Top 8 named in SC Manufacturing Madness contest

Eight South Carolina-made products have advanced to the next round of South Carolina Manufacturers and Commerce‘s annual Manufacturing Madness contest, which invites the public to vote for the “Coolest Thing Made in South Carolina.”

Voting for the Top 8 round is open March 9–12 at scmanufacturingmadness.com, where voters can choose one product from each matchup to advance to the Top 4 round.

The contest, now in its fifth year, began with more than 120 nominated products manufactured in South Carolina, according to a news release from South Carolina Manufacturers and Commerce. More than 75,000 votes were cast during the Top 16 round, held March 2–5, to determine the eight finalists.

“We started with more than 120 nominees for the Coolest Thing Made in SC, and voters from around the world have narrowed the list of finalists to just eight — and we share the excitement of not just the final eight competitors but every company nominated,” said SCMC President and CEO Sara Hazzard in the news release. “The hardworking creators and innovators behind each product represent the very best of our companies and the business community, and we can’t wait to celebrate the ultimate winner of this fifth annual contest.”

Manufacturing Madness is sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and highlights the breadth of products made across the state.

Manufacturing remains a cornerstone of South Carolina’s economy, contributing more than $300 billion annually, supporting about 30% of all jobs statewide and generating one-third of the state’s general fund revenue, the release stated.

The 2026 Top 8 finalists are:

• Constant Velocity Joint — JTEKT, Greenville
• 787 Dreamliner — The Boeing Company, Charleston
• PowerLine Transmission — ZF Gray Court, Laurens
• PFX Flex Sub-Lite-Wall — Zeus, Orangeburg
• CardioEducator — NursEdvance Innovations, Richland
• DWS06+ The American Legend — Continental, Sumter
• Robotic Battery Swapping System — Lion Power, Greenville
• Element TVs — Element Electronics, Fairfield

The four winners from this round will advance to the next stage of the bracket-style competition as voting continues to determine the 2026 winner.

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