Even Chip Reeves, who heads Iowa’s largest publicly-traded bank and oversees deals every day that keep the state’s industrial wheels turning, was wowed by the variety, creativity and global impact of companies and products nominated in ABI’s first-ever “Coolest Thing Made in Iowa” competition. “What stood out for me is the absolute range of products, […]
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Even Chip Reeves, who heads Iowa’s largest publicly-traded bank and oversees deals every day that keep the state’s industrial wheels turning, was wowed by the variety, creativity and global impact of companies and products nominated in ABI’s first-ever “Coolest Thing Made in Iowa” competition.“What stood out for me is the absolute range of products, the diversity of design and thought, leaders in their fields that you did not even know were Iowa-based companies,” says Mr. Reeves, CEO of Iowa City-based MidWest One Bank, sponsor of the contest this year for at least its first two years. Nominations came from manufacturers in all corners and business sectors of Iowa, for products as varied as bait tanks, race car wheels, smart fire hydrants and tiki bar boats, from internationally-known brands like Winnebago and KENT to makers you probably never heard of — like Insane Impact, builder of the MAX Mobile LED trailer, and PigEasy, producer of MealMeter2.0.Online public voting, beginning with a popular vote round, narrowed the field to 16. Two rounds of bracket competition narrowed that number to four. The winner, to be announced June 5 at ABI’s Taking Care of Business Conference, was determined by a final round of voting held May 20-29.
The finalists:
Dobson Pipe Organ Builders’ custom-built pipe organs. The Lake City company crafts instruments for churches, schools, public venues and private owners.
Musco Sports lighting’s illumination products are used globally at sports venues, including the Olympics. Musco is headquartered in Oskaloosa.
Pella-based Vermeer’s ZR5-1200 self-propelled baler, a product that marries zero-turn mower technology with the company’s forage-handling expertise in round-baling.
Sukup Manufacturing’s Safe T Homes. The Sheffield-based grain bin maker has adapted its product to offer affordable, compact metal homes resistant to hurricanes and other extreme conditions in developing countries.
The competition, says ABI’s Communications Director Kelsey O’Connor, is mostly about “bragging rights.” Finalists have been invited to send representatives to attend the awards lunch at the conference and be present for the announcement of the winner. The top vote-getter from the final round will receive a trophy and each finalist will get a flag to display in their facility.
‘Coolest’ idea came from Wisconsin
Ms. O’Connor said Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, ABI’s counterpart in the Badger State, invented the “Coolest Thing” competition nine years ago and shared it with association peers. Twenty other states now run similar contests.“Manufacturing is a big deal for the state of Iowa,” says Ms. O’Connor. “ABI started as Iowa Manufacturers Association when it was founded in 1903. Later on, we expanded to representing all industries. We found in recent years that manufacturers are still our core members that we tend to serve best and have been members the longest. We wanted to highlight them and celebrate them.”Bringing attention to manufacturing’s economic impact was also a motivation for adopting the contest. “We also wanted to call attention to career opportunities available, so we keep Iowans in Iowa,” Ms. O’Connor says.The rules are simple. Products need to be manufactured in Iowa, although the manufacturer’s headquarters may be out of state. If multiple products are nominated from the same company, a single product must be selected. Anyone can vote once per day, regardless of location, in each round of the contest. A Des Moines marketing company was hired to manage tracking to prevent tech hijacking of the competition.“Our hope was to give the companies something to rally their employees around. We had a lot of large manufacturers and their employees but a lot of small companies too,” Ms. O’Connor says. Companies promoting their employees have been the ones more successful in their competition.”Most surprising for Ms. O’Connor has been “the buy-in we’ve gotten from the community, the media attention, the competition and the variety of products. We have received tens of thousands of votes. The response has been really great.”She’s also been thrilled to hear from companies about the excitement the competition stirred among employees. One of those companies, Vermeer, polled its workforce to determine which product to submit. The employee involvement paid off. “They’ve received a lot of votes and hung in as a top competitor from Day 1,” Ms. O’Connor says.
‘Fun for me and my team’
Vermeer ZR5-1200 Self-Propelled Baler“Vermeer is very proud of the products we manufacture. The team has really gotten on board,” says Jason Andringa, CEO of the firm founded by his grandfather, who invented the round baler 53 years ago.Mr. Andringa says senior engineering manager Kent Thompson and his Forage Innovations team combined two established technologies — round baling and zero-turn mowing — and found unique ways to add value to a new product. Innovative features include a 90-degree turn when ejecting the bale and releasing the bale on steep terrain in such a way it doesn’t roll down the hill. The ZR5 was brought from concept to market in three years and sales have “really taken off,” he says. “For the customer doing 5,000 or more bales a year, this machine has proven to be very popular.”“It’s always fun to see the stuff you’ve done or thought of make it into production and get some recognition,” says Mr. Thompson. “It’s been a great run. We knew we had something and were fortunate enough to have resources and talents to continue to develop it.”
Reeves: MidWest One ‘all in on manufacturing’
“When ABI first approached me (about sponsoring The Coolest Thing contest) and I became a board member in 2023, I looked at it as a no-brainer.,” says MidWest One’s Mr. Reeves. “The reason why is that the manufacturing space in Iowa is so vibrant and provides so many jobs and so much revenue and economic activity throughout the state. MidWestOne is all in on manufacturing. It’s incredibly important to who we are and the state of Iowa.”“The whole process of the nominations and voting is just a heck of a lot of fun,” from learning about the international reach of manufacturers like Musco to seeing local favorites like Big Grove’s Easy Eddy craft beer win deserved recognition, he says. “I’ve been known to enjoy their product once in a while.”The competition will continue in 2025 and for as long after that as there is interest, says Ms. O’Connor.“What I absolutely hope,” adds Mr. Reeves, “is that recognition for the manufacturing space increases in the heartland and across the nation, that we build this inaugural event into an annual one that continues to grow from its first year.”Dobson Pipe Organ
Congratulations to the Top 4 Finalists:
Vermeer ZR5-1200 self-propelled baler
Musco Sports Lighting
Dobson Custom Built Pipe Organ
Sukup Safe T Home
This article was originally published in the Iowa Association of Business and Industry‘s (ABI) Business Monthly newsletter, which is distributed in print in the Corridor Business Journal and the Quad Cities Regional Business Journal.ABI has served as Iowa’s unified voice for business since 1903. Their mission is to nurture a favorable business, economic, governmental and social climate within the state of Iowa so citizens can have the opportunity to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
