A beverage distribution company plans to open a 160,000-square-foot warehouse in Pender Commerce Park, according to an announcement Tuesday morning by Wilmington Business Development.

The Pender County Board of Commissioners approved the proposed sale Monday of 15 acres at the park for the warehouse and a distribution center to Empire Distributors of North Carolina Inc., a company that distributes beer, wine and other beverages, a WBD news release stated. 

Located on U.S. 421 in Currie, Pender Commerce Park is a 450-acre full-service, ready-to-build industrial park, according to WBD. Acme Smoked Fish is the park’s first tenant and this year announced the opening of its $30-million facility on a 20-acre tract there.

The county bought land for the park in 2006, completing engineering and infrastructure development work on the property in 2011, Tuesday's announcement said.

“We’re excited to welcome the park’s second industrial resident and the new jobs and capital investment this company will bring Pender County,” said David Williams, chairman of the Pender County Board of Commissioners, in the news release.

By state law, the county’s sale of the land must fulfill a 10-day upset-bid period, according to the release.

“Empire is a great fit for Pender Commerce Park, which was developed with just these sort of state-of-the-art manufacturing and distribution operations in mind,” said Scott Satterfield, CEO of WBD, in the announcement.

Pender County has a contract with WBD for economic development services, and the organization "worked quietly with representatives from Empire Distributors of North Carolina Inc. in recent months to assist the company in its site search," the news release said.

Founded in Atlanta in 1940, Empire Distributors currently has operations in Asheville, Charlotte, Raleigh and Winston-Salem. McLane Company Inc. acquired Empire Distributors in 2010.

Check back later for more details.