INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Chamber’s fifth annual Coolest Thing Made IN Indiana tournament field has been trimmed from 32 to 16 battle-tested competitors as second-round voting has concluded, and the third round tips off today.
The 16 remaining makers are from 13 cities. They are listed below. Elkhart, Fort Wayne, and Indianapolis each have two competitors remaining.
The online contest is a celebration of Indiana’s rich history in manufacturing and the Hoosier makers who produce 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.
Voting for the remaining rounds is as follows:
Round 3: December 11-16
Quarterfinals: January 2-7
Semis: January 8-12
Finals: January 13-15
The contestants, matchups, array of cool products, and product descriptions are available on the event’s website. Fans and followers of the competitors can participate in the competition by voting online at www.indianachamber.com/coolestthing.
With the beginning of each new round, the votes from the previous round are wiped away, and every remaining competitor starts the latest round with no votes. Voters must vote for all matchups in any given round in which they vote.
“The statewide interest in this hotly contested competition continues to grow,” says Vanessa Green Sinders, Indiana Chamber president and CEO. “With just 16 competitors remaining and a berth in the quarterfinals on the line, we expect more of the same in the upcoming round. The absolute coolest truly are rising to the top.”
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 nominated for their entry.
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 won 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 list of companies making the second round of the 2025 Coolest Thing Made IN Indiana tournament, in alphabetical order with location:
- A&S Crafted Products / Spiceland
- Country Roads Coffee / Albion
- E Brewing Company / South Whitley
- Elkhart Brass Manufacturing / Elkhart
- Goulding and Wood Pipe Organ Builders / Indianapolis
- Greenfire Innovations LLC / Valparaiso
- Harpsicle Harps / Rising Sun
- Hensley Fabricating & Equipment Co., Inc. / Tippecanoe
- John Force Racing / Brownsburg
- Master Spas / Fort Wayne
- Polaris Marine / Elkhart
- Rolling Pin Bakehouse / Fort Wayne
- Rolls-Royce / Indianapolis
- Stone Horses / Shipshewana
- Tower Trikes, Inc. / South Bend
- Wireless Deer Fence / Unionville
