George’s BBQ Sauce Receives Fourth Consecutive Nomination for Coolest Thing Made in NC
George’s BBQ Sauce is an official nominee for the 2023 Coolest Thing Made in NC competition!
George’s Sauces is excited to announce it has been named a nominee for the fourth consecutive year for the Coolest Thing Made in NC Contest by the NC Chamber of Commerce. With roughly 130 teams in the running this year across the Tarheel state - the largest nomination pool in contest history - George’s Sauces inclusion speaks to the quality & esteem of the Nashville-born BBQ collection.
Voting for the first round is currently underway. The deadline for first-round voting ends on Friday, September 1st. Like the previous year, the contest will recognize two winners: one for small businesses with fewer than 100 employees and one for companies with 100+ employees.
Go to coolestthingmadeinnc.com to vote for George’s BBQ Sauce in the small businesses category; the semifinalists of each field will be announced on Thursday, September 7th. Then, the tally will be reset to zero for all participating teams, and the second round of voting will begin. This second round of voting will last through September 15th, when the Top Five finalists will be announced. Again, the slates of all finalists will be wiped clean, and the final round of voting will begin. This last round will close on Thursday, September 28th, with the winning products set to be revealed on October 5th, the day before National Manufacturing (MFG) Day.
“We are so excited to be in the running again,” said Ashley Hassell, Co-Owner of George’s. “It feels like every year we say the same thing, but honestly? To even be nominated is an honor - let alone to be nominated FOUR years in a row! Especially considering there are 50 more teams this year in the pool of nominees. We owe it all to our incredible team and of course, our dedicated George’s community. We’d love to bring home the win for them!”
“Congratulations to our 2023 nominees; each product tells a special story of the impact and innovation manufacturers have on our great state,” said NC Chamber President and CEO Gary Salamido. “As we always say at the NC Chamber: what’s made in North Carolina makes North Carolina.”
In 2020, the NC Chamber launched the “Coolest Thing Made in NC” competition to celebrate North Carolina’s vital 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.
“We are so excited to be in the running again,” said Ashley Hassell, Co-Owner of George’s. “It feels like every year we say the same thing, but honestly? To even be nominated is an honor - let alone to be nominated FOUR years in a row! Especially considering there are 50 more teams this year in the pool of nominees. We owe it all to our incredible team and of course, our dedicated George’s community. We’d love to bring home the win for them!”
Baxter 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.
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. North Carolina’s cutting-edge manufacturing industry generates more than 17% of the gross state product and employs more than 10% of the state's workforce.
As the exclusive North Carolina affiliate for the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the NC Chamber recognizes that a strong manufacturing industry is central to the state's economic and competitive success.
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.
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