APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — After one month of competition and more than 187,000 votes cast, a champion has been crowned as this year’s Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin — and it’s an appliance made right here in Northeast Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) and Johnson Financial Group announced Thursday the winning product is the Bevi Bottleless Water Dispenser, manufactured by Plexus Corp. in Appleton.
Bevi is a smart water dispenser which supplies on-demand filtered, flavored and sparkling water, giving users the ability to customize their hydration. With a goal of unbottling the future, the dispenser has saved over 400 million single-use plastic bottles to date.
“The Bevi Bottleless Water Dispenser combines sustainability and innovation to vastly reduce the carbon footprint of its end-users, embodying our vision to help create the products that build a better world. This product, manufactured at our facility in Appleton, is representative of our global team’s dedication and commitment in bringing that vision to life. We are proud to have Bevi honored by WMC and the state of Wisconsin as the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin,” said Plexus CEO Todd Kelsey.
Over 100 products from across the state were nominated for this year’s contest. A popular vote round was followed by a bracket-style tournament known as “Manufacturing Madness” which narrowed down the products to 16, then eight.
Out of the final four products who competed for the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin trophy, three were from Northeast Wisconsin.
WMC and Johnson Financial Group have hosted this statewide competition for eight years, drawing over 1.3 million votes since its inception.
The annual contest — which culminates each October, in recognition of Manufacturing Month — is intended to help draw attention to Wisconsin’s diverse manufacturing industry and its rewarding careers.
“The Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest continues to showcase the best of Wisconsin manufacturing,” said WMC President & CEO Kurt Bauer. “Not only do our manufacturers produce a wide variety of products used all over the world, they provide high-paying jobs, invest in their communities and bolster our state’s economy. Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees and especially to the entire team at Plexus!”
