About

The Coolest Thing Made in Idaho contest exists to encourage and promote the fun things manufactured in the state of Idaho during October, Idaho’s designated Manufacturing Month.

The contest consists of a nomination period when ANYONE can nominate a product that is manufactured in Idaho. We know that there are many categories within the broad manufacturing industry. Innovation can happen anywhere and with anything! We are excited to see what cool things are manufactured in Idaho across these categories…

  • Medical Manufacturing
  • Aerospace Manufacturing
  • Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing
  • Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
  • Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing
  • Recreation Equipment
  • Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing
  • Machinery Manufacturing
  • Metal Manufacturing
  • Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing
  • Plastic and Rubber Product Manufacturing
  • Chemical Manufacturing
  • Petroleum and Coal Product Manufacturing
  • Paper and Printing Manufacturing
  • Wood Product Manufacturing
  • Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing
  • Textile Mills
  • Beverage Products
  • Food Manufacturing

If you know of a cool product manufactured in Idaho, in one of the categories above, nominate them today! You can find the complete rules of the contest here. If you do not see your product category listed above, please reach out at coolestthing@idmfg.org.

Here are a few more fun facts you should know about Idaho manufacturing…

Idaho Commerce reports that manufacturers make up 6% of the state’s total workforce and $9.7 billion of the state’s GDP – producing items in a variety of sectors including food, electronics, transportation, medical equipment, machining, and more. For every dollar spent in manufacturing – $1.45 is put back into the US Economy. Now more than ever, it’s important that we invest in this crucial piece of our laborforce.

Manufacturers are already looking to recruit the next generation of workers. In Idaho, manufacturing jobs have about 40% higher compensation than other industries, averaging $78,926 per year. These employers also boast tons of benefits, giving potential hires plenty of opportunities and incentives to join one of the fastest growing sectors of our state.

We want to know what YOU think the Coolest Thing Made in Idaho is!