Manufacturing Madness narrows field to eight finalists
March 12, 2026
Voting for the Top 8 Round of Manufacturing Madness Now Open
South Carolina Manufacturers and Commerce (SCMC) announced the eight products advancing in the 5th Annual Manufacturing Madness, a contest in which voters decide the Coolest Thing Made in South Carolina.
Voting for the Top 8 round is open from March 9–12 at scmanufacturingmadness.com. Voters may select one product from each matchup to advance to the Top 4 round.
“We started with more than 120 nominees for the Coolest Thing Made in SC, and voters from around the world have narrowed the list of finalists to just eight – and we share the excitement of not just the final eight competitors but every company nominated,” said SCMC President and CEO Sara Hazzard. “The hardworking creators and innovators behind each product represent the very best of our companies and the business community, and we can’t wait to celebrate the ultimate winner of this fifth annual contest.”
Voting in the Top 16 round took place March 2–5. 75,000 votes were cast to determine which products advanced.
Manufacturing Madness is sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and highlights products manufactured in the state. Manufacturing contributes more than $300 billion annually to South Carolina’s economy, supports 30% of all jobs statewide, and generates one-third of the state’s general fund revenue.
The 2026 Top 8 finalists are:
- Constant Velocity Joint – JTEKT, Greenville
- 787 Dreamliner – The Boeing Company, Charleston
- PowerLine Transmission – ZF Gray Court, Laurens
- PFX Flex Sub-Lite-Wall – Zeus, Orangeburg
- CardioEducator – NursEdvance Innovations, Richland
- DWS06+ The American Legend – Continental, Sumter
- Robotic Battery Swapping System – Lion Power, Greenville
- Element TVs – Element Electronics, Fairfiel
Key Dates & Remaining Voting Rounds:
- March 9–12: Top 8 voting
- March 16–19: Top 4 voting
- March 24: Winner announced at the Statehouse with Gov. Henry McMaster
A copy of the bracket can be found here.
