What’s The ‘Coolest Thing Made In Wisconsin’? Four Northern WI Products Hope To Earn Title

What's the coolest thing made in Wisconsin?

When it comes to important or innovative items, the Badger State has a product history that goes way deeper than cheese, beer, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and Kohler toilets.

In an annual bracket-style voting competition, the title of 2025's "Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin" is up for grabs.

Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) and Johnson Financial Group team up each year to put on an annual contest to name a winner in this yearly contest, which dates back to 2016.

Winners over the years have included the innovative "Milwaukee Eight" motorcycle engine made by Harley-Davidson in Milwaukee, a Mobile Autonomous Robotic Cart (known as MARC) made by MūL Technologies in Mequon, and Jolly Good Soda made by Krier Foods in Random Lake, WI.

READ MORE: What To Know About Wisconsin's Dazzling 2025 China Lights Festival

The 2025 contest got underway with a product nomination window from August 25 through September 12. Those nominations have been considered, and the first round of voting opened on September 21 and will stay open through September 30. From there, a round of 16 finalists will compete for the 2025 title, to be named at WMC’s Business Day event on October 23 in Madison.

Of the well over 100 Wisconsin-made products up for vote in the opening round, four are made in Northern Wisconsin. Here's a look at them:

Four Northern Wisconsin-Made Products Up For Title Of 'Coolest Thing Made In Wisconsin' 2025

“Roll-on Roll-off” Ice Breaking Ferry made by Fraser Shipyards LLC in Superior, WI

Fraser Shipyards in Superior has been around since 1890, getting its start when the shipbuilding business was moved from Duluth to Superior. From vessel design and construction to repairs and conversions, the company is a well-known maritime leader on the Great Lakes.

Their entry into the 2025 contest is a 150-passenger, 36-car "roll-on, roll-off" icebreaking ferry that was made for the Beausoleil First Nation of Christian Island, Ontario.

Fraser calls it "the most technically advanced ferry operating on the Great Lakes", suited for frequent docking, operating in confined waters, and regular daily use with 12 daily round-trips 365 days a year in its service area.

You can learn more about Fraser's entry and vote for them here.

Epicurean Cutting Boards and Utensils made by Epicurean in Superior, WI

Epicurean has become a popular, loved brand in the kitchen since its inception in 2003.

The company was born from a skate park manufacturer that uses paper composite materials in the construction of its park structures. Deciding to make cutting boards as holiday gifts one year from the manufacturing waste product, a genius idea was born.

The durable, dishwasher-safe cutting boards and other products have become important tools in kitchens around the world.

You can learn more about Epicurean's entry and vote for them here.

"Timber Curtain Wall & H Window" made by H Window in Ashland, WI

The H Window company got its start in Monticello, Minnesota, in 1987 and moved to Ashland, Wisconsin, in 2001.

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The company's most recent innovation is the Timber Curtain Wall, which the company says is used to create "nearly limitless sizes of glass walls" in both residential and commercial projects. They highlight that this system "brings superior beauty, thermal performance, and carbon reduction to projects typically served by less efficient aluminum systems."

You can learn more about H Window's entry and vote for them here.

Bigfoot BBQ Sauce made in Butternut, WI

The final Northern Wisconsin creation looking for your vote to be 2025's "Coolest Thing Made In Wisconsin" is a delicious one.

The company offers mild, spicy, and cranberry-flavored sauces, and they boast that their products are gluten-free, vegan, and organic, using clean ingredients and no high fructose corn syrup or corn syrup.

You can learn more about Bigfoot BBQ Sauce's entry and vote for them here.

After the opening round of voting wraps up, 16 products will go on to compete in the bracket-style “Manufacturing Madness” competition, with a winner being named at an event in Madison on October 23. You can see all of the nearly 150 products and place your vote here.