LANSING (Oct. 11, 2022) — During a press conference held today at Peckham, Inc. Headquarters in Lansing, the Michigan Manufacturers Association (MMA) announced the Top 3 finalists for its annual Coolest Thing Made in Michigan Award. MMA will announce the winner of Coolest Thing Made in Michigan, as well as recognize the organization’s 2022 MFG Excellence Award winners, during a black-tie celebration on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, at the Lansing Center.

“Manufacturing runs deep in Michigan’s history and plays a critical role in our state’s economy, so we believe it’s important to recognize and celebrate the impact local individuals and organizations are making through innovation,” said Delaney McKinley, MMA Executive Vice President of Operations. “Manufacturing is a vital, strong and incredibly diverse industry and we look forward to recognizing our 2022 awardees in November.”
The Coolest Thing Made in Michigan competition is part of the annual MFG Excellence Awards, which celebrates the inspiring stories of Michigan’s manufacturing industry, the thousands of unique manufacturing companies across the state, the hundreds of thousands of Michiganders employed in the industry and the local communities that support it. The one-of-a-kind awards program recognizes what makes Michigan manufacturing the best in the world—the leaders and products that push the industry forward.

“It’s a highly coveted prize,” said Jon DeWys, CEO DeWys Manufacturing, the 2022 Michigan Manufacturer of the Year Small Tier Award Winner. “Our team members are what build our culture and the fabric of our organization. This award isn’t about me or anyone else. It’s about all of us. It’s amazing that the MMA recognizes this statewide. We’re very honored to receive this award.”

The Coolest Thing Made in Michigan Award was created to shine a light on the champions of manufacturing, whose home-grown ingenuity has made the state the most diverse manufacturing center in the world. Once a product has been nominated, consumers vote on their favorite product and the winner is determined by the number of votes they have received. Past winners include:

“Being voted as the winner of the 2021 Coolest Thing Made in Michigan was truly an honor,” said Steve Orlando, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Exotic Automation Supply. “We were able to show that we have the engineering and technical resources here in Michigan to compete on an international stage.”
After thousands of votes were cast in two rounds of voting, the Top 3 finalists for the 2022 Coolest Thing in Michigan have been selected by the people of the State of Michigan.

The Top Three Finalists for the 2022 Coolest Thing Made in Michigan finalists are:

• CX5e Electric Minicyle, Cobra Moto (Howell)
• PumpSpy Sump Pump System with Internet Monitoring & Alerts, Raybend (Kalamazoo)
• PW1000 Observatory System, PlaneWave Instruments (Adrian)

Past winners of MMA’s Coolest Thing Made in Michigan Award include Jacquart Fabric Products’ (Ironwood) Original Stormy Kromer Cap, Peninsular Cylinder Company’s (Roseville) Custom Booster Cylinder, Hemlock Semiconductor’s (Hemlock) Ultra-Pure Polysilicon and Exotic Automation & Supply’s (New Hudson) World’s Largest Hydraulic Power Unit.

The winner of the Coolest Thing Made in Michigan will be revealed on November 10 at a gala co-hosted by McKinley and MMA Board of Directors Chair and VP & CFO of PVS Chemicals Jeff Daniel. The prestigious event will also celebrate the winners of the 2022 MFG Excellence Awards and will feature the announcement of winners from the field of finalists announced on September 27.

The 2022 MFG Excellence Award winners are:

• MFG Emerging Leader: Kristen Opperman, Hemlock Semiconductor Operations LLC (Hemlock)
• MFG Lifetime Achievement: Bob Jacquart, Jacquart Fabric Productions, Home of Stormy Kromer (Ironwood)
• John G. Thodis Michigan Manufacturer of the Year, Small Tier: Dave Yancho and Robin McConnell, Armor Protective Packaging (Howell)
• MFG Talent Champion: Steve Heethuis, NN Mobile Solutions (Kentwood)
• MFG Woman of the Year: Terri Datz-Siegel, Hemlock Semiconductor Operations LLC (Hemlock)

The 2022 MFG Excellence Finalists are:

• MFG Community Impact: Armor Protective Packaging (Howell), Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University (Southfield) and Peckham, Inc. (Lansing)
• MFG Innovation Excellence: Armor Protective Packaging (Howell), Interactive Training Systems (Fenton) and SOBRsafe (Shelby Township)
• John G. Thodis Michigan Manufacturer of the Year, Large Tier: Armstrong International (Three Rivers), Brose North America (Auburn Hills) and DUO Form (Edwardsburg)

MMA’s McKinley was joined at the press conference today by Peckham VP of Manufacturing Brett Linton, NN Mobile Solutions Training Director Steve Heethuis, Armor Protective Packaging President Dave Yancho, Armstrong International President of The Americas Patricia Provot, Interactive Training Systems Director of Operations Amy Seymour, Brose Director of Industrial Engineering Joe LaRussa, SOBRsafe Chief Revenue Officer Mike Watson, Cobra MOTO President H. Sean Hilbert, Raybend Product Manager Jeremy Ryan and Planewave Instruments CEO Rick Hedrick.

Celebrating 120 years since its founding, the Michigan Manufacturers Association serves as a unifying champion of an industry that is in constant evolution and growth. MMA represents the most diverse manufacturing center in perhaps the entire world. 

Learn more about MMA and the MFG Excellence Awards at mimfg.org/mfgexcellence. For more information on the MFG Excellence Awards, the “Coolest Thing,” contact MMA’s Delaney McKinley at 517-487-8530 or mckinley@mimfg.org.

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Contact Delaney McKinley

Executive Vice President of Operations
Call 517-487-8530
E-mail mckinley@mimfg.org