Weld County companies shine at Coolest Thing event

DENVER — A pair of companies headquartered in southwest Weld County took top honors Thursday at the fifth annual Coolest Thing Made in Colorado awards banquet in Denver. 

Dacono-based EarthRoamer’s LTx luxury off-grid expedition vehicle was named the Coolest Thing Made in Colorado for 2026, while Longmont-based Cheetah Engineering LLC’s automated 3D inspection system won the People’s Choice award.

Hosted by the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, the event was held at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel. Presented by PNC Bank, the awards celebrate the innovation, craftsmanship and ingenuity of manufacturers across the state.

Manufactured at 5073 Silver Peak Ave. in Dacono, the EarthRoamer LTx is designed to take travelers to some of the world’s most remote destinations without sacrificing comfort. Built on a Ford F-550 chassis, it features a lightweight carbon-fiber body, solar power and battery systems, and Starlink satellite connectivity.

“EarthRoamer is a shining example of the innovation and world-class manufacturing happening right here in Colorado,” Loren Furman, Colorado Chamber president and CEO, said in a prepared statement. “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.”

Designed and built at Cheetah Engineering’s facility at 14478 E. Interstate 25 Frontage Road in Longmont as well as in Craig, its 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. The system captures millions of measurement points to create a 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.

The People’s Choice Award was determined through online voting, which drew more than 2,000 votes from members of the public.

Nominations for the 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Colorado competition opened in June, and the Top 10 finalists were announced in October. 

Several other products made in the Boulder Valley or Northern Colorado were among the finalists, including: collaborative robot welding and cutting systems made by Vectis Automation at 4151 St. Cloud Drive in Loveland;  a MEGA FlackTek Mixer manufactured and tested at FlackTek LLC’s facility at 486 S. Pierce Ave., Suite A, in Louisville; and a DropBlock communications device for firefighters in remote areas that was designed in Morrison and manufactured in Fort Collins by RoGO Communications, registered as RoGO Fire LLC and headquartered at 9060 W. 91st Ave. in Westminster.

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