Friday Five: Friday Five: Minnesota manufacturing takes center stage

By Doug Loon
President and CEO
Minnesota Chamber of Commerce

Public voting is now underway for the Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota contest. We have 64 products in this year's first bracket, and the votes have been coming in. Now it's up to you, Minnesotans, to decide which one deserves the title of the Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota.

You know, the great thing about this contest is the amazing variety of products made right here in Minnesota. We're talking about everything from everyday consumer products and food to medical technologies, specialized equipment and advanced manufacturing. All those amazing things made by manufacturers in our state make up a huge part of Minnesota's economy, supporting 315,000 jobs and representing the second largest private sector component of our state's economy. This is a fun way to shine a light on the people and businesses behind that important work.

Now, voting continues through five rounds, with a new group of finalists announced each week. The winner will be announced October 6 at the Minnesota Chamber's 2026 Manufacturers’ Summit.  

Speaking of the Chamber's work in the business community, we are honored to be the recipient of a new award to the Chamber from the National Association of State Chambers. This is the inaugural Pathfinder Award, and it recognizes the extraordinary service to our members and the broader business community. It reflects the Chamber's role in bringing people together to solve problems, in particular during Operation Metro Surge.

You know, more than 60 Minnesota CEOs came together to call for deescalation, and we're proud of our work to help bring forward a solution and stepping up during this important and difficult time for our state.

We're grateful that this work has been recognized nationally by our peers from the National Association of State Chambers, but the real credit goes to the Minnesota business leaders who were willing to step forward and make their voices heard.

Finally, we had a very special segment on this week's podcast. I'm sat down with WSB's CEO, Bret Weiss, to talk about what Minnesota needs to do to grow and remain competitive into the future. Bret had a fabulous piece that ran recently in Twin Cities Business, and it highlights the importance of Minnesota's success.  

Thanks for being with us. I look forward to catching up with you next week’s episode of the Minnesota Business Podcast. Have a great weekend!