2023 Winner

October 5, 2023

RALEIGH, N.C. – Today, the day before National Manufacturing Day (#MFGDay23), the NC Chamber revealed the winners for this year’s ‘Coolest Thing Made in NC’ competition: C.R. Onsrud’s Q-Series 5-Axis CNC Machine (medium-to-large business category) and Static Rope Edge Protectors (STREP) by Fjord Inc. (small business category).

The contest recognizes two winners: one for businesses with fewer than 100 employees, and one for businesses with 100+ employees. C.R. Onsrud’s product is manufactured in Troutman while Fjord Inc.’s is manufactured in Burlington.  

The online contest began with 130 nominees and after three rounds of public voting totaling 45,116 votes, C.R. Onsrud’s Q-Series 5-Axis CNC Machine and Static Rope Edge Protectors (STREP) by Fjord Inc. earned the top spots, with 4,730 and 3,262 votes respectively.

Now an annual tradition, the NC Chamber launched the competition in 2020 to honor North Carolina’s manufacturers and raise awareness about the rewarding careers in modern manufacturing. As the exclusive state affiliate for the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the NC Chamber knows that a strong manufacturing sector is central to North Carolina’s economic and competitive success. The state’s innovative manufacturing industry is the largest workforce in the Southeast with more than 450,000 North Carolinians employed by 10,250 NC manufacturers.

2023 “The Coolest Thing Made in NC” Finalists (in place order):

Medium-to-Large Business Category
Place	Finalist	Manufacturing Location
Winner	C.R. Onsrud Q-Series 5-Axis CNC Machine	Troutman
2nd place	Nucor Steel Plate	Cofield
3rd place	Flucelvax Quadrivalent by CSL Seqirus	Holly Springs
4th Place	HondaJet Elite II	Greensboro
5th Place	Corning Optical Fiber and Cable	Wilmington, Winston-Salem, Conover, Hickory, and Newton

Small Business Category
Place	Finalist	Manufacturing Location
Winner	Static Rope Edge Protection (STREP®) by Fjord, Inc.	Burlington
2nd place	Piedmont Pennies	Charlotte
3rd place	Atlantic Beach Sea Salt	Atlantic Beach
4th Place	Silverquicken Education Quest Club Kits	Chapel Hill
5th Place	MacLellan Bagpipes	Zebulon

“Congratulations to C.R. Onsrud and Fjord Inc. for winning the 2023 ‘Coolest Thing Made in NC’ title,” said NC Chamber President and CEO Gary Salamido. “Tomorrow is National Manufacturing Day, and we would like to thank our entire manufacturing community for developing important and lifesaving products for our state, country, and world. Our manufacturers are vital to both the health of our people and our economy.”

MFG Day, organized nationally by the NAM and The Manufacturing Institute, champions the next generation of creators, and kicks off a campaign to change perceptions of manufacturing, highlight the exciting careers in modern manufacturing, and close the widening skills gap. MFG Day coincides with North Carolina’s Manufacturing Week.

Baxter is serving as the Presenting Sponsor of the online competition, and Business North Carolina is this year’s Media Partner.

Join the contest’s social media campaign by following #CoolestThingMadeinNC. In addition to receiving a trophy, this year’s winning products 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.

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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.

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