When Adams & Son, Inc. of Sodus pivoted during the pandemic from their heating and cooling business to begin manufacturing personal protection equipment for COVID protection, little did they know that their creation of sanitizer stands and PPE stations would earn them a slot among the Michigan Manufacturers Association’s “Coolest Thing Made in Michigan” competition. 
Adams & Son shifted their focus from HVAC operations to the manufacture of PPE stations that hold boxes of gloves, masks and hand sanitizer and free standing hand sanitizer stands that hold a sanitizer dispenser for placement in private and public offices and other places, and were even recognized by Congressman Fred Upton for their work in that realm this summer.
They are among more than two dozen manufacturers who have made it into Round 1 of the competition which begins next Monday, October 12th of the “Coolest Thing Made in Michigan,” which is a part of the Michigan Manufacturer’s Association’s annual recognition of the exceptional products made across the state of Michigan.
A total of 27 Michigan-made products from around the state are vying for the coveted title in the 2020 People’s Choice Award competition.
The “Coolest Thing Made in Michigan” is part of the MMA’s MFG Excellence Awards program which celebrates the contributions manufacturers make to Michigan’s economy and local communities. Nominations for the MFG Excellence Awards, including the “Coolest Thing” were open over the course of the summer.
In Round 1, open from next Monday, October 12th, through Friday, October 23rd, anyone can vote daily for up to four products at the link: http://coolestthing.mimfg.org. Those votes determine which products make it into the Top Ten in Round 2. The winner of the “Coolest Thing Made in Michigan” will be announced during the virtual MFG Excellence Awards event in January.
The 2020 “Coolest Thing Made in Michigan” nominees are:
- Sanitizer Stand & PPE Station — ADAMS & Son, Inc., Sodus
- Airotrust — Airotrust LLC, Livonia
- Touch Free Hand Sanitizer Dispenser — American Grower Resource, Marne
- Antimicrobial Touch Free Door Opener — American Grower Resource, Marne
- Waketoon — Avalon and Tahoe, Alma
- Metal Disintegrators — Electro Arc, Dexter
- Golf Ball Tender — Golf Ball Tender, Holland
- Sanctuary Aromatherapy Spray Mist — Healing Vibrations, Ann Arbor
- Ultra-Pure Polysilicon — Hemlock Semiconductor, Hemlock
- Ice Cream — Hudsonville, Holland
- GO OutdoorTable — Landscape Forms, Lansing
- Powered Lifting Hand Truck — Magliner, Standish
- Multi-tool — Michigan Drill, Troy
- Downcomer Duct — Moran Iron Works, Onaway
- Kayak Express — Moran Iron Works, Onaway
- 6400XT Wood Hog Horizontal Grinder — Morbark, Winn
- MOD-IRONS — More Golf, Detroit
- Orion Modular Hunting Blind and Stand — Orion Hunting Products, Iron Mountain
- Human Hoist — Personal Positioning Technologies, LLC., Bay City
- Puppy Warmer — Puppy Warmer, Richland
- Solid Cologne — Samson’s Haircare, Kalamazoo
- Shaggy’s Copper Country Skis — Shaggy’s Copper Country Skis, Boyne City
- SPOT 8MP Deep Cooled Scientific Camera — SPOT Imaging Solutions, Sterling Heights
- SuperMag88 — Multi-tool, Livonia
- TheEcoDryer — TheEcoDryer, Portage
- Classic Modern Day Powerboat — Thoroughbred Boat Company, Manistee
- TrainingMask — TrainingMask, Cadillac
You can learn more about MMA and the MFG Excellence Awards at http://mimfg.org.
For nearly 120 years, the MMA has been serving Michigan manufacturers and related industries by providing effective representation at Michigan’s Capitol, timely educational seminars, quality and competitive-rate insurance programs, informational e-newsletters and a monthly magazine.
