The “Makers Madness – The Coolest Thing Made in New Jersey” contest enters its second round this week, organized by Manufacturing Counts, a collaboration between the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA) and the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP). The initiative aims to raise awareness and support for the manufacturing industry within the state.
The first round concluded on March 24, narrowing down the entries to 16 top vote-getting products. The new round of voting allows participants to cast their votes until 11:59 p.m. on March 31. Voters can submit a ballot once per day per device, selecting their preferred products from each matchup.
The following products will compete in this Sweet 16 stage:
In the first matchup, Alexian Pâtés, known for its natural, ingredient-conscious pâtés, faces off against Wave from ModernLineFurniture, a seating booth designed to optimize space and comfort.
Matchup two sees BioGuard UVC by Geared Power, a PPE solution targeting virus prevention, against Landice, a longtime manufacturer of cardio fitness equipment.
The third matchup pairs the RXT-4DV touch panel from Aurora Multimedia Corp. with Orgo-Thermit's Thermit Welding Kits, crucial to railroad infrastructure.
Corsair, an airless dispensing system from Power Container Corporation, competes against Thomas Instrumentation Inc.'s custom electronics and embedded systems in the fourth matchup.
Navy Parka Liner, a key garment for U.S. Navy sailors made by Bestwork Industries for the Blind, faces off against the enduring Bosco Chocolate Syrup by Sea Breeze in the fifth contest.
For the sixth matchup, Energy Kinetics presents its high-efficiency residential and commercial boilers against Case Medical, Inc.’s SteriTite Rigid Reusable Sterilization Container System.
The Brewster Universal Fixture System, allowing for quick changes in light fixtures, will challenge Safran Aerosystems Evacuation's emergency slides, essential for safety in aircraft incidents, in the seventh matchup.
Finally, Northeast Precast's Precast Walls competes with the RoboBurger, an automated burger vending machine by Roboburger Enterprises Inc., in the eighth and final matchup.
The contest winner will be declared at the State of the State of Manufacturing event in Trenton in May. The victor will also be featured in upcoming issues of New Jersey Business Magazine and Manufacturing Matters Magazine.
For more details on the contest, interested parties can visit the organizers' website. The Manufacturing Counts partnership, initiated in 2022 by NJBIA and NJMEP, works to unify and enhance the manufacturing sector's awareness and support statewide.
