SALISBURY — In 2020, the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce first introduced a new annual competition called the “Coolest Thing Made in NC.” Companies and individuals are encouraged to nominate a product that they believe exemplifies the state’s manufacturing industry. This year, Rowan Economic Development Council Marketing and Communications Manager Mollie Ruf helped nominate three companies from Rowan County for the statewide contest.

“We always want Rowan County to be top of mind, especially when everyone is looking at the whole state. Our county tagline here is, ‘Be an original.’ It’s a part of our county brand, and that can mean so many different things to so many people, but in terms of our manufacturing community, we really do have so many amazing manufacturers here,” Ruf said.

Rowan County has already had luck with this competition before after the Western Star 49X Vocational Truck made in Cleveland won the whole thing back in 2021. The Rowan EDC contemplated and came up with three companies to recommend to the NC Chamber: Cheerwine, Clayton Rockwell for their manufactured, energy efficient homes, and Hexagon Agility for their clean fuel solution for commercial vehicles and gas transportation systems. The Rowan EDC is hoping for at least one of them to be placed on the official ballot.

“We are very much in tuned with what our different companies make and looking for those innovative products or those really iconic products,” Ruf said.

The deadline to submit nominations was on Aug. 14, but on Aug. 24, the ballot will be released where anyone can go online and vote for their favorite. Ruf says the Rowan EDC will work on urging residents to vote. The winner receives a trophy, promotion for their achievement, and a meeting with the N.C. Chamber president and CEO to go over business priorities.

Besides getting counties recognition for their efforts, “Coolest Thing Made in NC” acknowledges the employees that make them so special in the first place. “I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to be boots on the ground in these amazing plants and facilities. I’ve had the opportunity to meet the amazing workers behind all of it. Not just the leadership team, but the person on the assembly line. It really is eye-opening, what we all have right here in Rowan County in our own backyard,” Ruf said.