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DENVER – The Colorado Chamber of Commerce today announced that the EarthRoamer LTx by EarthRoamer has been named the Coolest Thing Made in Colorado for 2026. The award was presented at the fifth annual Coolest Thing Made Awards Banquet, presented by PNC Bank, celebrating the innovation, craftsmanship and ingenuity of manufacturers across the state.
Manufactured in Dacono, the EarthRoamer LTx is a luxury, off-grid expedition vehicle designed to take travelers to some of the world’s most remote destinations without sacrificing comfort. Built on a Ford F-550 chassis, the LTx features a lightweight carbon-fiber body, advanced solar power and battery systems, and Starlink satellite connectivity. The vehicle combines rugged off-road capabilities with high-end living accommodations, showcasing Colorado’s expertise in advanced manufacturing, engineering and outdoor innovation.
“EarthRoamer is a shining example of the innovation and world-class manufacturing happening right here in Colorado,” said Colorado Chamber President and CEO Loren Furman. “The LTx brings together cutting-edge technology, precision engineering and exceptional craftsmanship to create a truly one-of-a-kind product. Congratulations to EarthRoamer and all of this year’s outstanding finalists!”
The Colorado Chamber also recognized the runner-up and People’s Choice Award winner in the 2026 competition. The full list of winners is as follows:
Coolest Thing Made in Colorado 2026 Winner
EarthRoamer LTx by EarthRoamer
Watch the winner’s video here.
Coolest Thing Made in Colorado 2026 Runner-Up
Carbon Core Brick by Summit Brick
Carbon Core is a lower-carbon masonry technology developed to turn a traditional building material into a tool for carbon sequestration. Manufactured by Lakewood-based Summit Brick using technology originally invented at the Colorado School of Mines, each Carbon Core brick incorporates approximately 1.5 pounds of olivine sand and is designed to sequester roughly one pound of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The technology also improves resistance to freeze-thaw cycles and cracking. If one Colorado brick manufacturer converted its production entirely to Carbon Core technology, the company estimates it could remove approximately 30 million pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year.
Watch the runner-up’s video here.
2026 People’s Choice Award
Cheetah Automated 3D Inspection System by Cheetah Engineering LLC
The Cheetah Automated 3D Inspection System gives manufacturers “superhuman vision” by combining industrial robotics, advanced 3D scanning and proprietary software to automate one of the most challenging aspects of production: quality inspection. Designed and built in Craig and Longmont, the system captures millions of measurement points to create a highly detailed digital twin of each product it inspects, automatically identifying defects, missing features, dimensional errors and assembly issues that can be difficult to detect using traditional methods. The technology is already being deployed in various industries including aerospace, medical devices, electronics, industrial equipment and data center hardware.
Watch the People’s Choice winner’s video here.
“The Coolest Thing Made in Colorado contest highlights the incredible companies and innovative products driving our state’s economy forward,” said Kristen Bernhardt, PNC market executive. “As an organization deeply committed to supporting Colorado’s manufacturing industry and broader business community, PNC is proud to celebrate the creativity, ingenuity and leadership that make our state’s manufacturers so successful.”
The People’s Choice Award was determined through online voting, which drew over 2,000 votes from members of the public supporting their favorite Colorado-made products.
The Colorado Chamber’s annual Coolest Thing Made in Colorado competition celebrates the state’s diverse manufacturing industry, recognizing products that demonstrate exceptional innovation, quality and ingenuity. Nominations for the 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Colorado competition opened in June and the Top 10 finalists were announced in October.
To learn more about the competition and view all 10 finalists, visit coolestthingcolorado.com.
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The Colorado Chamber of Commerce champions free enterprise, a healthy business environment and economic prosperity for all Coloradans. It is the only business association that works to improve the business climate for all sizes of business from a statewide, multi-industry perspective. What the Colorado Chamber accomplishes is good for all businesses, and that’s good for the state’s economy. It was created in 1965 based on the merger with the Colorado Manufacturers’ Association.