Eight candidates left as the quest for naming the Coolest Thing Made in Iowa continues
And then there were eight.
Iowans continue to whittle down the candidates for the state-manufactured product that will wear the crown of Coolest Thing Made in Iowa.
Falling into the “wait ‘til next year” category were products like the MARSHALLTOWN hamburger trowel and corn-based World's Best Cat Litter.
The products moving ahead in the competition as the candidates are cut to eight from 16 are:
Butter Braid Pastries from Country Maid, Inc. of West Bend. Sold through fundraisers, the pastries have helped thousands of organizations raise over $320 million for various causes.
Custom-built pipe organs from Dobson Pipe Organ Builders of Lake City. The company makes the organs for churches, schools, public spaces and private individuals.
Explosion-proof electric motors from Bodine Electric Co. of Peosta.
Musco Sports Lighting from Musco Lighting in Oskaloosa. The company makes and installs lights used at sports venues all over the world, including for the Olympics.
Safe T Homes from Sukup Manufacturing in Sheffield. The grain-bin maker uses the same sturdy design to make metal housing that can withstand extreme weather condition in developing countries.
Tiki Bar Boats, floating bars on pontoon boat platforms from Big Huts in Princeton.
The Vermeer ZR5-1200 self-propelled baler from Vermeer Corp. in Pella. The highly maneuverable, self-propelled vehicles automate much of the hay-baling process.
Winnebago Revel camping vans from Winnebago Industries in Lake Mills.
What is the Coolest Thing Made in Iowa Contest?
Sponsored by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry and MidwestOne Bank, the contest will culminate with the naming of the winner June 5 at ABI’s annual conference in the Quad Cities.
This marks the first year for the contest in Iowa, which is joining nearly 20 states that name a coolest product annually.
While the contest sponsors are not releasing vote totals until the end of the contest, Kelsey O’Connor of ABI said the number of votes cast so far has been “in the tens of thousands” and has grown since the first round, which started with 67 candidates. “We were excited to see a 60% increase in the number of votes in the Top 16 round.”
The contest gives ABI and MidwestOne the opportunity to spotlight a big component of Iowa’s economy: manufacturing. It accounts for more than 17% of the gross state product and in excess of 14% of Iowa’s employment, at 225,000 workers, and generated over $38 billion in economic output in 2021, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.
How does the contest work, and how can I vote?
Nominations opened to the public March 25. The original round of nominees was announced April 22. The second round of voting, paring the list to 16, closed May 1, with the final eight unveiled on Thursday.
Iowans now may vote on the eight remaining products from May 10-16. The final four will be announced on May 17 with a final round of voting on the winner.
To cast a vote, go to coolestthingia.com.
The products eliminated in the current round were:
Gushers, fruit candy snacks made at General Mills' Cedar Rapids plant.
Inception Electric Fireplaces, realistic-looking faux fireplaces from Hearth and Home Technologies in Mount Pleasant.
Kreg Pocket Hole Jig 320, a tool for do-it-yourself woodworking projects from Kreg Tool in Huxley.
Life Line Ambulance from Life Line Emergency Vehicles in Sumner.
MARSHALLTOWN Hamburger Trowels, top-of-the-line burger flippers from MARSHALLTOWN tools in Marshalltown.
S-975 Express Plus Softmount Washer, commercial-grade washing machines from Dexter Laundry in Fairfield.
See&Spray from Deere & Co.'s Ankeny plant. The system uses advanced cameras and artificial intelligence to allow John Deere sprayers to precisely target weeds, making it possible for farmers to reduce their herbicide use.
World’s Best Cat Litter, manufactured from corn by Kent Corp. in Muscatine.
Kevin Baskins covers jobs and the economy for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at kbaskins@registermedia.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Coolest Thing Made in Iowa contest narrowed to eight products
