INDIANA — The Indiana Chamber’s third annual Coolest Thing Made in Indiana competition is down to the final four contestants.
All hail from different cities:
Guardian Bikes, in Seymour, is a company that specializes in designing and manufacturing high-quality, safe, and innovative bicycles for children. They are known for their unique SureStop braking system, which allows kids to stop faster and with more control, reducing the risk of accidents.
Hard Truth Maple Bourbon Cream made in Nashville, Indiana, is a pleasantly complex blend of Hard Truth’s rich, Indiana-crafted straight bourbon whiskey, fresh dairy cream, and pure maple syrup. The aroma features notes of maple candy, toasted pecans, sweet cream, and oak. Luscious cream, sweet maple, bold bourbon, brown sugar, marshmallow, and pecan treat the palate and lead into a creamy finish highlighted by notes of toffee, nougat, warm bourbon, and maple.
Blue Fox Farms LLC, in Wawaka, sells dormant ephemeral plant roots to nurseries across the country that pot them up and sell them retail. We specialize in woodland and wetland plants (ferns, early spring blooming wildflowers).
Born in Indiana, Hoosier Racing Tire in Plymouth takes great pride in producing top-quality racing tires that are shipped all over the world. Our Indiana roots are particularly important to us, and we are honored to be named after our state. We are passionate about our product and industry, and we are proud to manufacture the tires that help drive champions to victory. Our race tires have consistently placed racers on the podium, time and time again. We offer a wide range of tire options, from go-kart tires to drag tires with top speeds of 270-plus mph, which means that if it races on wheels, we probably have a tire for it. Not all tire manufacturers can boast such a diverse and impressive range. We are committed to helping racers fulfill their passion and achieve their goals, and we believe that our Indiana heritage and Midwest values have played an important role in our success.
Blue Fox Farms, Hoosier Racing Tire, and Hard Truth Distillery are “Coolest Thing” veterans, with Hard Truth making it to the quarterfinals last year. Guardian Bikes is a tournament newcomer.
The contest started with 47 competitors, and interest remained high with thousands of votes cast in the quarterfinal. The semifinal round of voting tipped off Monday morning and will conclude Friday, November 24 at 9 p.m.
Blue Fox Farms entered its native plant roots that are shipped to nurseries across the country. Guardian Bikes is showcasing its innovative bicycles for children that feature the SureStop braking system. Hard Truth Distillery put forth its signature Hard Truth Maple Bourbon Cream. And Hoosier Racing Tire entered its well-known tires that are shipped to racers worldwide.
Votes for the semifinal round can be cast at the Coolest Things Made in Indiana website at www.indianachamber.com/coolestthing.
As is the case in every round, the winners will be chosen through public fan voting, with the products receiving the highest votes in each matchup moving to the next round. A voter may vote once per matchup per round. Voters must vote for all matchups in each round to have their votes count.
At the beginning of each new round, the votes from the previous voters are cleared, and every remaining competitor starts the new round with no votes.
Winners from the semifinal matchups will be announced Monday morning, with voting for the finals starting at that time and running through November 30.
The winner of the contest will be announced on December 13 at the Indiana Chamber’s 2023 Best IN Manufacturing Awards Luncheon.
To participate, a company did not need to be headquartered in Indiana, but the product entered must be manufactured in the state. Companies are limited to having one product nominated for entry.
Janus Motorcycles of Goshen took top honors in the inaugural competition and the Indiana Chamber honored Leesburg-based Maple Leaf Farms for its roast half duck in the second annual Coolest Thing Made in Indiana tournament.
The Coolest Thing Made in Indiana and Indiana Best Places to Work in Manufacturing programs are supported by spirit sponsor Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Purdue MEP); gold sponsor Kalenborn Abresist Corporation; and silver sponsors Evonik Corporation and Tippecanoe Labs and Joyce/Dayton Corp.
