[5]
By Oregon Business & Industry [6],
Voters have spoken: Nothing made in Oregon in 2024 is cooler than Epic Aircraft’s E1000 GX [7], a carbon fiber turboprop that achieves jet-like performance without jet-like fuel consumption.
The winner of OBI’s second annual Coolest Thing Made in Oregon contest was revealed at the conclusion of Wednesday’s Vision Oregon Event [8]. The E1000 GX topped Leatherman’s iconic multitool [9] to succeed last year’s winner, Freres Engineered Wood’s Mass Ply Panels [10], as Oregon’s king of manufacturing cool.
“Congratulations to Epic Aircraft, Leatherman and the rest of this year’s finalists,” said OBI President and CEO Angela Wilhelms. “Oregon’s manufacturers operate in a state that isn’t always friendly to businesses, and their ability to create inspiring products like these is a testament to their creativity and determination.”
Presented in partnership with Here is Oregon [11], this year’s Coolest Thing Made in Oregon contest began in May. For three months, Oregonians nominated more than 100 Oregon-made products. An expert panel then chose 16 finalists, and in September Oregonians began to vote in a bracket-style contest that steadily narrowed the field until only one product remained standing. Or in this case flying.
October is national Manufacturing Month [12], and the announcement of the Coolest Thing Made in Oregon winner is the culmination of a multi-week celebration of Oregon manufacturers. On Oct. 4, the OBI Research and Education Foundation released a report [13] on the condition of Oregon’s powerful manufacturing sector. And from Oct. 7-9, the third annual Manufacturing and Innovation Roadshow [14] toured a dozen manufacturers in the northwest corner of the state.
Oregon manufacturers employ 204,000 Oregonians and contribute $36.3 billion to Oregon’s economy. The median income of manufacturing workers exceeds those of workers in all other industries by 17%.