Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- The Utah Manufacturers Association is hosting a competition to find the "Coolest Thing Made in Utah."
- The voting for the final 16 nominated products is open until Oct. 9 at manufacturingutah.com.
- The winner will be announced on Nov. 7 at the association's awards gala.
SALT LAKE CITY — You probably wouldn't expect to run into the makers of off-road wheelchairs, air leak testers and premium barbecue in one place, but a new competition has rounded up those companies, and over a dozen more, to answer one question: What is the coolest thing made in Utah?
Working from a list of nominations, the Utah Manufacturers Association has pared the selections to 16 products manufactured in the state, and is inviting Utahns and people around the world to cast their vote for the "Coolest Thing Made In Utah" competition.
Hosted by the Utah Manufacturers Association and presented by DBD Investment Bank, the competition is designed to celebrate Utah's dynamic manufacturing industry, which includes over 3,000 companies that employ more than 150,000 Utahns, according to the organizers.
Voting for the top products is open now through 11:59 p.m. MDT, Thursday, Oct. 9. The association's marketing and communications manager Jenn Sparks said supporters can cast their votes for their favorite product at manufacturingutah.com.
Sparks said the effort is a fun way to highlight the state's manufacturing community and raise awareness of the wide variety of products that are "native Utahns."
"A lot of people will be surprised by what's being made right here in their own backyards," Sparks said.
The tournament will run, over successive rounds, throughout October, until only two companies are left standing. The 2025 "Coolest Thing Made in Utah" winner will be announced on Nov. 7 at the Utah Manufacturers Association's Annual Awards Gala, where finalists will also be invited to celebrate.
The sweet 16
These Utah manufacturers and their products are the final 16 contenders:
- Made-in-America ladders — Little Giant Ladder Systems
- Insulated panel — Nucor Insulated Panel Group
- Zaxis air leak testers — Zaxis
- Huggies Snug & Dry diapers — Kimberly-Clark
- Smith Imprint 3D collection — Smith Optics
- Xodine iodine — Cedar Bear Naturales, Inc.
- Oxtail Softball — Les BBQ
- Barnes Reserve — Barnes Bullets
- Silencers/suppressors for firearms — SilencerCo
- SAE high-accuracy wing de-fastening robots for the F-16 fighter jet — SAE, Inc.
- Extreme Motus off-road wheelchair — Extreme Motus
- AI camera manufacturing station — MomentTrack
- High-performance premium carbon fiber bikes and components — ENVE
- Pre-engineered metal buildings — CO Building Systems
- Nova Spin — TORUS
- Pyrite chandelier — HAMMERTON
The Utah Manufacturers Association has been advocating on behalf of the state's manufacturing sector since 1905. The organization currently has over 1,200 members statewide. According to its charter, the association works to bring businesses, educators, government, and community leaders together to champion the growth and success of Utah's manufacturing sector.
