Semifinalists Revealed for “Coolest Thing Made in NC” Competition
NC Chamber’s statewide contest champions manufacturing community’s impact and innovation
RALEIGH, N.C. – Today, the NC Chamber announced the 30 semifinalists—15 for the medium-to-large business category and 15 for the small business category—for its annual “Coolest Thing Made in NC” online competition, which began with 130 nominees.
This is the fourth 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.
“This year’s products really run the gamut—including vaccines, food products, bagpipes, jets, and much more,” said NC Chamber President and CEO Gary Salamido. “We are so grateful to the entire manufacturing community – the backbone of our state’s economy for more than a century. And we are so excited to congratulate this list of semifinalists! As we always say at the NC Chamber: what’s made in North Carolina makes North Carolina.”
Baxter 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. The field of candidates will narrow with each round of voting, and the winning product will be revealed on Thursday, October 5, 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.
“The Coolest Thing Made in NC Nominees (in alphabetical order by manufacturing location):
| Medium-to-Large Business Category | |
| Manufacturing Location | Semifinalist |
| Cofield | Steel Plate by Nucor |
| Durham | Wolfspeed Silicon Carbide |
| Durham | Humacyte Human Acellular Vessel |
| Elizabeth City | TCOM Aerostats |
| Greensboro | HondaJet Elite II |
| Holly Springs | Flucelvax Quadrivalent by CSL Seqirus |
| Huntersville | The Atom Switch by Atom Power |
| Old Fort | PureBond Formaldehyde-Free Hardwood Plywood |
| Salisbury | Cheerwine |
| Salisbury | AMREP Garbage Trucks |
| Smithfield | Brightleaf Hotdogs |
| Stony Point | Duck Tape by Shurtape |
| Troutman | C.R. Onsrud’s Q-Series 5-Axis CNC Machine |
| Wilmington, Concord, Hickory, Newton, and Winston-Salem | Corning Optical Fiber and Cable |
| Winston-Salem | Texas Pete Hot Sauce |
| Small Business Category | |
| City | Semifinalist |
| Atlantic Beach | Atlantic Beach Sea Salt |
| Bear Creek | Southern Supreme Nutty Fruitcake |
| Burlington | Fjord Static Rope Edge Protection |
| Chapel Hill | SilverQuicken Education’s Quest Club Kits |
| Charlotte | Piedmont Pennies |
| Greenville | The Sweet Potato Crunch BonBon by Jenni’s Ugly Chocolates |
| Madison | Gia Distillery’s FJW Solera Style American Whiskey |
| Morganton, Nebo, and Burlington | Carolina’s Textile District’s Marigold Beanie – a collaboration between Material Return, Fonta Flora Brewery, Solid State Clothing, and Opportunity Threads |
| Mt. Airy | Andrew Pearson Premium Glassworks Fuzion Glass |
| Nashville | George’s BBQ Sauce |
| Reidsville | Fogwood Farm’s Ghost Pepper Jam |
| Rockingham | Cold War Concealment Holsters |
| Smyrna | Crab Pot Christmas Trees by Fisherman’s Creations |
| Waynesville | Waynesville Soda Jerks Bottled Sodas |
| Zebulon | MacLellan Bagpipes |
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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.