Nearly 200,000 votes determine winner in the statewide contest
MADISON – When all the votes were counted, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle – manufactured by Oshkosh Corporation – took home the trophy for the 2017 Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin.
The Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest is a program run by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) and sponsored by Johnson Financial Group to showcase the wide variety of products that are manufactured right here in the Badger State.
“The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle has always been one of the coolest things made in our state, but now everyone at Oshkosh Corporation can truly say it is the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin,” said WMC President/CEO Kurt R. Bauer. “From everyone at WMC, we congratulate the entire Oshkosh team on winning this year’s contest.”
The Coolest Thing contest accepted nominees from Aug. 1 to Sept. 1. Nearly 150 products made in Wisconsin were nominated. A popular vote from Sept. 4 to 11 determined the top 16 products, which were placed in a bracket-style tournament called Manufacturing Madness. The four finalists were announced after two more rounds of voting.
“We could not be more proud of all our nominees this year,” added Bauer. “The Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest shows off how cool manufacturing is, and hopefully this encourages young people all across the state to consider a rewarding career in the industry.”
The four finalists – Oshkosh Corporation’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle; Generac’s XC Generator; Mercury Marine’s Joystick Piloting System; and Ariens Company’s Sno-Thro – competed against each other for the most votes in the last round from Oct. 10 to 16, and the winner was announced on Monday at the WMC Foundation’s State of Wisconsin Business & Industry Luncheon that was attended by 600 business, education and chamber leaders from across the state.
This contest is just one WMC initiative that highlights the manufacturing sector in October, which was proclaimed Manufacturing Month by Gov. Scott Walker.
“Manufacturing is truly a critical cornerstone of the Wisconsin economy, and we are proud to highlight products made in Wisconsin and made in the USA,” said Johnson Financial Group CEO Tom Bolger. “Manufacturers contribute significantly to the long term strength and economic stability of our great state.”
This is the second year that WMC has run the Coolest Thing contest, and it garnered nearly 200,000 total votes. That is almost 10 times as many votes as last year when Harley-Davidson’s Milwaukee Eight Engine took home the grand prize.
For more information about the contest, please visit www.MadeInWis.com.
###
For more information, contact:
Nick Novak, 608.258.3400
