You can vote on coolest thing made in Iowa

Iowans are being invited to vote on the “Coolest Thing Made in Iowa.”

Sixty-eight products have been nominated for the award — everything from Gushers to fireplaces, from Winnebagos to ambulances, from pipe organs to trolley cars.

People can vote — once a day through April 30 — for their favorite “cool” product at coolestthingia.com/contest-information/vote. The site contains information about each product.

The “sweet 16” finalists will advance, in bracket style, with more rounds of daily voting in May.

The Iowa Association of Business and Industry put together the contest, the first in Iowa, patterned after the popular contests in other states. The competition, sponsored by MidWestOne Bank, highlights the state’s $38 billion manufacturing industry and the high-tech, high-skill and high-pay careers available in Iowa, the association said.

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“Manufacturers employ nearly 225,000 Iowans and produce incredible products that are distributed locally, nationally and globally,” ABI President Mike Ralston said in a statement. “This is another opportunity to showcase their work and draw attention to what happens right here in our backyard.”

The 2024 nominees represent every corner of the state and a wide array of industries, including agriculture, machinery, food products, wineries, breweries, pet, recreation, home goods and high-tech innovations.

The winner will be announced at ABI’s annual Taking Care of Business Conference, taking place June 4-6 in the Quad Cities.

Among the 68 nominees are these from Eastern Iowa:

Cedar Rapids: Gushers made by General Mills; medium and linerboard paper made by International Paper; injection mold made by MSI Moldbuilders.

Coralville: Woofables treats made by The Gourmet Dog Bakery.

Fairfield: IRIS circadian sky ceiling made by Sky Factory; S-975 express plus softmount washer made by Dexter Laundry.

Iowa City: Easy Eddy IPA made by Big Grove Brewery.

Janesville: Fiberglas pedal boats made by Kay Park Recreation.

Maquoketa: Industrial conveyor parts washer made by Precision Metal Works; Jackson knobs made by Jackson Manufacturing; KLIMB dog training platform made by Blue-9 Pet Products; MCG bio plant markers made by MCG BioComposites.

Marengo: Dandelion wine made by Ackerman Winery.

Montezuma: Streetrod golf cars made by Streetrod Golf Cars; Wilcox 202S digging trowel made by Wilcox All-Pro.

Mount Pleasant: Inception electric fireplace made by Hearth and Home Technologies

Muscatine: World's best cat litter made by Kent Corp.

Peosta: Explosion-proof electric motor made by Bodine Electric Co.