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RALEIGH, N.C. – Today, the NC Chamber announced the 11 finalists—six for the medium-to-large business category and five for the small business category—for its annual “Coolest Thing Made in NC” online competition, which began with a record-setting 145 nominees.

This year’s medium-to-large business category has six finalists due to a tie in voting.

This is the fifth 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 Coolest Thing Made in NC 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 25,000 votes cast in this contest so far, it’s clear that North Carolinians share the Chamber’s love for our state’s impressive manufacturing community. This celebrated competition is a way to honor our state’s manufacturers – the backbone of North Carolina’s economy for more than a century.”

Baxter International 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 last day to vote is Thursday, Sept. 26. The winning products will be revealed on Thursday, Oct. 3, 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 winning 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.

For our Medium-to-Large Business Category, our six finalists are in alphabetical order by location:

Company Name	Nominated Product	City
Carrier	Centrifugal Chillers	Charlotte
Honda Aircraft Company	HondaJet Elite II	Greensboro
CSL Seqirus	Flucelvax	Holly Springs
Roush & Yates Racing Engines	V6 Twin-turbo EcoBoost Engine for Limited Edition Ford GT Mk IV	Mooresville
Columbia Forest Products	PureBond Formaldehyde-Free Hardwood Plywood	Old Fort
TW Garner Foods	Texas Pete Hot Sauce	Winston-Salem

For our Small Business Category, our five finalists are in alphabetical order by location:

Company Name	Nominated Product	City
Atlantic Beach Sea Salt Company	Atlantic Beach Sea Salt	Atlantic Beach
WoolTribe	Signature Cable Beanie	Charlotte
Piedmont Pennies	Original Sharp Cheddar Biscuit Bites	Charlotte
Mantissa Corporation	Scorpion® Sortation System	Charlotte
Lighthouse Candle Factory	Custom Handmade Candles	Kernersville

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.