For the Hub City Times

MARSHFIELD – Five locally-made products have been nominated for the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce’s “Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin.”

Nominated products include: Wenzel’s Farms Jalapeno Cheddar Beef Sticks, Weber’s Farm Store’s Kefir, Melody Gardens Restaurant and Skateland’s Cranberry Ice Cream, Masonite’s Aspiro Series Doors, and the Thorogood American Heritage Moc Toe Work Boot by Weinbrenner Shoe Company.

A popular vote held Sept. 9-15 will determine the top 16 products; these will be placed in a bracket-style tournament called Manufacturing Madness. Products will compete against one another in head-to-head match-ups, and the products that receive the highest votes in each match-up will advance to the next round which will be announced on Sept. 16.

“Each of these businesses could use the support and votes of our local community to ensure they advance the next round,” shares Scott Larson, MACCI executive director.

Participants can vote once per 24-hour period and votes can be cast at www.madeinwis.com.

Over 150 products from across the state were nominated for the competition.