Nominations open for ABI's Coolest Thing Made in Iowa Competition

Nominations Are Open for ABI's Coolest Thing Made in Iowa Competition

DES MOINES – The Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) and MidWestOne are partnering for the first annual Coolest Thing Made in Iowa competition. This initiative not only brings attention to all the cool things made in Iowa, but also the outstanding career opportunities available in manufacturing – an industry that employs over 225,000 Iowans.

“Manufacturing is the state’s leading industry sector, with over $38 billion annually added into the economy,” said Mike Ralston, ABI President. “We’re excited to launch this competition to showcase the Iowa manufacturing industry’s best innovations, craftsmanship, and state-of-the-art technologies.

Any product manufactured in Iowa qualifies for the contest. Nominations, submitted by employees, consumers, and any other interested parties, are accepted until April 8 at www.coolestthingia.com.

Following the nomination period, a popular vote will determine the Top 16 products. Products will compete against one another in head-to-head matchups, and the products that receive the highest votes in each match-up will advance to the next round. The public is encouraged to vote once per day, per device through the rounds of voting.

Important Contest Dates:

• March 25 - April 8: Nominations Open
• April 19: Nominees Announced
• April 22 - April 30: Popular Vote to determine Top 16
• May 2 - May 29: Voting 
• June 5: Winner Announced

The winner will be announced at ABI’s annual Taking Care of Business Conference, taking place June 4-6 in the Quad Cities.

Competition rules, eligibility requirements, and the nomination form are available at www.coolestthingia.com. The nomination period ends on April 8 and voting will begin April 22.

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The Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) has been the voice of Iowa business since 1903. Its mission is to provide a strong, unified voice to business and industry on issues affecting Iowa employers. ABI is comprised of member companies representing all industries and sizes in Iowa’s 99 counties. ABI members employ more than 330,000 Iowans.