2022 Coolest Kansas Innovation Category Down to Final Four
Four Kansas manufacturers have advanced to be this year's Coolest Innovation made in Kansas
This new category is part of the Kansas Manufacturing Council's (KMC), an affiliated program of the Kansas Chamber, Coolest Thing Made In Kansas contest.
The four products advancing to the innovation finals are:
T-Block by Ronawk
Apex Stages by Apex Stages
Spiral Chute by Stevenson Company
CoolView Techology by Lee Aerospace
"Congratulations to our final four coolest innovations," said KMC's Executive Director Brandie McPherson. "The KMC added this new contest category to highlight the many ways Kansas manufacturers research and develop new products and work to improve products to address crucial challenges. We look forward to learning more about the final four products."
The contest began with 40 nominated products. 17 moved on to the first round of judging by completing a questionnaire detailing their innovations. A panel of judges reviewed the questionnaire and then ranked the products for their innovative solutions.
The judges for the 2022 contest are:
Lafe Bailey, Sr. Vice President, Wenger Extrusion Group
Brian Barger, Sr. Manager II, U.S. Sourcing, Walmart
Cynthia Enright, Partner, iValution
Jeremy Patterson, Dean/Executive Director, WSU College of Innovation & Design/Office of Innovation & New Ventures
Tiffany Stovall, CEO, Kansas Manufacturing Solutions
Jennifer Wold, Partner, FORVIS
During the final round on October 12th, the four companies will make in-person presentations about their innovations. The judges will choose the winning product based on a criteria that includes its impact on the challenge it solves as well as the impact it has on the business, its employees, and customers.
The contest also features the People's Choice category, a bracket-style tournament currently in round one of voting.
Winners for both categories will be announced during the Kansas Manufacturing Summit on Thursday, October 13, 2022 at the Kansas Star Casino and Event Center.
Presented by FORVIS, KMC launched the Coolest Thing Made In Kansas contest in 2020 to promote and elevate Kansas manufacturers and to highlight products developed and produced in Kansas and distributed across the U.S. and internationally.
