Finger Lakes Textiles Named 2026 Top New York Manufacturer
The state manufacturer secured the top spot following a public vote that saw 40,000 ballots cast across the industry.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Manufacturing
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Finger Lakes Textiles earned the title of 2026 Coolest Thing Made in New York in an annual competition sponsored by The Business Council of New York State. The Canandaigua-based firm, a branch of Mozaic, beat out runner-up Moog Inc. in the final round.
Why it matters
The recognition highlights the public profile of the manufacturing sector and provides winners with direct industry exposure. Participating businesses use these competitions to amplify their brand presence among local stakeholders and potential partners.
The competition drew 40,000 votes over a six-week period for the 38 participating businesses. This engagement reflects a broad push to elevate visibility for manufacturers across the state.
The players
Finger Lakes Textiles
A Canandaigua-based manufacturer and branch of Mozaic that employs veterans and people with disabilities.
The Business Council of New York State
A statewide trade association that represents the interests of employers and sponsors annual industry recognition programs.
Moog Inc.
A global designer and manufacturer of precision control components and systems that served as the competition runner-up.
The details
The Business Council of New York State conducts the competition through a series of elimination rounds that narrow the field of entrants down to a final two. Finger Lakes Textiles, which employs a workforce consisting of veterans and individuals with disabilities, ultimately won the majority of votes in the final bracket. As part of their victory, the organization earned a spot on the 2027 Manufacturing Bus Tour to further showcase their production capabilities.
Timeline
2026: Finger Lakes Textiles won the manufacturing award.
2027: The organization joins the Business Council's Manufacturing Bus Tour.
Market Landscape
The 2026 Coolest Thing Made in New York competition serves as a regional benchmark for how trade associations leverage public engagement to bolster manufacturing prestige. The process follows a pattern set by similar state-level industry promotional campaigns designed to highlight local supply chain capacity.
Business owners should evaluate whether participating in industry-sponsored public competitions can improve local hiring and procurement visibility. Monitor the 2027 Manufacturing Bus Tour schedule to see how award-winning firms integrate their wins into larger marketing and recruitment strategies.
The takeaway
Visibility campaigns like this can serve as an effective recruitment tool for manufacturing firms seeking to emphasize their community impact. Operators should track the winners of these annual events to identify competitive benchmarks in workforce development and public relations.
Further reading
For more on industry trends, see Manufacturing.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WHAM.
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