This Season, Give the Gift of Home
As you look for gift ideas for friends, co-workers, and family this year, we hope you’ll find some inspiration from our first-ever NC Holiday Gift Guide, featuring made-in-NC products.
Our NC Chamber team was inspired to create this list from this year’s Coolest Thing Made in NC nominees. While only one company was able to take home first place in each category, we could not let the opportunity pass us by to tout some of the one-of-a-kind and innovative products being produced right here at home in North Carolina. The items in this guide reflect products that we think would make great stocking stuffers or presents for anyone on your list—even for those hard-to-buy-for relatives or friends!
And speaking of not letting opportunities pass us by, as president and CEO of the NC Chamber, I can say firsthand that our annual ‘Coolest Thing Made in NC’ competition gives me and my staff a great sense of pride—it is an honor to applaud the accomplishments of an extremely innovative industry and the 200+ manufacturing members we represent. What began in the 1880s as a few textile mills across North Carolina’s landscape has evolved into an impressive, technologically driven industry that generates nearly one-fifth of the gross state product and employs more than 1 in 10 of the state’s workforce. What’s made in North Carolina really does make North Carolina.
On behalf of myself and the NC Chamber staff, we wish you and your family a happy and healthy holiday season!
-Gary J. Salamido
President and CEO, NC Chamber
Would you like to be included in next year’s NC Holiday Gift Guide? Let us know by completing this form.
Thank you to the following organizations for their support in distributing the NC Holiday Gift Guide
North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP)
The North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP) is a network of nine North Carolina organizations that provide extension services designed to enhance the productivity, innovative capacity and technological performance of NC manufacturing companies. Together, we work for a common goal of providing solutions and services that help our clients save time and energy, improve productivity, increase sales, improve profits and create and retain jobs. NCMEP is the official representative of the MEP National Network ™, a unique public-private partnership that delivers comprehensive, proven solutions to U.S. manufacturers, and NIST MEP in North Carolina.

North Carolina Retail Merchants Association (NCRMA)
The North Carolina Retail Merchants Association (NCRMA)—the leading voice of retail in North Carolina, launched a new campaign, “Welcome! We’re Here for You.” earlier this year. This digital campaign celebrates retailers across the state and encourages customers to revisit the unique shopping experience you can only find when you #ShopNC. Learn more about the campaign here.
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. Today, North Carolina Farm Bureau serves as an advocate for our members at the local, state, national, and international levels – providing educational, economic, public affairs, marketing, and various other services to our members. Over the years, North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation has grown into the largest general farm organization in the state with more than 600,000 member families, yet we remain true to our grassroots heritage and steadfast in our mission to advocate for farm and rural families.