For Immediate Release – October 3, 2025

Contact:
Brian Otten, Marketing Director
Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce
715-848-5947 | botten@wausauchamber.com

Local product advances to round of 16 in Coolest Thing contest

WAUSAU — Genesis Work Boots by Thorogood has advanced to the round of 16 in the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce’s Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest. This product is made by Weinbrenner Shoe Company in Merrill, a member of the Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce, and was one of more than 100 nominated from around the state.

Voting in the round of 16 is now open and will continue through Tuesday, October 7. Individuals can vote once per device, per day on MadeInWis.com.

The Thorogood product is paired off against the extrication tools produced by TNT Rescue Systems of Hartland.

“For WMC, declaring a winner isn’t the actual goal,” said Kurt R. Bauer, President and CEO of WMC. “The real purpose is to showcase Wisconsin’s thriving manufacturing sector, which accounts for just under 20 percent of the state’s GDP and directly employs 480,000 Wisconsinites, or one in six workers.”

The other products nominated this year from among the Chamber’s membership included:

• Modular Engine Room - Bassett Mechanical, Kaukauna
• Kolbe Windows & Doors Featuring LuxWall Enthermal Glass – Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork, Wausau
• Flexx Modular Floating Dock – Tommy Docks, Weston
• Norfolk Southern Railway Bridge - Veritas Steel LLC, Eau Claire
• Removable Adhesive Vinyl Wallpaper - Wausau Coated Products Inc, Wausau

WMC and Johnson Financial Group have partnered for the tenth time in 2025 to determine the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin. The competition aims to highlight the state’s vibrant manufacturing industry.

# # #

The Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce is the source for business information in the Wausau Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The organization has earned a 5-Star Accreditation, one of only two chambers in the state with that designation. The Chamber strengthens member businesses and enhances the region by building business success. For more information on the Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce, visit us online at www.wausauchamber.com or call 715-845-6231.