By Oregon Business & Industry,
OBI is excited to announce the fourth annual Coolest Thing Made in Oregon contest, in which Oregonians will vote for the coolest thing manufactured in the Beaver State. Finalists will be chosen from a list of products nominated by the public. The nomination window is now open and will remain open until July 10.
Learn more about the contest and nominate products on OBI’s Coolest Thing Made in Oregon page here.
From the pool of nominated products, 16 finalists will be announced in September. The finalists will be placed in a tournament-style bracket, and Oregonians will engage in four rounds of voting to identify a winner. The winning manufacturer will receive formal recognition and, more importantly, enjoy bragging rights for producing Oregon’s coolest thing. The winner will be announced at OBI’s Vision Oregon Event on Oct. 28.
Manufacturing plays a huge role in Oregon’s economy. Nearly 180,000 Oregonians worked for manufacturing businesses in 2025, and the median manufacturing job pays roughly 17% more than jobs in other sectors, according to a 2024 ECONorthwest study. Manufactured goods accounted for a significant portion of Oregon’s $28 billion in exports last year.
Bullseye Glass won the 2025 Coolest Thing Made in Oregon Contest, following Epic Aircraft’s E1000 GX in 2024 and Freres Engineered Wood’s Mass Ply Panels in 2023.
To qualify for the contest, products must be manufactured substantially within Oregon and be legal to buy in all 50 states. Anyone can nominate a product, and manufacturers are encouraged to do so. Nobody knows how cool a product is more than the people who make it.
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