Round 2: Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut

What started with 16 incredible Connecticut-made products is now down to the final eight. 

The second round of voting is underway to find the Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut. 

The single-elimination, bracket-style competition is being led by the CBIA Foundation in partnership with the Connecticut Office of Manufacturing and CONNSTEP and made possible through the generous support of CliftonLarsonAllen LLP. 

More than 66,000 total votes were cast on the 16 products in the first round matchups. 

The round two matchups feature: 

• Pratt & Whitney’s GTF engine vs. Lyman Orchards’ Hi-Top Apple Pie
• Sikorsky’s Black Hawk Helicopter vs. Bigelow Tea’s Constant Comment Black Tea
• General Dynamics Electric Boat’s Virginia-Class Submarine vs. PEZ Candy Inc.’s PEZ
• Medtronic Signia Stapling System vs. Schick’s Shick Xtreme 3 Disposable Razor

Spotlight on Manufacturing

The competition is an opportunity to highlight and showcase Connecticut’s vibrant manufacturing sector.

“Manufacturing is part of the state’s legacy, but it’s not just in our past,” CBIA president and CEO Chris DiPentima said.

“In the next couple of years our manufacturing sector is going to be the number one industry sector in Connecticut.

There are more than 4,800 manufacturing companies in Connecticut, employing nearly 159,000 people. 

“The innovative products going head to head in this competition show that manufacturing is a crucial part of the state’s future, and it’s going to be here for a long time.”

There are more than 4,800 manufacturing companies in Connecticut, employing nearly 159,000 people. 

According to the National Association of Manufacturers, each manufacturing job creates an additional five jobs in other parts of the state’s economy.

“This is an opportunity to highlight those products and highlight that innovation, and to really get people engaged in understanding what manufacturing is all about,” CONNSTEP president and CEO Beatriz Gutierrez said during a segment on FOX 61’s morning news. 

Voting Underway

The second round of voting is open through Sept. 10. 

The overall winner will be announced at the Oct. 2 Connecticut Manufacturing Summit at the Connecticut Convention Center.

“What a great way to promote what we do in Connecticut, not only for ourselves, but for the rest of the nation,” CLA’s Stephen Fuller recently told the CBIA BizCast about the competition. 

“I mean, there’s some really, really cool stuff that we do.”

CLA’s Stephen Fuller

“I mean, there’s some really, really cool stuff that we do.”

A group of business leaders nominated the 16 products in the first year of what will be an annual competition.

Nominations are open now for next year’s contest.