Cindy Gonzalez
LINCOLN — Top glory last year went to a Columbus-made wheelchair built to move through rough and tough terrain.
The year before that, a technology subway car produced in Lincoln and running on New York City tracks emerged as the coolest thing made in Nebraska.
Now the process has begun to name the 2024 winner of the “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska” competition, coordinated by the Nebraska Manufacturing Alliance and Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
In its third year, the contest has become a fun and increasingly popular way to draw attention to the state’s manufacturing industry and to provide companies a platform to show off their wares, said Mike Johnson, chief operating officer for the chamber.
It starts off with a monthlong nomination period that ends July 31. A Leadership Nebraska alumni group of statewide business and nonprofit representatives then weighs in to narrow the field of nominees to 16.
In September, those 16 Nebraska-made products will start competing in weekly head-to-head matchups, with the public invited to vote online, until a winner emerges from a final tournament round.
The 2024 champion is to be revealed Oct. 29 during a LaVista summit marking manufacturing month.
Johnson said organizers have been surprised at how the contest took off and has exceeded expectations.
“Each year we’ve gotten more nominations,” said Johnson. Public engagement has grown, too. “It’s clearly something Nebraskans just get excited about.”