UPDATE: Finalists named in 2026 ‘Coolest Thing Made in Tennessee' competition

UPDATE: The top four finalists have been named in the 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Tennessee competition. The finalists were selected after three rounds of public voting. None of the finalists are from the Tennessee Valley; the top four products are made in other parts of the Volunteer State. Top 4 Finalists: INFINITI QX65 — Nissan Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant, Smyrna, TN Scare Owl — Dalen Products, Knoxville, TN Superconducting Magnet — Cryomagnetics, Inc., Oak Ridge, TN Tennemo Rice — Tennemo Rice Family Farm and Mill, Dyersburg, TN The group of finalists includes manufacturers in East, Middle and West Tennessee. Officials say more than 50,000 votes have been cast in this competition. Final voting begins September 9 at 8:00am (CT) and runs through September 24 at 8:00pm (CT). Tennesseans can vote one time per day online. The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry will name the winner of the 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Tennessee on September 30 at the Manufacturing Excellence Luncheon & Expo in Lebanon. Tickets to the event are available for purchase here. PREVIOUS STORY: Several local businesses are representing the Tennessee Valley in the 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Tennessee competition. The competition aims to highlight the state's manufacturing industry and raise awareness of career opportunities available in manufacturing. You can vote in the competition online through Wednesday, July 29. The following local businesses and products are competing: Branch Technology — BranchClad HealthcareSigns.com — Memory Care Shadow Box Displays Litespeed Bicycles — Litespeed Bicycles Signal Mountain Grill Works — Dr. K's Tenn Can Smokers Wingfield Scale & Measure — WingScan Precision Pulley and Idler (PPI) — Pro Duty Pulley WACKER Polysilicon — Hyperpure Polysilicon (Charleston) Whirlpool Corp — KitchenAid 9 Series Wall Oven with Intelligent Cooking Camera Wind River Built — The Chattanooga Lookouts Team Store Crescent Sock Co. — OmniWool Tactical All-Conditions Merino Wool Sock System (Niota) PHG Enterprises LLC — The Shift Furniture (Riceville) AngioSystems, Inc. — SORBX RADIATION PROTECTION SHIELDS (Ducktown) Copper Mine Candle Co. — Copper Mine Lotion Candles (Copperhill) Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water — Bottled Spring Water (Benton) Ocoee River Distilling — 1843 Bourbon Whiskey (Ducktown) Dominion Box — Custom Corrugated Packaging Hunter-Works, LLC — Protector U-Joint Covers You can vote once per day for any nominated product through July 29. The 16 products with the most votes during the first round will advance to the next stage of the competition. This industry employs about one in eight Tennesseeans and contributes more than $70 billion annually to the state's economy, according to the Tennessee Manufacturers Association. The Cleveland/Bradley Chamber says manufacturing accounts for 16.7% of the local workforce.