Sacramento, Calif. – The first-ever finalists of the Coolest Thing Made in California competition hosted by the California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) were announced today. From a pool of 100 nominated products and almost 77,000 votes later, the...
News & Insights
We’re changing the narrative of the manufacturing industry one story at a time. CMTA’s award-winning storytelling team showcases California’s 30,000 manufacturers by uplifting the voices of our makers. Find industry news and the stories from those “Making California” below.
Manufacturing Minute: Details on Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling’s $500 Million Expansion
Find out what's happening in the manufacturing industry on this week's Manufacturing Minute with Ananda Rochita. ⚙️ Details on Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling’s $500 Million Expansion ⚙️ Where Bosch stands on its move to Roseville, CA ⚙️ What to know about the first-ever...
Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis to Present the Coolest Thing Made in California Award on National Manufacturing Day
Sacramento, Calif. – Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis announced today she will join the California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) on National Manufacturing Day to present the award for the Coolest Thing Made in California. The inaugural...
World Leader in Metal Recycling Crushes its Way into CMTA Membership
Sacramento, Calif. –The California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) welcomed the metal recycling and processing company, SA Recycling, to the organization today. SA Recycling has grown from a small scrap yard to coast-to-coast operations with some 130...
CMTA’S President & CEO Releases Statement on Passage of SB 253 (Wiener)
Sacramento, Calif. – California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) President and CEO, Lance Hastings releases a statement on the passage of Senate Bill 253 (Wiener), the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act. “Earlier Tuesday, the California...
Voting Starts for the Coolest Thing Made in California Competition
Sacramento, CA – Hundreds of California-made products have been nominated to the Coolest Thing Made in California competition, now it’s time to let the public decide which innovative product will secure a spot in the highly anticipated Top 16 bracket. From Monday,...
Manufacturing Minute: CHIPS Act Funding, Satellite Contract & Coolest Thing Made in California
Find out what's happening in the manufacturing industry on this week's Manufacturing Minute with Ananda Rochita. ⚙️ What Northrop Grumman & Lockheed Martin will make with a new $1.5B shared contract. ⚙️ Just how many CHIPS Act Funding applications the government...
CMTA Unveils Inaugural Coolest Thing Made in California Awards Contest
Celebrating Innovation, Excellence, and Creativity in California’s Robust Manufacturing Industry Sacramento, Calif. –The California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) is proud to unveil its groundbreaking awards contest in search of the Coolest...
Manufacturing Minute: New Investment by President Biden & Coolest Thing Made in CA Competition
October is just around the corner, which means a busy month showcasing makers for National Manufacturing Month! Check out this week’s Manufacturing Minute to hear the latest manufacturing news from California. ️⚙️ What to know about the Coolest Thing Made in...
Partner with CMTA to Celebrate ‘The Coolest Thing Made in California!’
The California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) is excited to announce the launch of our new annual awards program, "The Coolest Thing Made in California." This initiative aims to celebrate the ingenuity and creativity of California manufacturers,...
Press Release
16 California-Made Products Advance in the First-Ever Coolest Thing Made in California Competition
Sacramento, CA – The excitement continues as the “Coolest Thing Made in California” competition enters its next thrilling phase! Hundreds of products were nominated and now 16 remain. Voting for which products will move into the Top 8 starts Monday, September 11 and concludes on September 14 at 11:59 p.m. PST.
Hosted by the California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) the Coolest Thing Made in California competition has already seen an outpouring of support during the popular round, with tens of thousands of votes determining the 16 products that would advance.
“We are thrilled to enter the Top 16 voting round of the Coolest Thing Made in California competition,” said Lance Hastings, CEO & President of CMTA. “This stage is crucial as it determines the top eight products who will compete for the first-ever title of Coolest Thing Made in California. We encourage everyone to participate, cast their votes, and support the products they believe truly represent the ‘coolest’ California has to offer.’”
The Top 16 products competing head-to-head for the title of the Coolest Thing Made in California include: Tri Tool Technologies’ 536 Fitting Machine, Fender’s American Vintage II 1972 Telecaster® Thinline, Siemens Mobility’s Amtrak Airo Venture Trainsets, Xcell Biosciences’ Avatar Cell Control System, Carmazzi Caramel Corn’s Caramel Popcorn, Boehringer Ingelheim’s Cyltezo, High Sierra Showerhead’s Half Dome Rain Shower Head, Northrop Grumman’s James Webb Space Telescope, Lockheed Martin’s NIRCam, Petit Pot’s Petit Pot, TAVIS Corporation’s Pressure Transducer, Stratolaunch’s Talon-A Reusable Hypersonic Test Vehicle, Tesla’s Model Y, Millennium Space Systems’ Victus Nox, Wisk Aero’s Wisk Air Taxis, and Zoox’s Robotaxi.
Go to CoolestThingCalifornia.com to learn more.
Top 16 Round Details:
- Voting Open: September 11-14
- Voting Limit: The public can vote once per day, per device.
- Voting Method: Visit our official website CoolestThingCalifornia.com and follow the simple steps to cast your votes for your favorite product.
- Voting Impact: The Top 16 round votes will determine which products move on to the Top 8 round.
- Winners: After weekly elimination rounds, the winner will be announced at the MakingCA Conference hosted by CMTA on National Manufacturing Day, October 6. California’s Lt. Governor, Eleni Kounalakis, will present the award.
Coolest Thing Made in California Schedule:
- Top 8 Vote: Sept. 18-21
- Top 4 Vote: Sept. 25-28
- Winner Announced: Oct. 6, National Manufacturing Day at CMTA’s MakingCA Conference
##
About CMTA:
The California Manufacturers & Technology Association has advocated for pro-growth laws and regulations before the California legislature and administrative agencies since 1918. The total output from manufacturing in California is $300 billion per year, roughly 10 percent of the total economic output of the state. Manufacturers employ 1.3 million Californians, paying wages more than $25,000 higher than other non-farm employers in the state. For more information, visit the CMTA website.