The Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin title is once again up for grabs and now’s the time for you to nominate the products that will vie for the crown in 2024.
Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) and Johnson Financial Group on Monday opened the nomination period for this year’s contest to determine the coolest thing the state’s expansive manufacturing industry produces. Any product made in Wisconsin qualifies and anyone can nominate a product before the Sept. 6 deadline.
“This contest highlights not only the cool products made in our state, but also the entrepreneurship and work behind each product,” said Kurt Bauer, WMC President and CEO, in a media release. “Our manufacturers are the best in the country, and we have a great opportunity to underscore their contributions to our economy, the high-paying careers they create, and the innovative, necessary products they make.”
Northeastern Wisconsin manufacturers will look to continue their Coolest Thing dominance in 2024. Companies based in the 18-county region have taken home top honors in five of eight years and three years in a row now after Fox Cities-based Plexus Corp.’s Bevi Bottleless Water Dispenser won in 2023.
WMC launched the annual contest in 2016 to highlight the state’s manufacturing industry, which it estimates contributes $71 billion to the state’s economic output and employs almost 500,000 people, or one in every six workers in the state.