MOSES LAKE - In Grant County, job creation and attracting new businesses are work synonymous with the name Terry Brewer.

Brewer is the outgoing executive director of the Grant County Economic Development Council (EDC).

He retires May 15, just three days after his 15th anniversary at the EDC.

Bob Trask, an EDC board director and past board president, describes Brewer as "an excellent catalyst," who used his work contacts to get results and communicated well.

"He had the perseverance to stick with it," Trask said. "Success took a while."

Trask points out that for each individual project, there are 1,000 hands that touch it and planning done by other entities.

For example, Quincy, a data center hub, had the infrastructure ready for future businesses, he recalls.

Brewer facilitated and helped in the efforts, which is what he was hired for, Trask said.

"He has been amazing," EDC director and past president Juliann Dodds said. "In his tenure, he was dedicated to improving the economic health of Grant County and focused on it to ensure the citizens of Grant County would have a viable place to work and live."

Brewer said working with Port of Moses Lake staff on the Genie Industries project was the first big win they were directly engaged in.

The aerial lift manufacturer arrived in Moses Lake in 1999.

"Before Genie was here, we worked with the port to help get them here," Brewer recalled.

Genie is a large employer and Brewer said he was proud to have worked on the project.

He noted the EDC's behind the scenes work with existing companies like Takata, Chemi-Con and Eka Chemicals.

"We didn't make a lot of headlines, but we know we helped them," he said.

Last year, Takata, an air bag propellant and inflator manufacturer, announced plans to add a new line at its Moses Lake plant.

Polysilicon producer REC Silicon is among the projects that made headlines, as it lowered the tax levy rate and provided jobs well above Grant County's average wage, he recalled.

He is disappointed about the Guardian Industries project being put on hold.

"It's unfortunate the economy has put the building industry in such a long slump," Brewer said.

The fiberglass insulation product company broke ground in 2007 along Stratford Road, but hasn't completed the project.  

Work continues on the inside of the building, but hiring likely won't happen this year, Brewer said.

Pacific Coast Canola was another win in Grant County.

The company is building a Canola crushing plant in Warden.

It is anticipated the plant will be done in late 2012.

Since Pacific Coast Canola started construction, a Warden burger restaurant re-opened and a new hardware store opened downtown. There hasn't been a hardware store in Warden for about 20 years.

Hopefully another employer spurs a couple of businesses in Warden and starts a chain of growth in the community, he said.

Another career highlight includes helping bring the BMW/SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers plant to Moses Lake in 2010.

The plant is finished and located east of the Grant County International Airport.

For Brewer, retirement means doing more than work.

"I am retiring because I am ready to quit working full time," he said. "This has been a great career."

He plans on golfing, fishing, traveling and spending time with family during his retirement.

He is pleased to turn over his duties to Jonathan Smith, the EDC's past managing director who was promoted to Brewer's position.

Smith has worked with Brewer for six years and says he learned a lot from him.

"There hasn't been a time when I haven't been able to go into his office, close the door and say I wasn't sure what to do in a situation," Smith said. "It was great to have someone I could talk to about anything."

Brewer is a Grant PUD commissioner and plans to run for a second term later this year.

"When I retire, I will probably start knocking on doors and start campaigning efforts," he said. "It's enough to keep my mind active on important matters, but gives me time to enjoy retirement."

He begins a stint as the Ephrata Rotary Club president in June.

He credits his wife, Shirley, for her support during his different careers.

The last 15 years of his career at a utility was full of long hours, travel and night meetings, which didn't stop when they moved to Grant County.

"I owe her big time," he said. "She's been my chief supporter all the way, including when I was going to run for PUD. She said she would quit her job to help me campaign."

He was once a participant of the Governor's Summit in Moses Lake, a board member of the North Central Washington Work Force Development Council and the Connect Washington Transportation Committee.