Two-month-long contest to select the ‘Coolest Thing Made In South Carolina’
The South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (SCMA) is set to launch this year’s Manufacturing Madness presented by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. Manufacturing Madness is a bracket-style contest that will engage the public to select the “Coolest Thing Made in South Carolina.”
Last year, more than 175 different products were nominated and over 113,000 votes were cast in the contest that eventually awarded Nucor Steel Berkeley’s product, steel, the title of the “Coolest Thing Made in South Carolina.”
Nominations open on February 13th at www.scmanufacturingmadness.com and will close on February 23rd. There will be several rounds of voting to narrow down products until one is chosen as the winner.
2023 Contest Timeline
Feb. 13-Feb. 23: Nominations period
Feb. 27-March 2: Popular vote
March 6-9: First round of bracket voting for Top 16
March 13-16: Second round of bracket voting for Top 8
March 20-23: Final round of bracket voting
March 29: Winner announced at the Statehouse
Any product manufactured in South Carolina can be nominated. While qualifying products must be made in South Carolina, the manufacturers’ headquarters do not need to be located in South Carolina. The product must be made using a manufacturing process. For example, a restaurant that makes “made to order” pizzas would not qualify but a food manufacturer that mass-produces frozen pizzas would. A company can have multiple products nominated for Manufacturing Madness but only one product per company will be allowed into the First Round (Top 16 products).
“When we launched Manufacturing Madness last year, we hoped it would shine a light on the companies that make some of the world’s most important and innovative products right here in South Carolina,” said Sara Hazzard, President and CEO of SCMA. “Last year’s contest not only did that, but the more than 113,000 votes cast demonstrated the pride and passion people have for our state’s manufacturing industry. We are looking forward to this year’s contest and in using this platform to again promote the industry and spotlight some of the more than 5,000 manufacturing facilities who call South Carolina home.”
South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance
The South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance is the only statewide organization dedicated exclusively to the interests of manufacturers. Its mission is to strengthen and advance South Carolina manufacturing by advocating for our members, fostering a world-class workforce, and bringing together manufacturers to connect, share, and solve industry challenges. The SCMA membership is comprised of more than 200 manufacturing companies that represent more than 100,000 associates in South Carolina.
James A. Richter
Director of Workforce Development & Member Relations
South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance
1340 Bull Street | Columbia, SC 29201
(O) 803.799.9695 (C) 803.528.1288
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