Cindy Gonzalez
OMAHA — A wheelchair that can move through tough terrain has been crowned “The “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska.”
Made by Rocket Mobility of Columbus, the All-Terrain Tracked Wheelchair garnered the most votes in the final round of the 2023 contest coordinated by the Nebraska Manufacturing Alliance and Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The wheelchair was proclaimed the winner Tuesday during the annual Manufacturing Summit in La Vista.
The competition, which aims to draw attention to the state’s manufacturing industry, began with about 60 nominations, which then were whittled to 16 finalists in a bracket-style tournament.
In the end, the champion defeated a drone-based firefighting system by Drone Amplified of Lincoln.
According to its maker, the winning wheelchair can help disabled hunters, veterans, farmers and anyone with mobility issues “to reclaim their off-road independence.” The product has a lower center of gravity that allows it to handle rough terrains.
To be eligible, products had to be made locally. This year’s contenders hailed from Nebraska towns as tiny as Snyder and Endicott to the more populous Capital City of Lincoln.
In all, the five rounds of the competition drew about 50,000 votes, organizers said.
“This contest really puts the creativity, ingenuity, inventions and entrepreneurship of Nebraska manufacturers on display,” said Mike Johnson, chief operating officer of manufacturing for the Nebraska chamber.
His hope is that it helps inspire youths to check out manufacturing careers.
“It’s always so exciting to see what products compete because it shows how diverse Nebraska’s manufacturing industry is and all of the incredible options it offers,” said Nicole Sedlacek, Nebraska Public Power District economic development manager. NPPD was a partner in the contest.
Last year’s winner was a new technology subway car made in the Lincoln plant of Kawasaki Motors. The R211 subway car, which can be found running on tracks in New York City, topped a field that started out at about 50 products.
Manufacturing, according to the Nebraska Manufacturing Alliance, accounts for nearly 12% of the state’s total economic output, employing nearly 10% of the state’s population. Average annual compensation exceeds $66,000.