Flu vaccine, BBQ sauce, Duck Tape? What’s the coolest thing made in NC?
.jpg "The Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric school bus made by Thomas Built Buses in High Point won the inaugural “Coolest Thing Made in NC” contest organized by the N.C. Chamber last year.")
When you think of products made in North Carolina, the HURST Jaws of Life rescue tool system or DSM’s Dyneema fiber may not be top of mind.
But these two products, made in Shelby and Greenville respectively, are among 15 semifinalists in the “Coolest Thing Made in NC” contest organized by the North Carolina Chamber. The public can now vote for their favorite and narrow the field down to five finalists on Sept. 20.
This is the second year that the chamber and Old Dominion Freight Line have held the coolest thing contest, to highlight the importance of manufacturing in North Carolina. According to the chamber, manufacturing employs more than 10% of the state’s workforce and accounts for 17% of gross state product.
Last year’s winner was the Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley electric school bus made by Thomas Built Buses in High Point and used by school districts in Virginia, Alaska and Massachusetts, among other states.
The initial field of 68 nominees this year included some household names, such as Cheerwine from Salisbury, Krispy Kreme doughnuts from Winston-Salem, Bright Leaf hot dogs from Smithfield and dill pickles from Mount Olive. There were also some more niche products, such as Zombie Snott hair coloring from Charlotte and the FloLogic Smart Leak Detection auto shutoff system from Durham.
None of those made the top 15, based on 18,000 votes from the public. In addition to the Jaws of Life and Dyneema polyethylene fiber, the semifinalists are:
▪ Artisan Leaf handcrafted tobacco leaf tables and surfaces, made in Wilson
▪ Additive America custom headgear, made in Kinston
▪ Bosch SideOpening door wall oven, made in New Bern
▪ Caterpillar’s Cat 938M wheel loader, made in Clayton
▪ Duck Tape, made in Stony Point
▪ Flucelvax influenza vaccine, made in Holly Springs
▪ George’s BBQ sauce, made in Nashville
▪ HondaJet EliteS, made in Greensboro
▪ House-Autry chicken breading mix, made in Four Oaks
▪ Jarrett Bay custom sport fishing boats, made in Beaufort
▪ Queen Charlotte’s Original Pimento Cheese, made in Charlotte
▪ Transcend Towel & Tissue System by von Drehle, made in Newton
▪ Western Star 49X vocational truck, made in Cleveland
The public can vote at coolestthingmadeinnc.com. There will be another round of voting among the five finalists after Sept. 20, and the winner will be announced Oct. 1.
This story was originally published September 2, 2021 at 10:26 AM.
