learn how craft breweries have improved the business climates of many cities across the country. These breweries are investing to revamp areas within cities where no other businesses would invest,” he said.