Neenah-based Plexus, an electronics engineering, manufacturing and aftermarket services provider, is the winner of this year’s Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest.
The company’s Bevi Bottleless Water Dispenser won the majority of the more than 187,000 votes cast in this year’s contest.
The Bevi Bottleless Water Dispenser is a smart water dispenser that offers on-demand filtered, flavored and sparkling water with the goal of eliminating the use of plastic bottles. Users have saved over 400 million single-use plastic bottles to date, according to Plexus.
“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,” said Todd Kelsey, chief executive officer of Plexus. “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.”
Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce and Johnson Financial Group have partnered for eight years to host the statewide contest. More than 100 products were nominated for the contest this year, representing dozens of manufacturing sub-sectors and each corner of the state. After an initial popular vote round and a bracket-style tournament known as “Manufacturing Madness,” four finalists competed for the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin trophy.
“The Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest continues to showcase the best of Wisconsin manufacturing,” said WMC president and 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.”
