Lewis EDC Member Spotlight: Moerke Brings Well-Rounded Experience to Centralia’s Exodus Engineering

Engineering Firm Focuses on Both Residential and Commercial ‘Problem Solving’

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The following content was produced by the Lewis Economic Development Council, which publishes a special section in The Chronicle monthly. 

As owner and president of his own business Exodus Engineering based in Centralia, Luke Moerke must like to keep busy with a long list of projects. He also oversees his family’s 200-acre forestry farm in Adna and plenty of family duties.

“I like the design part, I like problem-solving,” Moerke said of his professional duties.

Exodus Engineering is currently working on foundation design with the NW Sports Hub in Centralia and its 29,500-square-foot expansion, which will make The Hub the largest indoor amatuer sports venue in the state.

The company, with four engineer technicians and a total of seven employees on the payroll, focuses on both residential and commercial projects. Moerke offers more than 14 years of experience.

Exodus Engineering performs light-frame residential, commercial structures, retaining walls and metal building foundations. They work with both big and small projects, from massive commercial buildings to helping the homeowner with simple engineering design.

His residential expertise includes new construction, renovations, additions, shops, barns, hangers and site plans. His commercial side of the business includes new construction, tenant improvements and building modifications.

He performs drafting and design for both residential and commercial. For residential custom homes plans and drafting, he started that portion of his business two years ago when demand was nonstop.

“I got tired of saying ‘no,’” he said.



Moerke earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Central Washington University followed by earning a license in civil engineering. Before that, he worked for the family business — Moerke & Sons Pump & Drilling — which was first started by his grandfather, then directed by his dad and mom. His dad pointed him to mechanical engineering, as there was a need for the family business to produce pumps and water system designs.

“Dad said, ‘You should look into that,’” Moerke said.

The following content was produced by the Lewis Economic Development Council, which publishes a special section in The Chronicle monthly. 

After university graduation, Moerke worked for Pacific Northwest Engineering in Tacoma until 2012. He started Exodus Engineering in 2012 to be closer to his Adna roots and the family forestry farm located in the Curtis-Boistfort area.

Moerke’s grandfather worked in logging, and partnered with several homesteaders in the Adna area, purchasing timber tracts along the way. Moerke’s dad managed the timberland. Moerke took over the family duties overseeing the timber. He took forestry stewardship classes and became certified in family forestry planning.

As far as family life, Moerke appreciates being able to work the family forestry farm in Adna with his six boys, two of whom he adopted as siblings out of Haiti.

“Working on the tree farm helps balance me,” Moerke said, adding that it helps him get out from behind the desk at work.

The family rides dirt bikes and works the land together, as well as put in time hunting. He said God laid the adoption into the hearts of Moerke and his wife. He also is planning, with a group of Christian believers to found a Reform church in the Lewis County area. It’s not surprising, he chose the Biblical term “Exodus” for his business.

“We’re builder friendly and reasonable, yet fulfill the building codes,” he said. “We work with the builders and developers, and we can identify small changes that sometimes can save lots of money, or alternative materials or methods that can save construction time or labor.”