Retailers show interest in Grant County

MOSES LAKE - Grant County's presence at the May International Council of Shopping Centers' RECon (Retail Real Estate Convention) in Las Vegas caused some retailers to give the area a closer look.

Emily Braunwart, of the Grant County Economic Development Council, said the eight person delegation was successful in putting the area on the radar of various retailers.

"We've definitely been getting phone calls," she said, when asked if any companies have made site visits to the county since the convention.

Braunwart attended RECon on behalf of the EDC. She gave a recap of the trip during EDC's luncheon at Big Bend Community College Thursday.

The City of Moses Lake had a booth at the convention, as did Grant County, she said. Braunwart said the group targeted several retailers prior to the trip and set up appointments with them.

The group was also able to meet with other companies informally as they made their rounds during the convention, she said.

"Everybody you could imagine was there, and you could at least get five minutes with them" Braunwart said.

Some of the companies the group made contact with include eatery Steak 'n Shake and department stores Shopko and J.C. Penney, according to her presentation.

Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Debbie Doran-Martinez, who also attended the convention, said one company has made a site visit to the area.

Representatives from a major hotel brand were recently in Moses Lake looking at various properties, she said during the luncheon.

EDC Executive Director Jonathan Smith said retailers don't always let organizations like the EDC and the chamber know when they conduct site visits.

"With manufacturing companies almost all of the time they have us assist them," he said.

However, retailers might quietly send representatives to an area, he said.

"We heard about the hotel but there could have been others that have done the same thing and we might not know about it until later," said Smith.

He also said Moses Lake wasn't the only Basin community retailers showed an interest in during the convention.

"I can't say much but I did hear some of the companies they met with were interested in the smaller communities like Ephrata and other places," he said. "Smaller stores like strip mall places are looking for towns like Othello, Ritzville, Ephrata and Quincy for locations."

Doran-Martinez also mentioned drive-in chain Sonic's interest in Moses Lake during the luncheon. She said she initially spoke with Thom Kessler, of Sonic during the convention.

She said she received an e-mail from him shortly after that expressing the company's interest in coming to Moses Lake.

Kessler recently confirmed the national chain was wanting to open a Moses Lake location within the next eight to 12 months and was seeking a local franchisee, according to a previous Columbia Basin Herald article.