K&L Distributors of Renton, which employs about 215, plans to sell its regional beer wholesaling business to King Beverage of Spokane in January, said K&L owner Dan Levine.

Levine will continue to own a beer-distributing company called K&L Distributors in Alaska, and to oversee the Alaska wine and spirits operations of Young's Market Northwest.

"My family has been involved in the beer business in Seattle for over 60 years," Levine said. "When the opportunity came to change ownership of the Seattle operation to another family business that we had been friends with for that many years and that was in line with our corporate values, we felt it was an opportunity we couldn't pass up."

K&L filed a notice with the state Monday warning it could lay off its Renton employees in January. Such filings are often a technicality for acquisitions, because the company that is being sold will stop being the employer.

Levine said that while he can't make promises for King Beverage, it does not have a Seattle-area operation and is likely to need a warehouse, drivers, salesmen and other workers on this side of the mountains.

"I'm looking for an extremely smooth transition," he said.

The deal will roughly double King Beverage's annual distribution to 11 million to 12 million cases, Levine said.

King Beverage co-owner Ted Rusnak did not return a call seeking comment.

Melissa Allison: 206-464-3312 or mallison@seattletimes.com. On Twitter: @AllisonSeattle