Portable Generator from Peosta Named ‘Coolest Thing Made in Iowa’
The Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) announced the winner of the 2026 "Coolest Thing Made in Iowa" contest, and the top prize went to a local Tri-State business.
Some background: the "Coolest Thing Made in Iowa" is a contest featuring 69 nominees on which individuals can vote. The contest is sponsored by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) and Nicolet National Bank. The assortment of items on this list is both hilarious and informative, for there's a good number of products I had no idea were made in Iowa. The list even gives respect to the company/town that makes said products. Some of the nominees include:
READ MORE: What is the Coolest Thing Made in Iowa?
- Blue Bunny Mini Swirl Novelties (Wells Enterprises, Le Mars)
- Gushers (General Mills, Cedar Rapids)
- KLIMB (Blue-9 Pet Products, Maquoketa)
- Regular Paring Knife (Rada Cutlery, Waverly)
- The Moose Fireplace Grill (The Moose Fireplace Grill, LLC, Red Oak)
Dubuque's contribution to the list was SPAM, specifically the maple-flavored variety, which is made by Hormel Foods, located on Chavenelle Court.
The Winner of the 2026 "Coolest Thing Made in Iowa" Contest:
After several rounds of voting, the winner was announced this week. The winner of the 2026 iteration of the contest is Mi-T-M in Peosta, specifically for their ePowerStation. The ePowerStation is a portable, silent, emission-free power source generator that is capable of delivering up to 6,000 watts of continuous output, per KCRG.
Mi-T-M's ePowerStation can be used indoors and outdoors, and has been used for jobsites, various events, food trucks, and more, all while eliminating fuel costs and noise:
We’re incredibly honored to have the ePowerStation named the 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Iowa. As an employee-owned company based in Iowa, this recognition reflects the hard work, creativity and dedication of our team and our commitment to innovative solutions that meet our customers’ changing needs - Mi-T-M President and CEO Rick Stanley, per KCRG
ABI confirmed that 51 Iowa cities nominated a total of 68 products this year. The bracket-style contest goes through several rounds of public voting, which narrows the competitive field down to four finalists.
Previous Contest Winners:
Here's a look at the previous winners in the Coolest Thing Made in Iowa contest:
- 2024: ZR5-1200 self-propelled baler (Pella's Vermeer Corp)
- 2025: CP770 Cotton Picker (John Deere, Ankeny)
For what it's worth, a winning company is not eligible to compete in the follow year. In 2025, Iowans nominated 69 products, and saw more than 93,000 votes cast, per The Des Moines Register.
The Purpose of the Contest:
The Iowa Association of Business and Industry conducts this contest as a way to spotlight how Iowa is a hub of manufacturing and cutting-edge inventions. It's not just machinery, however. Maple-Flavored Spam, Thelma's Ice Cream Sandwiches, and Winnebago campers have been nominated in years past.
Furthermore, the structure of the contest is germane to that of March Madness, which consumes so much of the media space this time of year. Read more about the Coolest Thing Made in Iowa contest on its official website.