George’s BBQ Sauce Named Semifinalist in 2023 The Coolest Thing Made in NC
George’s is headed to the semifinals for this year’s Coolest Thing Made in NC!
Recently, the NC Chamber announced that George’s BBQ Sauces is among the 30 semifinalists—15 for the medium-to-large business category and 15 for the small business category—for its annual “Coolest Thing Made in NC” online competition, which began with 130 nominees. In the first round of voting, right at 20,000 votes were cast across the field of candidates.
Like last year, 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.
“Y’all we did it again! To say we’re FOUR-time semifinalists is so exciting,” states Brian Hassell, Co-Owner of George’s, “We’re ready to claim that top spot, but no matter what - we already feel like we’ve won the whole thing. Knowing that we have a community in our corner that shows up like it does every single year? Now that’s better than any prize we could ever win.”
“This team is bringing the heat to the semifinals!”
This is the fourth 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.
“This year’s products really run the gamut—including vaccines, food products, bagpipes, jets, and much more,” said NC Chamber President and CEO Gary Salamido. “We are so grateful to the entire manufacturing community – the backbone of our state’s economy for more than a century. And we are so excited to congratulate George’s BBQ Sauce for becoming a semifinalist! As we always say at the NC Chamber: what’s made in North Carolina makes North Carolina.”
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 5, 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.
“Y’all we did it again! To say we’re FOUR-time semifinalists is so exciting,” states Brian Hassell, Co-Owner of George’s, “We’re ready to claim that top spot, but no matter what - we already feel like we’ve won the whole thing. Knowing that we have a community in our corner that shows up like it does every single year? Now that’s better than any prize we could ever win.”
The Coolest Thing Made in NC Nominees (in alphabetical order by manufacturing location):
Medium-to-Large // Business Category
Cofield, Steel Plate by Nucor
Durham, Wolfspeed’s Silicon Carbide
Durham, Humacyte Human Acellular Vessel
Elizabeth City, TCOM Aerostats
Greensboro, HondaJet Elite II
Holly Springs, Flucelvax Quadrivalent by CSL Seqirus
Huntersville, The Atom Switch by Atom Power
Old Fort, PureBond Formaldehyde-Free Hardwood Plywood
Salisbury, Cheerwine
Salisbury, AMREP Garbage Trucks
Smithfield, Brightleaf Hotdogs
Stony Point, Duck Tape by Shurtape
Troutman, C.R. Onsrud’s Q-Series 5-Axis CNC Machine
Wilmington, Concord, Hickory, Newton and Winston-Salem, Corning Optical Fiber and Cable
Winston-Salem, Texas Pete Hot Sauce
Small // Business Category
Atlantic Beach, Atlantic Beach Sea Salt
Bear Creek, Southern Supreme Nutty Fruitcake
Burlington, Fjord Static Rope Edge Protection
Chapel Hill, SilverQuicken Education’s Quest Club Kits
Charlotte, Piedmont Pennies
Greenville, The Sweet Potato Crunch BonBon by Jenni’s Ugly Chocolates
Madison, Gia Distillery’s FJQ Solera Style American Whiskey
Morganton, Nebo and Burlington, Carolina’s Textile District’s Marigold Beanie – a collaboration between Material Return, Fonta Flora Brewery, Solid State Clothing, and Opportunity Threads
Mt. Airy, Andrew Pearson Premieum Glassworks Fuzion Glass
Nashville, George’s BBQ Sauce
Reidsville, Fogwood Farm’s Ghost Pepper Jam
Rockingham, Cold War Concealment Holsters
Smyrna, Crab Pot Christmas Trees by Fisherman’s Creations
Waynesville, Waynesville Soda Jerks Bottled Sodas
Zebulon, MacLellan Bagpipes
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, the online contest began with 80 nominees and after three rounds of public voting totaling 46,000 votes, the Caterpillar Cat® track loader and beachBub umbrella system earned the top spots, earning 6,397 and 5,436 votes respectively. After a valiant effort from its community the George’s team placed within the Top Five for the third consecutive year.
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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