SALISBURY — Salisbury’s Cheerwine has made it to the semifinals in the fifth annual “Coolest Thing Made in N.C.” online competition.

In a release, it was noted that the competition began with 145 nominees, and on Sept. 4, the N.C. Chamber announced those making it to the semifinals.

The chamber, which is the leading business advocacy organization in the state, is running the contest and shared the list of the 31 businesses which advanced.

Sixteen are in the medium-to-large business category, which is where Cheerwine is listed, and 15 are in the small business category. 

Voting to send your favorite product to the top five is currently taking place by visiting coolestthingmadeinnc.com. You may vote daily through Sept. 11 to help advance your choice.

Businesses in both categories in the nearby towns of Charlotte, Mooresville, Winston-Salem, Statesville, Greensboro and Kernersville also made it to the list of semifinalists. 

The release said that the field of candidates will narrow with each round of voting, and the winning product will be revealed on Oct. 3, 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.

The winning company and product will be recognized with a trophy as well as being featured in N.C. Chamber and Business North Carolina publications, podcasts, social and digital media, among additional statewide publicity efforts.

“This year’s products highlight the diversity of North Carolina’s incredible manufacturing industry — including generators, food and beverage products, chillers, jets and much more,” said N.C. Chamber President and CEO Gary Salamido in the release. “We are grateful to North Carolina’s manufacturing community — the backbone of our state’s economy for more than a century. And we are excited to congratulate this year’s semifinalist. As we always say at the N.C. Chamber: what’s made in North Carolina makes North Carolina.”

Presenting sponsor of the online competition is Baxter International, and Business North Carolina is this year’s Media Partner. The North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP) is collaborating on the annual contest as a Supporting Organization.