The Henry Repeating Arms Big Boy All-Weather Rifle won the fourth annual “Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin” contest presented by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and Johnson Financial Group.
Henry Repeating Arms is based in New Jersey, but it makes the Big Boy All-Weather Rifle in Rice Lake, Wisconsin.
The contest was based on more than 240,000 votes cast online. An initial pool of nominees was first cut to a field of 16. Products then competed head-to-head in a bracket style competition.
The Big Boy was the top seed entering the bracket competition and defeated the Worzalla “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” children’s book series and Tapped Maple Syrup’s infused maple syrup to reach the final four.
In the final, the rifle beat out MEC Outdoors’ 400 Defender clay target machine, custom specialty vehicles from LDV Inc. and the Mercury Racing 450R outboard motor.
More than 30,000 votes were cast in the final round alone.
“The Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest is meant to showcase the top industry in our state and all the cool things we make here every single day,” said WMC President & CEO Kurt Bauer. “Not only do we make cool things in Wisconsin, the careers available in manufacturing are pretty cool, too. As we celebrate manufacturing month this October, it is important to recognize the nearly 500,000 Wisconsinites who make not only the coolest things in our state, but in my opinion, around the globe.”
Past winners of the contest have included Uncle Mike’s Sea Salt Caramel Pecan Kringle, Oshkosh Corporation’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and Harley Davidson’s Milwaukee Eight Engine.
