INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Chamber’s fifth annual Coolest Thing Made IN Indiana tournament field has been trimmed from 16 to eight proven competitors as third round voting has concluded, and the quarterfinal round qualifiers are announced today.
The eight remaining makers are from seven cities. They are listed below. Two of the remaining competitors are in Elkhart.
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.
After a short break for the holidays, voting for the remaining rounds resumes as follows:
Quarterfinals: January 2-7
Semis: January 8-12
Finals: January 13-15
The contestants, matchups, array of cool products and product descriptions can be seen on the event’s website. Fans and followers of the competitors can be part of the competition by voting online at www.indianachamber.com/coolestthing. Voting closes at 9 p.m. on the final day of each round.
With the beginning of each new round, the votes from the previous round are wiped away, and every remaining competitor starts the new round with no votes. Voters must vote for all matchups in any given round in which they vote.
“With each passing round, the competition for the honor of making the coolest thing in this great state just gets more intense,” says Vanessa Green Sinders, Indiana Chamber president and CEO. “At this point, with the quality of this year’s field, it’s really cool versus cool. But in the end, there can only be one ultimate winner. I, for one, can’t wait to see who it’s going to be. And the way the votes are flying in, I’m not alone.”
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 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 list of companies making the quarterfinal round of the 2025 Coolest Thing Made IN Indiana tournament, in alphabetical order with location:
- Elkhart Brass Manufacturing / Elkhart
- Goulding and Wood Pipe Organ Builders / Indianapolis
- Harpsicle Harps / Rising Sun
- Hensley Fabricating & Equipment Co., Inc. / Tippecanoe
- Polaris Marine / Elkhart
- Rolling Pin Bakehouse / Fort Wayne
- Stone Horses / Shipshewana
- Wireless Deer Fence / Unionville
