Chamber taking entries for ‘Coolest Thing’ manufacturing contest

In an effort to showcase the wide variety of manufacturing taking place in the state, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce on Monday announced the rollout of a new competition called the Coolest Thing Made in Indiana.

Any company that makes something in the state can compete in the single-elimination competition. Entries are being accepted through Dec. 15.

The contest is open to all businesses, from veteran manufacturers to budding entrepreneurs. To participate, a company does not need to be headquartered in Indiana, but the product it enters must be manufactured in the state.

Companies are limited to having one product entry.

Winners will be chosen through public fan voting, with the products receiving the highest votes in each matchup moving to the next round. The voting begins in January and the winner will be crowned in mid-February.

Entry is free. The four finalists will receive prizes, and the champion will be featured in the Indiana Chamber’s BizVoice magazine.

The Coolest Thing Made in Indiana contest is the Chamber’s second large-scale awards program. The organization has presented the annual Best Places to Work competition since 2006. More information on the contest can be found here.

 “A handful of other states have had contests similar to this, but due to Indiana’s long manufacturing history and the feedback we’ve gotten so far, we think this could be the biggest, most competitive tournament of them all,” Chamber CEO Kevin Brinegar said in written remarks. “If you make something unique, interesting or ingenious, we certainly want to hear from you.”