Southern Wine & Spirits of America has inked an agreement to buy Sterling Distributing Company in Omaha, Nebraska.

The financial details of the acquisition have not been divulged.

Sterling Distributing Company is a wholesaler of wine and distilled spirits.

Southern Wine & Spirits president and CEO Wayne E Chaplin said: "The Sterling Distributing Company is a great family-owned business with a talented workforce and a long-standing reputation in the state.

"Southern is honored by the opportunity to work with and learn from the Sterling leadership and employees deeply engrained in the market and to bring our industry best practices and expertise to the Nebraska market. We anticipate a smooth transition with no disruption for employees, suppliers and customers alike."

Sterling Distributing Company chairman Greg Alevizos said: "This is an exciting time for our company, as we expect that Southern will help take our business to the next level in the beverage alcohol industry.

"We are confident Southern will continue Sterling’s heritage of providing superior stewardship of our exceptional supplier brands, outstanding service to our customers and exciting career opportunities for our dedicated and capable employees."

The purchase is expected to be completed by the end of this month following regulatory approvals.

Upon the closing of Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits in the second quarter of 2016, the Sterling acquisition will be integrated into the new organisation.

In January, the two firms had intended to merge operations to become a leading player in the wine and spirits segment of North America, reported just-drinks.com.

Southern Wine & Spirits operates in 35 markets across the US.