RALEIGH, N.C. – Today, the NC Chamber announced the 10 finalists—5 for the medium-to-large business category and 5 for the small business category—for its annual “Coolest Thing Made in NC” online competition, which began with 80 nominees.

New for 2022, the contest will recognize two winners as opposed to one: one for businesses with fewer than 100 employees, and one for businesses with 100+ employees.

This is the third year that the NC Chamber has held the popular, public-driven contest, which spotlights North Carolina’s cutting-edge manufacturing industry—an industry that generates more than 17% of the gross state product and employs more than 10% of the state’s workforce.

“Congratulations to our impressive finalists. As we always say at the NC Chamber: what’s made in North Carolina makes North Carolina,” said NC Chamber President and CEO Gary Salamido. “With over 32,000 votes cast in this contest so far, it’s clear that North Carolinians share the Chamber’s love for our state’s innovative manufacturing community. This celebrated competition is a way to honor all our state’s manufacturers – the backbone of North Carolina’s economy for more than a century.”

“Congratulations to these distinguished finalists, who demonstrate the incredible variety of continuous innovation in North Carolina’s manufacturing sector,” said North Carolina Farm Bureau President Shawn Harding.

The North Carolina Farm Bureau is serving as the Presenting Sponsor of the online competition, and Business North Carolina is this year’s Media Partner. As the exclusive North Carolina affiliate for the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the NC Chamber knows that a strong manufacturing industry is crucial to the state’s economic and competitive success. The North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP) is collaborating on the annual contest as a Supporting Organization.

How to Vote:

Go to coolestthingmadeinnc.com to vote for the coolest thing made in NC; last day to vote is Thursday, September 29. The field of has narrowed down with each round of voting, and the winning product will be revealed on Thursday, October 6, the day before National Manufacturing (MFG) Day. October is Manufacturing Month, and MFG Day, organized nationally by the NAM and The Manufacturing Institute, highlights the rewarding career opportunities of modern manufacturing.

Join the contest’s social media campaign by following #CoolestThingMadeinNC. In addition to receiving a trophy, the victorious company and product will be featured in NC Chamber and Business North Carolina publications, podcasts, social and digital media, among additional statewide publicity efforts. Information on last year’s winner and runners-up can be found here.

Our 5 finalists in the Medium-to-Large Business Category are, in random order:

Finalist	Manufacturing Location
HondaJet Elite S	Greensboro
Caterpillar’s Cat® 299D3 XE Compact Track Loader	Sanford
Wieland Finned Tubes	Pine Hall
Cook Medical Hemospray	Winston-Salem
Wolfspeed Silicon Carbide	Durham

 

For our Small Business Category, our 5 finalists are, in random order:

Finalist	Manufacturing Location
SOLOCART	Holly Springs
Crab Pot Christmas Trees by Fisherman Creations	Smyrna
George’s BBQ Sauce	Nashville, NC
BeachBUB All-in-one Umbrella System	Greensboro
Artisan Leaf Tables and Bartops	Wilson

 

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About the NC Chamber
The NC Chamber works to research, develop, advocate, and communicate for solutions and policies that produce a nationally competitive business climate in North Carolina. For more information, visit ncchamber.com.

About North Carolina Farm Bureau
North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation was formed in 1936 as a non-profit general farm organization to serve farmers and provide a unified voice for the interests and needs of the farming community. For more information, visit https://www.ncfb.org/.