MADISON, Wis. — The “Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin" contest is now down to a Top 8.

Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) and Johnson Financial Group on Wednesday announced the Top 8 products advancing on in the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest. Nearly 100,000 votes have been cast since the beginning of the contest.

“Wisconsin has a vibrant and diverse manufacturing industry, and we see that in the 16 products that made it into our Manufacturing Madness bracket,” said Nick Novak, WMC Vice President of Communications & Marketing. “As we get closer to naming the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin, we encourage everyone in our state to learn more about the cool products we make here and the rewarding career opportunities in manufacturing.”

The Top 8 Coolest Things Made in Wisconsin are:

  • Caterpillar Global Mining – Cat Electric Rope Shovel
  • Kwik Trip – Glazers
  • Mercury Marine – V12 600hp Verado Outboard Engine
  • Absolut Manufacturing – WiNDR
  • Broadwind Heavy Fabrications – 140 Ton Navy Crane
  • BenShot – Aircraft Propeller Glasses
  • BRP US Inc. – Sea-Doo Switch
  • Astronautics Corporation of America – Badger Pro + Flight Display

The second round of Manufacturing Madness will consist of four head-to-head matchups that will determine the Top 4 Coolest Things Made in Wisconsin. Those interested can vote at 9 a.m. on Sept. 30. Voting will conclude at 5:00pm on Tuesday, Oct. 5. To cast a ballot in all eight matchups, anyone can visit www.madeinwis.com.

This year, 150 nominees were announced to compete in the popular vote. The winner will be announced at WMC’s Business Day Event in Pewaukee. Registration for Business Day is open at www.wmc.org/businessday.

WMC and Johnson Financial Group have partnered together for this contest since 2016, and Wisconsinites have cast over 775,000 votes since its inception. More than 125,000 votes were cast to determine the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin last year.