LINCOLN — The fifth annual “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska” competition has started, with nominations to be accepted through August followed by public voting in September.
The contest — designed as an image-booster for the state’s manufacturing industry — has grown in popularity, with some 40,000 votes cast last year over multiple rounds of a bracket-style tournament. Many Nebraskans follow the annual competition started in 2022 and learn about products made in their state.
A hope is that it also sparks more interest in manufacturing jobs. One chamber leader once said a sign of success would be to hear a student say, “Holy cow, I had no idea I could make something like this in my own backyard, in this area, and have this really unique and interesting career.”…