‘Coolest Thing’ winner crowned; Best Places to Work in Manufacturing ranked
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A racing tire company in Marshall County took top honors in the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s annual Coolest Thing Made in Indiana competition.
The chamber announced the winner during Wednesday’s 2023 Best IN Manufacturing Awards Luncheon, during which the rankings for this year’s Best Places to Work in Manufacturing were also revealed.
Hoosier Racing Tire in Plymouth beat Nashville-based Hard Truth Distilling Co. for the top spot in the Coolest Thing competition, which saw thousands of votes cast in each round of the bracket-style tournament.
The company, founded in 1957 in South Bend by race car driver Bob Newton and his wife, Joyce, is billed as the largest race tire manufacturer in the world and has produced more than 1,000 types of race tires.
“Indiana is fortunate to be home to companies that grow and make all kinds of things,” Chamber President and CEO Kevin Brinegar said in a news release. “We are thrilled to recognize and bring attention to some of the state’s best and most innovative manufacturers. We especially congratulate Hoosier Racing Tire on its well-deserved victory. Besting this elite field of makers is no easy feat.”
Hoosier Racing Tire joins Goshen-based Janus Motorcycles and Leesburg-based Maple Leaf Farms, which won the first two Coolest Thing competitions, respectively.
Meanwhile, the chamber unveiled the ranking for its second-annual Indiana’s Best Places to Work in Manufacturing program.
The 17 companies were announced in October, and Kalenborn Abresist Corp., located in the Wabash County community of Urbana, was revealed Wednesday as the No. 1 company on the list for the second consecutive year.
Kalenborn manufactures custom abrasion and wear resistant linings and coatings used to protect processing equipment such as hydraulic and pneumatic components and pipes handling large quantities of bulk materials.
“Manufacturing workplaces must adhere to various safety and other regulations in addition to being profitable businesses,” Brinegar said. “Kalenborn Abresist was so impressive once again in reclaiming the No. 1 position. The company is clearly treating its employees the right way.”
The companies on the list range in employee count from 32 to nearly 930. This year’s rankings are:
- Kalenborn Abresist Corporation in Urbana
- Warsaw Chemical Holdings in Warsaw
- CrossPoint Polymer Technologies in Evansville
- Nix Companies in Poseyville
- Nexxt Spine LLC in Noblesville
- IBC Materials & Technologies in Lebanon
- Kimball Electronics in Jasper
- High Performance Alloys, Inc. in Tipton
- AMPG in Indianapolis
- POLYWOOD in Syracuse
- Viewrail in Goshen
- Wieland Designs in Goshen
- SMC Corporation of America in Noblesville
- IBC Coatings Technologies in Lebanon
- Functional Devices in Sharpsville
- Joyce/Dayton Corp. in Portland
- DD Dannar in Muncie
Only seven of the 17 companies ranked are repeat honorees this year.