INDIANA — The Indiana Chamber’s fifth annual Coolest Thing Made IN Indiana tournament tipped off today with a field of 49 entrants from 36 cities and towns throughout the state, including Rose Mandolins in Seymour and Challenge Plastic Products, Inc. in Edinburgh. The online contest is a celebration of Indiana’s rich history in manufacturing and the Hoosier makers that produce all kinds of goods sold locally, nationally and globally.
The competition format is a Hoosier Hysteria-style single-elimination tournament, with the top vote earner in each matchup advancing to the next round.
“This event has repeatedly drawn a crowd of interest from participants, voters and observers, and we’re seeing that again this year,” says Vanessa Green Sinders, Indiana Chamber president and CEO. “If you haven’t already, you really should look at the matchups and list of product descriptions on the contest website and vote for your favorites. It’s truly awe-inspiring what’s being made right here in Indiana.
“Winning won’t be easy,” she adds. “But it’s the competition that makes this showcase so great and is what helps the Indiana Chamber put a bright spotlight on all these amazing companies that keep Indiana’s economy thriving.”
Entry in the contest is free. 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 in the field.
Online fan voting determines the winner of each matchup. Voters must vote in all matchups in a given round for their votes to be tallied. Anyone can vote and learn more about the array of Hoosier manufacturers and the products they offer at www.indianachamber.com/coolestthing.
First round voting ends December 4. The tournament, which features six rounds, concludes in mid-January. Due to the number of entrants, some companies received byes into the second round. For fairness, matchups were determined through an online randomizer.
Below is the timing of each voting round; all times noted are in Eastern Time. Voting tips off on the first day of each round at 9 a.m. and concludes on the final day of the round at 9 p.m.
- Round 1: December 1-4
- Round 2: December 5-10
- Sweet 16: December 11-16
- Quarterfinals: January 2-7
- Semis: January 8-12
- Finals: January 13-15
Last year, Nashville’s Hard Truth Whiskey Co. and Rising Sun-based Harpsicle Harps shared top honors.
In 2023, Hoosier Racing Tire was crowned as the producer of the Coolest Thing Made IN Indiana for its racing tire. In 2022, the Indiana Chamber honored Maple Leaf Farms of Leesburg for its roast half duck, and Janus Motorcycles of Goshen was victorious in the inaugural competition.
Awards for this year’s top finishers will be presented at the Indiana Chamber’s Best in Business Awards Luncheon sponsored by Charter Spectrum TV/Internet/Voice on January 26 at the Indiana Convention Center.
The full list of the companies making the 2025 Coolest Thing Made IN Indiana field, in alphabetical order with location:
- 80/20 LLC / Columbia City
- A&S Crafted Products / Spiceland
- Alcoa Warrick Operations / Newburg
- Aqua Blast Corp / Decatur
- BraunAbility / Winamac
- Carrier / Indianapolis
- Challenge Plastic Products, Inc. / Edinburgh
- Cimtech, Inc. / New Albany
- Country Roads Coffee / Albion
- Déjà Vu Art and Fine Craft Show / Columbus
- DynaDome / Crown Point
- E Brewing Company / South Whitley
- Eco Simplicity LLC / Fort Wayne
- Elkhart Brass Manufacturing / Elkhart
- Faztek / Fort Wayne Metals / Fort Wayne
- Functional Devices, Inc. / Sharpsville
- GEN-Y Hitch / Nappanee
- Goulding and Wood Pipe Organ Builders / Indianapolis
- Greenfire Innovations LLC / Valparaiso
- Harpsicle Harps / Rising Sun
- Harvestone Low Carbon Partners (Iroquois Bio-Energy Company LLC) / Rensselaer
- Hensley Fabricating & Equipment Co., Inc. / Tippecanoe
- Herculean Prepared Meals / Indianapolis
- Hitachi Global Air Power / Michigan City
- HyFlex Corp. / Knightstown
- John Force Racing / Brownsburg
- Lewis Bakeries, Inc. / Evansville
- Liquid Springs LLC / Lafayette
- Master Spas / Fort Wayne
- Natare Corporation / Indianapolis
- NearSpace Launch / Upland
- Neoteric, Inc. / Terre Haute
- Polaris Marine / Elkhart
- Practical Products LLC / Lafayette
- Recovery Force Health / Fishers
- Respiratory Health Technologies / Indianapolis
- Rolling Pin Bakehouse / Fort Wayne
- Rolls-Royce / Indianapolis
- Rose Mandolins / Seymour
- Seymour Midwest / Warsaw
- SNR Enterprises LLC dba Robinson Farms / Cromwell
- Spot Seeder / Indianapolis
- Standard Locknut / Westfield
- Stone Horses / Shipshewana
- Tot Chop / Fort Wayne
- Tower Trikes, Inc. / South Bend
- Unilever / Hammond
- Wireless Deer Fence / Unionville
