Trade mission links investors with Grant County

MOSES LAKE - A recent trade mission to Asia connected investors

with Grant County business and economic representatives.

Kim Foster, corporate council with the ASPI Group, Terry Brewer,

executive director of the Grant County Economic Development

Council, and Matt Harris, the Washington State Potato Commission's

trade director, were among the group accompanying Gov. Chris

Gregoire and Dan Newhouse, the director of the state Department of

Agriculture, on the trip.

MOSES LAKE - A recent trade mission to Asia connected investors with Grant County business and economic representatives.

Kim Foster, corporate council with the ASPI Group, Terry Brewer, executive director of the Grant County Economic Development Council, and Matt Harris, the Washington State Potato Commission's trade director, were among the group accompanying Gov. Chris Gregoire and Dan Newhouse, the director of the state Department of Agriculture, on the trip.

The ASPI Group is a major landowner near the Grant County International Airport and now has SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers located in its Moses Lake business park.

A trip highlight was a Grant County forum in Beijing, which Brewer also attended, Foster said.

Gregoire spoke at the forum, encouraging Chinese companies to locate in Grant County and to take advantage of the green clusters and hydro opportunities.

Her talk went over "very well," Foster said. "I think we had over 100 people at the forum."

The principal interest appeared to be in SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers' plant being built in Moses Lake and REC Silicon's plant, also in Moses Lake, he said.

"They were all keenly aware of that," he said. "China is such a big player in the automotive parts market and solar energy market, both of those facilities were premier examples."

Investors represented a wide range of companies.

The largest percentage came from electronic and automotive component manufactures and alternative energy fields.

Foster said he would like to see horizontal integration to the SGL plant, with other companies building parts for an electric vehicle.

"We are going to focus on those who have a focus in green technology," he commented.

He explained the "holy grail" would be to entice an electric vehicle manufacturer to Grant County.

He would also like to see the vertical integration with REC Silicon, in the form of a new chip manufacturer and a panel manufacturer in Grant County.

"Our next step will be to establish further contact with companies who have a bona fide interest in exploring opportunities in Grant County," Foster said.

Another portion of the trip included a stop in a Korean factory that builds LED light bulbs to replace incandescent lighting fixtures.

He predicted the LED technology overruns the compact florescent built in the next generation.

"For me, that was very interesting," he commented.

Another trade mission participant, Brewer, of Grant County EDC, traveled to Korea for two days and met with Gunpo City Mayor Kim Yoon-Jo.

"I had a good meeting with him," Brewer said.

Brewer renewed acquaintances with the mayor and his staff.

Yoon-Jo had been the mayor when the Grant County Sister City relationship was signed. He was re-elected as mayor in June.

Brewer also spoke of the meeting with the LED lighting company in Korea.

"I can't say any business will come of it, but it's a start," he said.

He mentioned an investor meeting in Seoul, Korea, involving himself and ASPI Group representatives.

"It might lead to some investment coming our way," Brewer said.

An investor contact was a business agent dealing with foreign investors.

They wanted to invest in business projects through the immigrant investor, or EB-5 program, somewhat because they're able to obtain a U.S. green card and bring their families to the U.S.

Brewer attended a similar investor meeting in Beijing, where hydropower attracted a significant amount of interest from the audience.

He also went to Shanghai and had a similar encounter with agents handling EB-5 work.

Brewer spoke with a contractor who meets with the state Department of Commerce, DOC, and is out talking to businesses wanting to invest in the U.S.

"He tries to steer them to Washington," Brewer.

He plans to meet with one of the contractor's staff members and talk in more detail about what's going on in Grant County.