Contest To Find The Coolest Thing Made In Wisconsin Enters 7th Year

WISCONSIN — A contest seeking to find the coolest thing made in the Badger State, and highlight Wisconsin's manufacturing industry in the process, has entered its seventh year, organizers announced.

Nominations opened on Wednesday for the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin Contest. Anything made in the state qualifies, and entries will be accepted at www.madeinwis.com until Sept. 9, according to a news release from contest organizers Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and Johnson Financial Group.

In years past, contenders have ranged from Sprecher soda made in Glendale to Astronautics Corporation flight equipment made in Oak Creek. The contest relies on votes cast online. In 2019, a rifle won the contest and in 2018 a kringle topped the charts.

“As we approach Manufacturing Month in October, we hope this contest will showcase the strength and spirit behind Wisconsin manufacturing and provide us with an opportunity to celebrate the state’s largest industry," said WMC President and CEO Kurt R. Bauer in the news release.

After nominations close in September, a popular vote will decide the Top 16 entries, which will then be placed in a bracket-style tournament dubbed "Manufacturing Madness." Products that receive the most votes will move on in rounds. The final winner is set to be announced in October.

The contest has been held each year since 2016 and nearly 1 million votes have been cast in them since the beginning, organizers said. In 2021, 150 products were nominated with over 200,000 votes cast.