The coolest things made in North Carolina have the coolest backstories

CHARLOTTE ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — A number of Charlotte-area companies were nominated for the Coolest Things Made in NC contest. Each entrepreneur has a unique back story to go with their inventive product.

How cool is that?

Here in Charlotte, Piedmont Pennies fills orders from around the country, keeping in mind their motto, “Stay Cheesin.’”

“We love to bring pennies to the people,” said owner Becca Wright.

Her cheesy biscuit bites were a family tradition long before it became cool to be nominated as Coolest Thing Made in NC. In 2023, Piedmont Pennies finished second in the small business category.

“It’s based on my grandmother’s recipe, and we called them cheese pennies growing up,” Wright explained.

Several years ago, she started the venture as an MBA class project.  Today, Piedmont Pennies are sold in 400 stores in 35 states.

In the early stages, Wright turned down an offer to work at Facebook to stick with her vision.

“I just want to give the courage and the gusto to anyone that has an idea to just go figure it out,” she told Queen City News.

Coolest Thing Made in NC is out on by the North Carolina Chamber. After tallying online votes, the Chamber has announced semifinalists for the contest.

Piedmont Pennies is once again on the list. Meanwhile, Salisbury-based Cheerwine is among the semifinalists in the medium-to-large business category.

Candys Arm Rests of Huntersville was not a semifinalist but is proud just to be nominated.

“I thought ‘That’s really cool!’” says Joe Pagani.

Their business started after a falling out after Pagani‘s wife Candy nearly fell off the back of his motorcycle.

“And she pitches a fit to where she wants to take a cab back to Charlotte from Boone,” he recalled. “I said ‘No we’ll fix this; we’ll work out something.”

Joe’s patented armrests are designed to give passengers security and comfort as they ride along. Of course, they’re Candy-approved.

“She thinks it’s really cool that I came up with something to help her enjoy riding and not just going off riding on my own, but it’s something we can do together,” Pagani said.

Pagani sells directly to consumers on his website but is also looking to expand into retail venues.

He’s also developed a new product for touring bikes, geared towards Indian and Harley motorcycles.

Another Coolest Made in Thing in NC nominee, The Fence Buddy , launched in March and is based in Cornelius.

Ryan Hensley, who’s a mechanical engineer, says it all started when a friend and Little League coach was tired of drinks spilled on the ground in the dugout.

Hensley designed a bottle holder that hangs on the fence.

“If I could say anything to anybody it’s just, ‘You’ve got to work on it man. Don’t take no for an answer,” he says.

The town of Dallas, NC, rocks. Consider the fact that it’s the home of Splawn Amplification , another company up for Coolest Thing Made in NC.

“Done a lot of work over the years to come up with some cool stuff,” says Scott Splawn, who founded the business in the late 90s.

Back then, he worked in the auto parts business but his side hustle took off.

Splawn has earned a respected reputation for building amps and guitars with distinct styles and sounds.

“I’ve personally built every amp that I’ve shipped out of here in 25 years. I’ve hand-wired everyone,“ he said with pride.

Splawn says his lifelong hobby became his career. Sure, someday he’ll retire, but he’s wired differently.

“And they say, ‘Well you’re already doing what most people do when they retire.’ And I say, ‘Well you’re right.’ So I’m just gonna keep on going,” says Splawn.

The business owners we spoke to urge more of us to take a shot at our dreams.

At Piedmont Pennies the phrase ‘no risk it, no biscuit’ comes to mind.

“And it’s going to take a lot of behind-the-scenes work and leverage, but it is so worth it to be living a life that aligns with your values,” Wright said. “And like my value of stay cheesin’ and stay happy, it’s such an honor to do this every day.”

To see the full list of semifinalists, CLICK HERE . Voting for this round runs through September 11, when the top 5 in each category will move on.

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