RALEIGH, N.C. –Today, the NC Chamber announced the 102 products officially competing in its sixth annual “Coolest Thing Made in NC” online competition. Presented by Baxter International, the public contest celebrates North Carolina’s innovative manufacturing industry—an industry that generates more than 13.3% of the gross state product and employs over 10% of the state’s workforce.

This year’s competition saw a record-breaking 188 nominations from across the state, with 102 manufacturers completing the submission process to be featured in the contest.

“Manufacturing is the backbone of North Carolina’s economy, and the products made here compete on a global stage,” said NC Chamber President and CEO Gary J. Salamido. “The ‘Coolest Thing Made in NC’ contest highlights the manufacturers whose ingenuity and resilience keep North Carolina competitive and growing. It’s also a reminder of the critical role this industry plays in creating good jobs and long-term career pathways for our young people, veterans, and adult learners.”

In 2020, the NC Chamber launched the “Coolest Thing Made in NC” competition to celebrate North Carolina’s vital manufacturing community – and champion the next generation of manufacturers and creators by raising awareness about the rewarding careers of modern manufacturing. Last year, after three rounds of public voting, Honda Aircraft Company’s Hondajet Elite II and Piedmont Pennies’ Original Sharp Cheddar Biscuit Bites earned the top spots. 

Go to coolestthingmadeinnc.com to vote daily until Thursday, August 28. The 10 semifinalists for each category will be announced live on YouTube on Thursday, September 5. The field of candidates will narrow with each round of voting, and the winning products will be revealed on Thursday, October 2, the day before National Manufacturing (MFG) Day.  

Join the contest’s social media campaign by following #CoolestThingMadeinNC. In addition to receiving a trophy, the winning companies and products will be featured in NC Chamber and Business North Carolina publications, podcasts, social and digital media, among additional statewide publicity efforts.  

The Coolest Thing Made in NC Nominees (in alphabetical order by manufacturing location): 

Small
Company	Product	City
Blaze On Creations	12 oz Blaze On Can-dle	Arden, NC
Spice Witch	Chili Oil and Chili Crisp	Arden, NC
Freaker USA, Inc.	Slippy	Asheboro, NC
Aluminati Guitar Company	Helios MP TM	Asheville,NC
Devil’s Foot Beverage Company	Devil’s Foot Beverage Chai Tea & Lemon- Stronger Together	Asheville, NC
Poppy Hand-Crafted Popcorn	Asheville Mix Artist Bag	Asheville, NC
Spicewalla Brand, LLC	Made with Love in Asheville 10-Pack Gift Set	Asheville, NC
Atlantic Beach Sea Salt Company	Atlantic Beach Sea Salt	Atlantic Beach, NC
Bald Guy Brew Coffee Roasting Co.	Organic Guatemalan – Finca La Hermosa	Boone, NC
Booneshine Brewing Company	Space Pegasus Hazy IPA	Boone, NC
Erik Martella Wines	Sparkling Rosé© Pet Nat made from Noble	Boone, NC
Tarpestry	Tarpestry	Boone, NC
SylvanSport – Factory Showroom & Store	The SylvanSport GO Camping Trailor	Brevard, NC
smoky mountain jet boat	16 passenger jet boat	Bryson City, NC
Solid State Clothing	Hemp and Marigold Natural Tie Dye T-Shirt – Flower Child	Burlington, NC
RiceWrap Foods Corporation	RiceWrap Foods’ Frozen Sushi Rice	Butner, NC
Asheville Music Tools / AKA Hypertriangle Inc	APH-12 Analog Phaser	Candler, NC
Rising Smoke Sauceworks	Synergy hot sauce	Candler, NC
Sunrise Baskets, Inc.	Tablet organizer	Clayton, NC
CMC Dry Ice	Dry Ice	Concord, NC
Ketchie inc.	Crate to Great	Concord, NC
UpRight Ideas LLC dba LuckyandLoyal.com	Dynamic Mobility Brace Set	Conover, NC
Shopbot Tools Inc	ShopBot Desktop MAX ATC	Durham, NC
Tideline Boats, Inc.	Tideline 235 Hybrid	Edenton, NC
Skills, Inc.	Mo’s OBX Skeeter Beater	Elizabeth City, NC
BCM Inc	Break’a	Fayetteville, NC
Tobacco Road Redeemed, Inc.	Personalized Reclaimed Oak Serving Tray	Four Oaks, NC
Fluid Marine	Patrol Boat	Franklinton, NC
Ordway Glass Company, LLC	Custom Stained Glass	Fuquay-Varina, NC
Hugger Mugger Brewing	Hastur the King in Yellow, Belgian Tripel	Gibsonville, NC
The Bread Lady	Sourdough Bread	Greenville, NC
Dampp-Chaser Corp.	Piano Life Saver	Hendersonville, NC
PTI, LLC	Inno-Wave Pool Noodles	Hickory, NC
Sabai	The Bacana Sofa	High Point, NC
Big Spoon Roasters	Carrot Cake Almond & Walnut Butter	Hillsborough, NC
Five Star Coffee Roasters	Santa Lucia	Holly Springs, NC
Lighthouse Candle Factory	Custom Handmade Candles	Kernersville
House of MorganPewter	Handcrafted Pewter North Carolina Lighthouses	Kinston, NC
SunMate®	SunMate Cushion	Leicester NC
Marshallberg Farm	Classic Osetra Caviar	Lenoir, NC & Smyrna, NC
RePolyTex	Mamba DBS	Madison, NC
Michael Witt	Bread Knives and Boards	Mars Hill, NC
Spark Robotic	XR Series CNC Plasma Tables	Mars Hill, NC
Boomerang Water	Boomerang Water Onsite Bottling Machine	Midland, NC
Tri-Hishtil, LLC.	Grafted watermelon plants	Mills River, NC
MSI Defense Solutions	EAGLS- Electronic Ground Launcher System	Mooresville, NC
Little River Customs	Custom Leather Helmet Shield	Newton, NC
Parameter Generation & Control	Humidity control conditioners	Old Fort, NC
AFEX	Dual Agent Fire Suppression System	Raleigh, NC
Benny T’s Vesta	Benny T’s Vesta	Raleigh, NC
Bone Suckin’ Sauce	Bone Suckin’ Sauce® Eastern Vinegar	Raleigh, NC
Carolina Ice Company	Chilly Water	Raleigh, NC
Designed For Joy	Daphne Handbag	Raleigh, NC
ElectaFile	ElectaFile.com	Raleigh, NC
Mama Bear’s Naturals	Zero Toxin Skincare Bundle	Raleigh, NC
MTR Custom Leather, LLC	Black Label Holster	Ramseur, NC
Chappell puppets	Custom puppets	Read Oak ,NC
Bibey Machine & Fabrication Co.	Greensboro Coliseum Handrails	Reidsville, NC
Tree Enterprises	Vinyl Rest Mats	Reidsville, NC
Power Curbers	Power Curber 5700-D	Salisbury, NC
The Valley of the Pharaohs – 40th Anniversary Edition	Cawing Crow Designs	Salisbury, NC
Terry C. McInturff Guitars	Terry C. McInturff Guitars	Siler City, NC
Brad Halling American Whiskey Co. LLC dba BHAWK	Madam Colonel Pistachio Bourbon Cream	Southern Pines, NC
The Old 97 Kettlecorn Company	Salisbury Blend	Spencer, NC
Everyday Oil	Everyday Oil	Statesville, NC
Sutherland Products Inc	Charlie’s Soap Indoor/Outdoor Cleaner	Stoneville, NC
Liberty Woodcraft	Hatteras Lighthouse Pub Table	Thomasville, NC
Momentum (Washington) LLC	1000 Piers Blueberry Gin	Washington, NC
Waynesville Soda Jerks	Handcrafted Sodas	Waynesville, NC
Darë Vegan Cheese	Darë Plant-Based Vegan Cheese Wedges	Weaverville, NC
Cape Fear Rum Cake	Cape Fear Rum Cake	Wilmington, NC
CoopWorx	CoopWorx Feed & Water Silos	Wilmington, NC
Back Roads Bread Company	Blueberry Corn Cruffin	Wilson, NC
Chemtek, Inc	PavePro Asphalt Remover & Release Agent	Yanceyville, NC
Medium
East Fork	The Mug Femmes et singes	Asheville, NC
Safewaze	Latitude Edge Web SRL-P	Concord, NC
Armor Express	TacS-S1 Ballistic Shield Line	Eden, NC
Regulator Marine	Regulator Boats	Edenton, NC
Avient	Dyneema(R)	Greenville, NC
Grady-White Boats, Inc.	Grady-White Freedom 415	Greenville, NC
Nags Head Hammocks	Duracord® Rope Hammock	Greenville, NC
Johnson Concrete Products	Johnson Concrete Products – ABRI Masonry Veneers in Gray	Lexington, NC
Plantd Inc	Structural Panel	Oxford, NC
Cheerwine	Cheerwine	Salisbury, NC
Carolina Packers – Bright Leaf Hot Dogs	Bright Leaf Hot Dogs	Smithfield, NC
World Cat / HC Composites	Powered Catamaran Boats	Tarboro, NC
Garner Foods	Texas Pete Hot Sauce	Winston-Salem, NC
Large
Carrier	Carrier Chillers	Charlotte, NC
Greenheck Group	Energy Recovery Ventilator with Temping – ERVi	Cherryville, NC
Eli Lilly and Company	Lyumjev®	Concord, NC
Butterball	Ground Turkey	Garner, NC
Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc.	Automated tow tractor for indoor logistics environments	Greenville, NC
Alamance Foods	FunPops	Graham, NC
Shurtape Technologies, LLC	T-Rex® Ferociously Strong Tape	Hickory, Stony Point, & Hudson
Nucor	Rebar	Lexington, NC
Siemens Mobility Inc.	Passenger coaches for Amtrak	Lexington, NC
Daimler Trucks	Freightliner Truck	Mount Holly, NC
Mt. Olive Pickle Company	Mt. Olive Munchies Portable Pickle Pouches	Mount Olive, NC
Columbia Forest Products	PureBond® Formaldehyde-Free Decorative Hardwood Plywood	Old Fort, NC
OPW Retail Fueling	Automatic Fueling Nozzles	Smithfield, NC
Bobcat Company	Bobcat MT120 Mini Track Loader	Statesville, NC
Monarch	Artwork by Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities	Winston-Salem, NC

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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 Baxter

Every day, millions of patients, caregivers and healthcare providers rely on Baxter’s leading portfolio of diagnostic, critical care, kidney care, nutrition, hospital and surgical products used across patient homes, hospitals, physician offices and other sites of care. For more than 90 years, we’ve been operating at the critical intersection where innovations that save and sustain lives meet the healthcare providers who make it happen. With products, digital health solutions and therapies available in more than 100 countries, Baxter’s employees worldwide are now building upon the company’s rich heritage of medical breakthroughs to advance the next generation of transformative healthcare innovations. To learn more, visit www.baxter.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.