Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) and Johnson Financial Group announced the eight products moving on in the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest. The Wisconsin-made products each won a head-to-head matchup in Manufacturing Madness, the bracket-style tournament that is part of the contest.
Over 130 products were initially nominated for the ninth annual competition, which seeks to highlight the state’s manufacturing industry, including its $71 billion economic output and nearly 500,000 jobs.
The top eight Coolest Things Made in Wisconsin include:
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No. 2 Seed: Dauntless Evaporator, Smoky Lake Maple Products, Hilbert;
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No. 5 Seed: The Works–Burger Blend, PS Seasoning, Iron Ridge;
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No. 9 Seed: Custom Built Metal Benches, Production Grinding & Machining, Monroe;
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No. 10 Seed: X739 Signature Series Lawn Tractor, John Deere, Horicon;
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No. 11 Seed: Revo, Vulture Systems, Menomonee Falls;
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No.13 Seed: Jolly Good Soda, Krier Foods, Random Lake;
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No. 14 Seed: Minocqua Popcorn and Puffs, Minocqua Popcorn and Puffs, Minocqua; and
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No. 16 Seed: Military Medals and Insignia, Medalcraft Mint Inc., Green Bay.
The winners will compete in matchups to determine the top four. Those four products will compete in one final popular vote round to determine the ultimate winner, which will be announced at WMC’s Business Day event in Madison on Oct. 17.
Voting in the next round begins today and will end at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Manufacturers, employees, and consumers alike are welcome to participate in the voting once per day, per device.
