Public voting narrows field to 16 in 2nd Annual Manufacturing Madness Contest to select ‘Coolest Thing Made In SC’
March 6, 2023
Sixteen products advance in the 2nd Annual Manufacturing Madness contest presented by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. The winner will earn the title of “Coolest Thing Made in SC.”
Nominations were accepted February 13-23 resulting in 246 nominated products. The public voted February 27-March 2 for their favorites, and more than 56,000 votes were cast to determine which of the Top 16 vote-getters would advance to the bracket.
Voters now will visit scmanufacturingmadness.com to select a winner from each pairing in the bracket, cutting the field in half each week until the ultimate winner is selected from the Top 4. The winner will be announced in a ceremony at the Statehouse on March 29th.
The 2023 Top 16 finalists are:
1. F-16 Fighting Falcon, Lockheed Martin, Greenville
2. Electrolux/Frigidaire Single-Door Refrigerator and Freezer, Electrolux Home Products Inc., Anderson
3. Metal Buildings Products and Materials, Nucor Buildings Group, Lexington
4. High Noon Sun Sips, E&J Gallo Winery, Chester
5. 7HA.03 Industrial Gas Turbine, General Electric, Greenville
6. Reconfigurable Seat, Magna International, Spartanburg
7. STAR Ash, The SEFA Group, Georgetown
8. 787 Dreamliner, The Boeing Company, Charleston
9. Honda Side-by-Side Vehicles, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. South Carolina Manufacturing, Florence
10. Sleep Number 360 Smart Bed, Sleep Number, Richland
11. Sub-sea High Voltage Cable, Nexans, Berkeley
12. TGIF Fully Cooked Baby Back Ribs, Spartanburg Meat Processing Company, Spartanburg
13. Bespoke 5.3 cu. ft. Ultra Capacity Front Load Washer, Samsung, Newberry
14. Earthmover Mining Tire, Michelin, Anderson and Lexington
15. Perforating Tooling and Machinery, Stewarts of America, Greenville
16. Air Force Flight Suit Fabrics, Milliken & Company, Spartanburg
“South Carolina is a manufacturing powerhouse where the industry drives the state’s economy and strengthens our communities,” said Sara Hazzard, President & CEO of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance. “With more than 5,000 manufacturers throughout the state, we are blessed to have some of the most iconic brands in the world making cool products every day in the Palmetto State. This year’s Top 16 finalists provide a compelling example of the high-level quality and innovation that are hallmarks of South Carolina manufacturing.”
Created by the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance, the Manufacturing Madness: The Coolest Thing Made in SC contest debuted in 2022. The winner of the inaugural contest was Steel, made by Nucor Steel Berkeley. This year’s contest again saw participation from manufacturers in every corner of the state that were represented in the initial group of 246 nominated products.
Remaining Contest Timeline
March 6-9: Top 16 bracket voting
March 13-16: Top 8 bracket voting
March 20-23: Final round of bracket voting
March 29: Winner announced
South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance
The South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance is the only statewide organization dedicated exclusively to the interests of manufacturers. Its mission is to strengthen and advance South Carolina manufacturing by advocating for our members, fostering a world-class workforce, and bringing together manufacturers to connect, share, and solve industry challenges. The SCMA membership is comprised of more than 200 manufacturing companies that represent more than 100,000 associates in South Carolina.
