They made it all the way to the final four candidates – but the Action Trackchair won’t be bringing home the title of “Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota” this year.

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce announced that 3M’s Scotch tape won the first “Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota” contest. The winner of the contest was revealed during the 2024 Manufacturer’s Summit, a gathering of Minnesota manufacturing industry leaders.

“We are bummed we aren’t bringing the inaugural ‘Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota’ award back to Marshall, but extremely grateful to be a finalist,” said Adam Henning, marketing manager at Action Manufacturing in Marshall.

Henning said he, Matt Bottelberghe, Tim Wing, Tim and Donna Swenson, and Brad Gruhot represented Action Trackchair at the awards banquet for the competition on Tuesday. The event included a keynote speech by former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, and discussion from manufacturing leaders around the state.

“Minnesota is a state of innovation that has brought many remarkable and life changing products to market,” said Doug Loon,pPresident and CEO of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. “The products in this year’s contest truly represent the best of what our state has to offer.”

“This contest is not just about recognizing great products made in our state but also about showcasing the diverse and innovative spirit of Minnesota’s manufacturing sector,” said Loon.

A total of 64 Minnesota-made products, including Action Manufacturing’s all-terrain wheelchair, were selected for the “Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota” contest earlier this fall. Each week, members of the public could vote for their favorites in a March Madness-style bracket.

On its way to the final round of the contest, the Action Trackchair won out over medical devices, a medication for Crohn’s disease, and Fruity Pebbles cereal.

“The contest is a fantastic way to celebrate manufacturing here in our home state and we are humbled to be a part of a strong group of innovators,” Henning said. “We extend our heartfelt thanks to all that voted for us, including our local Marshall Chamber Director Brad Gruhot and his team for rallying support from our local business community.”

“Many nominees, business leaders, and Minnesota Chamber of Commerce team members introduced themselves to our team and expressed how impressed they were with the Action Trackchair and the level of support we garnered,” Henning said.

Action Manufacturing hopes to come back with that strong support in future contests, Henning said.

“We are excited to continue our mission of enabling possible and making the world more accessible for everyone.  We are hoping to be crowned champions next year,” he said.