George’s BBQ Sauce Named Semifinalist in 2022 Coolest Thing Made in NC
Recently, the NC Chamber announced that George’s BBQ Sauces is among the 31 semifinalists—15 for the medium-to-large business category and 16 for the small business category—for its annual “Coolest Thing Made in NC” online competition, which began with 80 nominees. In the first round of voting, right at 20,000 votes were cast across the field of candidates.
New for 2022, the contest will recognize two winners as opposed to one: one for businesses with fewer than 100 employees, and one for businesses with 100+ employees.
This is the third 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 goes to George’s BBQ Sauce for advancing to the semifinals,” said NC Chamber President and CEO Gary Salamido. “We are grateful to the entire manufacturing community – the backbone of our state’s economy for more than a century. As we always say at the NC Chamber: what’s made in North Carolina makes North Carolina.”
“These 31 impressive semifinalists show that innovation is thriving in every corner of the state, and we look forward to a strong competition in the next round,” said North Carolina Farm Bureau President Shawn Harding.
How to Vote:
Go to coolestthingmadeinnc.com to vote for the coolest thing made in NC. The field of candidates will narrow with each round of voting, and the winning product will be revealed on Thursday, October 6, 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 victorious 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.
“To make the semifinals again is exciting in itself,” states Brian Hassell, Co-Owner of George’s, “But, I know my team won’t be happy until we’re holding that top spot! We already know that we have the #1 fans in North Carolina - and now we’re counting on them to help us show we have the #1 product too! Regardless of the results, we’re already winners with supporters like ours in our corner.”
The Coolest Thing Made in NC Nominees (in alphabetical order by manufacturing location):
Medium-to-Large // Business Category
Durham, Wolfspeed’s Silicon Carbide
Elizabeth City, TCOM Aerostats
Greensboro, HondaJet EliteS
Henderson, NUTRO Dog Food
Kernersville, John Deere’s 470 P-Tier Excavator
Mebane, Morinaga Hi-CHEW Candy
Mount Holly & Wilmington, National Gypsum’s PURPLE XP Drywall
Mount Olive, Mt. Olive Pickles
Pine Hall, Wieland Finned Tubes
Salisbury, Cheerwine
Sanford, Caterpillar's Cat® 299D3 XE Compact Track Loader
Shelby, HURST Jaws of Life Rescue tool system
Stony Point, T-Rex Brute Force tape
Troutman, C.R. Onsrud’s 5-Axis C-Series Router
Winston-Salem, Cook Medical’s Hemospray Device
Small // Business Category
Asheboro, LipLidz Cocktail Glasses
Asheboro & Asheville (Hand-sewn in these locations), The Shibumi Shade
Benson, Shiners Stash Blood Mary Beef Jerky
Denver, WaterDog Adventure Gear’s WAG Boarding Steps
Graham, Benevolence Farm Healing Salve
Greensboro, BeachBUB Umbrella System
Chapel Hill & Pittsboro, Eclipse Magnetically Sealed CPAP mask, by BleepSleep
Hendersonville, Byer’s Precision Fabricated Panels
Holly Springs, SOLOCART
King’s Mountain, Appalachian Gear Company’s All-Paca Hoodie
Nashville, George’s BBQ Sauce
Raleigh, Benny T’s Vesta Dry Hot Sauce
Sanford, Old Glory 1350 Handcrafted American Flags
Smyrna, Crab Pot Christmas Trees by Fisherman’s Creations
Weaverville, A-B Emblem’s Official NASA Patch
Wilson, Artisan Leaf Handcrafted Tobacco Leaf Tables and Surfaces”
In 2020, the NC Chamber launched the “Coolest Thing Made in NC” competition to celebrate North Carolina’s innovative manufacturing community – and champion the next generation of manufacturers and creators by raising awareness about the rewarding careers of modern manufacturing. Last year, after 68 products were nominated and more than 50,000 votes counted, Western Star’s 49X Vocational Truck won the 2022 title, while George’s Sauces came in 4th overall.
About George’s Sauces
Since 1975, our sauces have been made by hand, in small batches using the same family recipe. A vinegar-based, Eastern NC style barbecue sauce: simple to make, difficult to perfect. Flavors include "Original" - our standard vinegar-based recipe; "Hot" - featuring our original style, but with double the heat; "Special" - a tomato-based tribute to some of our western-loving fans.
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 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. For more information, visit https://www.ncfb.org/.
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