What's the coolest thing made in Iowa? See the Sweet 16 as contest enters round 2.

Kevin Baskins, Des Moines Register
·3 min read

Iowans have pared down 67 nominees to a Sweet 16 in the Coolest Thing Made in Iowa Contest.

The choices now become more difficult and diverse as the state’s citizens will now have to weigh the Winnebago Revel camping vans manufactured in Lake Mills against World’s Best Cat Litter, made in Muscatine from corn; Dobson custom built pipe organs in Lake City; and Gushers fruit candy snacks made in Cedar Rapids, among other options.

John Panning, owner of Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, with an organ under construction in Lake City,
John Panning, owner of Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, with an organ under construction in Lake City,

And if a little extra light needs to be shed on the 16 finalists, Musco Sports Lighting from Oskaloosa is along for the ride, as well.

Workers install a wiring harness on a Winnebago Revel camper van at the company's Lake Mills factory.
Workers install a wiring harness on a Winnebago Revel camper van at the company's Lake Mills factory.

What is the Coolest Thing Made in Iowa Contest?

The contest is sponsored by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry and MidwestOne Bank and culminates in a winner being named June 5 at ABI’s annual conference.

This marks the first year for the contest in Iowa, joining nearly 20 other states.

The contest gives ABI and MidwestOne the opportunity to spotlight a big component of Iowa’s economy: manufacturing. It accounts for more than 17% of the gross state product and in excess of 14% of Iowa’s employment, at 225,000 workers, and generated over $38 billion in economic output in 2021, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.

How does the contest work, and how can I vote?

Nominations opened to the public March 25. The original round of 67 nominees was announced April 22. The second round of voting, paring the list to the current 16, closed Tuesday.

Iowans now must whittle the Sweet 16 to an Elite Eight by voting May 2-8 at coolestthingia.com. The eight finalists will be announced May 9.

Here's the rest of the process:

  • May 10-16 ― Second round of voting.

  • May 17 ― Top 4 announced.

  • May 20-29 ― Final Round of voting.

  • June 5 ― Winner announced at ABI's Taking Care of Business Conference in the Quad Cities.

What are the Iowa-made products in the Sweet 16?

Musco Lighting towers over a baseball field built in Polk City for “Field of Dreams” limited TV seriess.
Musco Lighting towers over a baseball field built in Polk City for “Field of Dreams” limited TV seriess.

  • Butter Braid Pastries from Country Maid, Inc. of West Bend. Sold through fundraisers, the pastries have helped thousands of organizations raise over $320 million for various causes.

  • Custom-built pipe organs from Dobson Pipe Organ Builders of Lake City. The company makes pipe organs for churches, schools, public spaces and private individuals.

  • Explosion proof electric motors from Bodine Electric Co. of Peosta.

  • Gushers, fruit candy snacks made at General Mills' Cedar Rapids plant.

  • Inception Electric Fireplaces, realistic-looking faux fireplaces from Hearth and Home Technologies in Mount Pleasant.

  • Kreg Pocket Hole Jig 320, a tool for do-it-yourself woodworking projects from Kreg Tool in Huxley.

  • Life Line Ambulance from Life Line Emergency Vehicles in Sumner.

  • MARSHALLTOWN Hamburger Trowels, top-of-the-line burger flippers from MARSHALLTOWN tools in Marshalltown.

  • Musco Sports Lighting from Musco Lighting in Oskaloosa. The company makes and installs lights used at sports venues all over the world, including for the Olympics.

  • S-975 Express Plus Softmount Washer, commercial-grade washing machines from Dexter Laundry in Fairfield.

  • Safe T Home from Sukup Manufacturing in Sheffield. The grain-bin maker uses the same sturdy design to make metal housing that can withstand extreme weather condition in developing countries.

  • See&Spray from Deere & Co.'s Ankeny plant. The system uses advanced cameras and artificial intelligence to allow John Deere sprayers to precisely target weeds, making it possible for farmers to reduce their herbicide use.

  • Tiki Bar Boats, floating bars on pontoon boat platforms from Big Huts in Princeton.

  • Vermeer ZR5-1200 self-propelled baler from Vermeer Corp. in Pella. The highly maneuverable, self-propelled vehicles automate much of the hay-baling process.

  • Winnebago Revel camping vans from Winnebago Industries in Lake Mills.

  • World’s Best Cat Litter, manufactured from corn by Kent Corp. in Muscatine.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Coolest Thing Made in Iowa contest reaches 2nd round with 16 products