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Final four announced in ‘Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska’ contest

By: - September 13, 2023 11:45 am

Final four Nebraska-made products have been announced in the “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska” competition, which will culminate Oct. 10 when the champion is announced during Nebraska’s Manufacturing Summit. (Courtesy of Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry)

LINCOLN — Four contenders remain standing in the “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska” competition, designed as a fun way to perk up and draw more attention to the state’s manufacturing industry.

Public voting for the semifinalists announced this week in the bracket-style tournament will go on through the end of Sunday, Sept. 17 at nemanufacturingalliance.com.

Rules are that each voter is allowed one vote per matchup, per round.

The first two rounds of the competition so far have garnered about 40,000 total votes, organizers said.

Hosted by the Nebraska Manufacturing Alliance in partnership with the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Nebraska Public Power District, the contest leads into the Nebraska Manufacturing Month of October. The champion is to be announced Oct. 10 during the Manufacturing Summit in La Vista. All 16 top finalists have been invited to display their products.

The final four in line to be 2023’s coolest thing made in Nebraska:

  • Invisi-Lug Clay Paver by Endicott Clay Products of Endicott
  • Fire truck by Danko Emergency Equipment of Snyder
  • IGNIS firefighting system by Drone Amplified of Lincoln
  • All Terrain Tracked Wheelchair by Rocket Mobility of Columbus

Last year’s winner was a new technology subway car made in the Lincoln plant of Kawasaki Motors. The R211 subway car, which can be found running on tracks in New York City, topped a field that started out at about 50 products.

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Cindy Gonzalez
Cindy Gonzalez

Senior Reporter Cindy Gonzalez, an Omaha native, has more than 35 years of experience, largely at the Omaha World-Herald. Her coverage areas have included business and real estate development; regional reporting; immigration, demographics and diverse communities; and City Hall and local politics.

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