IMA awards the Coolest Thing Made in Idaho to Sawtooth by Black Sage

Boise, ID – To celebrate the ingenuity and creativity of Idaho’s manufacturers, the Idaho Manufacturing Alliance (IMA) hosted the first statewide “Coolest Thing Made in Idaho” contest sponsored by Idaho Power. This contest yielded over 100 nominations, and after a public voting process, the IMA is excited to announce the product voted the “Coolest Thing Made in Idaho” is Sawtooth by Black Sage.

Black Sage provides anti-drone systems to military organizations, internal security agencies and airport authorities worldwide. Black Sage Sawtooth technology was able to take an identified problem – drone threats – and provide public and private entities a solution in their Sawtooth modular hardware platform and open architecture DefenseOS command and control software.

Named after the Sawtooth mountains, this cutting-edge technology detects, identifies, and defeats drones. “Sawtooth is capable of solving problems for people all around the world, and ultimately save lives,” co-founder Ross Lamm, Ph D said. “We take our Idaho ‘can-do’ attitude and instill it in our company’s culture – and offer a high-tech solution to drone threats.”

Innovators at Black Sage were able to take an emerging threat and provide a quality solution for those in need. “Detecting drones in their multi-level capacity is difficult,” Lamm said. Sawtooth uses radar, infrared imagers, and radio frequency detection with precision jammers and high energy lasers to take down enemy threats. This technology created in Idaho is used to save lives all over the world.

The contest was hosted celebration of National Manufacturing Day and Idaho Manufacturing Month. The IMA considered any product made in Idaho, including those made by companies not headquartered in the state.

For every dollar spent in manufacturing – $1.37 is put back into the US Economy. Manufacturers are looking to recruit the next generation of workers. In Idaho, manufacturing jobs pay about 40% higher than other industries, at an average of $78,120 per year. Based on those benefits and the predicted growth, manufacturers provide an abundance of opportunities to potential employees.

Idaho is home to creators and a plethora of manufactured products that have evolved from its early days, which consisted solely of agricultural products. Today, Idaho is home to numerous food products, recreational-tech ‘toys’, guns and ammunition manufacturers, aerospace companies and more. Idaho’s unmatched landscape inspires the imagination. From wine and sugar, to fries and cheese on the table…to hunting, biking, kayaking and more; products are continually being developed by the can-do, dream it, do it people who call this state home.

If you want to learn more about Black Sage and their innovative products, visit their website: blacksagetech.com.

The Idaho Manufacturing Alliance, formerly the Southwest Idaho Manufacturers’ Alliance (SWIMA), is a 501c6 non-profit dedicated  to supporting the manufacturing industry through knowledge sharing, collaboration and advocacy to influence a manufacturing environment that creates benefits for the industry and the community. SWIMA will be transitioning to serve the entire state of Idaho under the Idaho Manufacturing Alliance. The transition will be official on 1/1/21. For more information, visit swima.org. 

This contest was sponsored by Idaho Power. Idaho Power supports manufacturers’ across the state by providing a necessary service allowing for products to be made here. To learn more about Idaho Power’s services, go to www.idahopower.com.

Statistics sourced from NIST MEP and Idaho Department of Labor.