Noland Co., Newport News, VA, a subsidiary of Dayton, OH-based WinWholesale, has opened two new branches in North Carolina, while Cregger Co., based in West Columbia, SC, purchased the assets and physical property of Blue Ridge Plumbing Supply in Wilkesboro, NC.

Noland now operates 18 locations in the state. The Charlotte, NC, branch of Noland opened a satellite operation in Asheville, NC, at 120 Sweeten Creek Road, to serve heating and air conditioning contractors in the area, stocking residential and commercial heating and air conditioning equipment, accessories, tools and parts. Also, Noland's Winston-Salem, NC, branch opened a satellite unit in High Point, NC, at 1515-B Bethel Drive, to serve plumbing and HVAC contractors in Guilford County. It stocks heating and air conditioning equipment and supplies and both residential and commercial plumbing products.

Cregger Co. announced that Jim Byrd, who founded Blue Ridge Plumbing Supply in 1980 and grew the business to become the premier distributor in Wilkesboro and the surrounding community, has joined the Cregger Co. Former Blue Ridge associate Lee Price now manages the Wilkesboro location for Cregger Co.

Cregger's new Wilkesboro location operates out of a 20,400-sq.-ft. building on 2.75 acres.