Coolest Thing Made In Nebraska

(KFOR NEWS  October 11, 2022)  After more than 20,000 votes, the champion of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce’s “Coolest Things Made in Nebraska” contest is…. the New York City Transit Authority R211 Rail Car made at Kawasaki Motors in Lincoln.  The second “Coolest Thing” was the Pivot Walker, made by Chief Fabrication in Grand Island.

From Embassy Suites La Vista Hotel and Conference Center, James Berringer, Senior Vice President of Membership and Marketing with the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, declared Kawasaki the winner from among 50 entries.  Other products and companies making into the Top 16 included:

• The Rambler, Handlebend, O’Neill
• Dorothy Lynch, Tasty Toppings, Columbus
• System Built Modular Homes, Heritage Homes of Nebraska, Wayne
• Wooden Barns and Homes, Timberlyne, Wayne
• Grain Weevil, Aurora
• MIRA, Virtual Incision, Lincoln
• Grandma’s Fruitcakes, Beatrice Bakery Co, Beatrice
• Road Zipper, Lindsay Corporation, Omaha
• Rescue Aerials and STINGER Extinguishing Booms for Firetrucks, Rosenbauer, Fremont
• Mars 2020 Mission Ducts, Royal Engineered Composites, Minden
• Track Hurdles, Blazer Athletic Equipment, Fremont
• Pivot Walker, Chief Fabrication, Grand Island
• EagleSpan, Behlen Mfg. Co., Columbus
• Tractor Stalk Roller, KinnanFAB, Cozad
• Retail Shelving, Lozier, Omaha

Berringer said the competition was a great way to learn about many products made in the Cornhusker State because Nebraska’s manufacturing industry had an image issue…”We had an issue with connecting people to careers in manufacturing.  We have people thinking manufacturing is dirty, dark and dangerous.  This is a great opportunity.  We had over 20,000 unique votes in this competition.  I really thought we had 16 really cool things show up.”

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