Which Is the Best ‘Made in Iowa’ Product?
More than 225,000 people have manufacturing jobs in Iowa, helping to rake in more than $38 billion for the local economy.
With all of that going on you can bet there are some pretty amazing things being created in the Hawkeye State.
But which of those homegrown items is the coolest?
The Iowa Association of Business and Industry is letting you decide.
Using the website CoolestThingIA.com, a field of 68 finalists has been put forth for consideration, making everything from wine to concrete, and from racing tires to tiki boats.
The Popular Vote Round is now open until April 30.
Here are the finalists:
- Dandelion Wine - Ackerman Winery
- AERO 59 Series NASCAR Wheel - AERO Race Wheels Inc.
- Jolly Time Popcorn - American Pop Corn Company
- F530 Farm Skid - Appanoose Manufactured Products
- Coca-Cola Classic - Atlantic Bottling Company
- Atlas Bladesmith Forge - Atlas Knife & Tool
- Easy Eddy - Big Grove Brewery
- Tiki Bar Boats - Big Huts
- Artisan Baked Goods Display Boxes - Big River Packaging
- KLIMB Dog Training Platform - Blue-9 Pet Products
- Explosion-Proof Electric Motor - Bodine Electric Company
- The Iowa Candle - Candle Creek Farms
- C Series Volumetric Concrete Mixer - Cemen Tech
- Single Barrel Straight Bourbon - Century Farms Distillery
- Ranch Cotton Candy - Chocolate Storybook dba Fairy Tale Cotton Candy
- iHydrant Smart Fire Hydrant - Clow Valve Company
- Conductor Rail - Conductix-Wampfler
- Bulldog Honey Kolsch - Confluence Brewing Company
- Over the Ivy Czech-Style Pilsner - Confluence Brewing Company
- Butter Braid Pastries - Country Maid, Inc.
- 75 Pro Series Bait Tank - Creek Bank Tanks
- Deal's Orchard Hard Cider - Deal's Orchard
- DRI-12 - Deep Root Irrigation
- S-975 Express Plus Softmount Washer - Dexter Laundry
- Insulated Bering Bib- DI200 - Dickson Industries, Inc.
- Custom Built Pipe Organ - Dobson Pipe Organ Builders Ltd.
- Power Tower - EFCO Corp
- Transmissions and Torque Converters - Fort Dodge Transmission
- Gushers! - General Mills
- Trolley Car - GOMACO Trolley
- HSP1-I Industrial 3D Printer - HartSmart Products
- Inception Electric Fireplace - Hearth and Home Technologies
- MAX Mobile LED Trailer - Insane Impact
- 2000-CG Extruder - Insta-Pro International
- Smart Fence Alarm - Insulights
- Medium and Linerboard Paper - International Paper
- Jackson Knobs - Jackson Mfg., Inc.
- See & Spray - John Deere
- Fiberglass Pedal Boats - Kay Park Recreation
- World's Best Cat Litter - KENT Corporation
- Kreg Pocket Hole Jig 320 - Kreg Tool
- Life Line Ambulance - Life Line Emergency Vehicles, Inc.
- MARSHALLTOWN Hamburger Trowel - MARSHALLTOWN
- MCG Bio Plant Markers - MCG BioComposites LLC
- Yard Hydrant Any Flow - Merrill Manufacturing
- Warren Lift - MikeWay LLC
- "Decked" Box Mold - MSI Mold Builders
- Musco Sports Lighting - Musco Lighting
- Neva's Noodles - Neva's Noodles, LLC
- High-Speed Disc Blade - Osmundson Manufacturing Company
- Percival Scientific Controlled Environment Room - Percival Scientific, Inc.
- MealMeter2.0 - PigEasy, LLC
- Industrial Conveyor Parts Washer - Precision Metal Works (PMW)
- Tomato Slicer - Rada Mfg. Co.
- IRIS Circadian SkyCeiling - Sky Factory, Inc.
- OTR Tire Service Truck - Stellar Industries
- Streetrod Golf Cars - Streetrod Golf Cars
- Safe T Home - Sukup Manufacturing Co.
- Thelma's Ice Cream Sandwich - Thelma's
- Bin Buster Hazy IPA - Titonka Brewing Company
- Brent Avalanche 2598 Grain Cart - Unverferth Mfg. Co., Inc.
- Vermeer ZR5-1200 Self-propelled Baler - Vermeer Corporation
- Blue Bunny Mini Swirls - Wells Enterprises
- Wilcox All Pro 202s - Wilcox All-Pro Inc.
- Tillman's Small Batch Whiskey - Wildcat Distilling Co.
- Winnebago Revel - Winnebago
- Gourmet Dog Treats - Woofables, The Gourmet Dog Bakery
- Shoe-ute - Yunga Tart LLC
You may recognize that a few of these companies are not actually based in Iowa (Coca-Cola - Atlanta; General Mills - Minneapolis; International Paper - Memphis; John Deere - Moline, IL; Winnebago - Eden Prairie, MN), but rest assured all have products that are indeed manufactured in the Hawkeye State.
CONTEST TIMELINE
- April 22 - April 30: Popular Vote Round
- May 1: Top 16 Announced
- May 2 - May 8: 1st Round of Voting
- MAY 9: Top 8 Announced
- May 10 - May 16: 2nd Round of Voting
- MAY 17: Top 4 Announced
- May 20 - May 29: Final Round of Voting
- June 5: Winner Announced
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