And the winner is... See what was picked as the Coolest Thing Made in Iowa

Kevin Baskins, Des Moines Register

Iowans have spoken and the Coolest Thing Made in Iowa is the ZR5-1200 self-propelled baler manufactured by the iconic Pella-based Vermeer Corp. founded in 1948.

The baler is highly maneuverable and is designed and manufactured to automate much of the hay-baling process, a huge boon for livestock producers.

“My grandfather was a farmer. He founded Vermeer on a spirit of innovation by simply searching for a better way to do hard work. Receiving this award is incredibly special as it indicates his legacy continues on,” Mindi Vanden Bosch, Vermeer vice president of operations, said in a news release.

The self-propelled baler manufactured by Vermeer Corp. in Pella is winner of the Coolest Thing Made in Iowa contest.
The self-propelled baler manufactured by Vermeer Corp. in Pella is winner of the Coolest Thing Made in Iowa contest.

“I am proud of the cool equipment we build and even more proud of the team who designs, builds and supports it. I'm also proud to have been nominated alongside an incredible line up of cool things made in Iowa. Thanks to ABI (Iowa Association of Business and Industry who sponsored the event with MidwestOne Bank) for bringing awareness to everything made in our great state,” Vanden Bosch said.

Vermeer was crowned the winner on Wednesday at ABI’s annual conference in the Quad Cities.

Vermeer prevailed over a Final Four field that also included:

  • Custom-built pipe organs from Dobson Pipe Organ Builders of Lake City. The company makes the organs for churches, schools, public spaces and private individuals.

  • Musco Sports Lighting from Musco Lighting in Oskaloosa. The company makes and installs lights used at sports venues all over the world, including for the Olympics.

  • Safe T Homes from Sukup Manufacturing in Sheffield. Sukup uses the same sturdy design as it does for its grain bins to make metal housing that can withstand extreme weather condition in developing countries.

The road to the crown for Vermeer was a long one. It started with Iowans nominating 67 products in late March and early April on products ranging from cat litter and butter braids to motor homes and floating Tiki bars. After a popular vote, the field was narrowed down to 16 with three more votes from Iowans before Vermeer emerged with the crown.

This marks the first year for the contest in Iowa, which is joining nearly 20 states that name a coolest product annually.

“The Coolest Thing Made in Iowa showcases the best of Iowa manufacturing,” Mike Ralston, ABI president, said in the news release announcing the winner. “Congratulations to all of this year’s finalists and especially to the entire team at Vermeer.”

The contest gives ABI and MidwestOne Bank the opportunity to spotlight a big component of Iowa’s economy: manufacturing. It accounts for more than 17% of the gross state product and in excess of 14% of Iowa’s employment, at 225,000 workers, and generated over $38 billion in economic output in 2021, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.

These were the original 67 products nominated from which the winner was eventually selected:

  • 2000-CG extruder, Insta-Pro International, Grimes

  • 75 Pro Series bait rank, Creek Bank Tanks, Corning

  • AERO 59 Series NASCAR Wheel, AERO Race Wheels Inc., Estherville

  • Any Flow yard hydrant, Merrill Manufacturing, Storm Lake

  • Artisan baked goods display boxes, Big River Packaging, Clinton

  • Atlas Bladesmith Forge, Atlas Knife & Tool, Altoona

  • Bin Buster Hazy IPA, Titonka Brewing Company, Titonka

  • Blue Bunny Mini Swirls, Wells Enterprises, Le Mars

  • Brent Avalanche 2598, Brent, Shell Rock

  • Bulldog Honey Kolsch, Confluence Brewing Co., Des Moines

  • Butter Braid pastries, Country Maid Inc., West Bend

  • Coca-Cola Classic, Atlantic Bottling Co., Atlantic

  • Conductor rail, Conductix-Wampfler, Harlan

  • Custom-built pipe organ, Dobson Pipe Organ Builders Ltd., Lake City

  • Dandelion wine, Ackerman Winery, Marengo

  • Deal's Orchard Hard Cider, Deal's Orchard, Jefferson

  • DRI-12, Deep Root Irrigation, West Burlington

  • Easy Eddy, Big Grove Brewery, Iowa City

  • Explosion-proof electric motor, Bodine Electric Co., Peosta

  • F530 farm skid, Appanoose Manufactured Products, Moulton

  • Fiberglass pedal boats, Kay Park Recreation, Janesville

  • Gourmet Dog Treats Woofables, The Gourmet Dog Bakery, Coralville

  • Gushers!, General Mills, Cedar Rapids

  • High-speed disc blade, Osmundson Manufacturing Co., Perry

  • HSP1-I industrial 3D printer, HartSmart Products, Urbandale

  • iHydrant smart fire hydrant, Clow Valve Co., Oskaloosa

  • Inception electric fireplace, Hearth and Home Technologies, Mount Pleasant

  • Industrial conveyor parts washer, Precision Metal Works, Maquoketa

  • Insulated Bering Bib-DI200, Dickson Industries Inc., Des Moines

  • IRIS Circadian SkyCeiling, Sky Factory Inc., Fairfield

  • Jackson knobs, Jackson Manufacturing Inc., Maquoketa

  • KLIMB dog training platform, Blue-9 Pet Products, Maquoketa

  • Kreg pocket hole jig 320, Kreg Tool, Huxley

  • Life Line ambulance, Life Line Emergency Vehicles Inc., Sumner

  • Marshalltown Hamburger Trowel, Marshalltown tools, Marshalltown

  • MAX Mobile LED trailer, Insane Impact, Des Moines

  • MCG Bio plant markers, MCG BioComposites LLC, Maquoketa,

  • MealMeter2.0, PigEasy LLC, Templeton

  • Medium and linerboard paper, International Paper, Cedar Rapids

  • Mold for injection molding,, MSI MOLDBUILDERS, Cedar Rapids

  • Neva's Noodles, Neva's Noodles LLC, Chariton

  • OTR tire service truck, Stellar Industries, Garner

  • Over the Ivy Czech-Style Pilsner, Confluence Brewing Co., Des Moines

  • Percival Scientific controlled environment room, Percival Scientific Inc., Perry

  • Power Tower, EFCO Corp., Des Moines

  • Ranch cotton candy, Chocolate Storybook dba Fairy Tale Cotton Candy, Des Moines

  • S-975 Express Plus softmount washer, Dexter Laundry, Fairfield

  • Safe T Home, Sukup Manufacturing Co., Sheffield

  • See & Spray, John Deere, Ankeny

  • Shoe-ute, Yunga Tart LLC, Hawarden

  • Single-barrel straight bourbon, Century Farms Distillery, Spencer

  • Smart Fence Alarm, Insulights, Akron

  • Sports lighting, Musco Lighting, Oskaloosa

  • Streetrod golf cars, Streetrod Golf Cars, Montezuma

  • The Iowa Candle, Candle Creek Farms, Mallard

  • Thelma's ice cream sandwich, Thelma's, Des Moines

  • Tiki bar boats, Big Huts, Princeton

  • Tillman's Small Batch Whiskey, Wildcat Distilling Co., Duncombe

  • Tomato slicer, Rada Manufacturing Co., Waverly

  • Transmissions and torque converters, Fort Dodge Transmission, Fort Dodge

  • Trolley car, GOMACO Trolley, Ida Grove

  • Vermeer ZR5-1200 self-propelled baler, Vermeer Corp., Pella

  • Volumetric concrete mixer, Cemen Tech, Indianola

  • Warren Lift, MikeWay LLC, Burlington

  • Wilcox All Pro 202s, Wilcox All-Pro Inc., Montezuma

  • Winnebago Revel, Winnebago Industries, Lake Mills

  • World's Best Cat Litter, KENT Corp., Muscatine

Kevin Baskins covers jobs and the economy for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at kbaskins@registermedia.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowans select Coolest Thing Made in Iowa from 67 items. What is it?

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