SBJ unveils the 2026 Coolest Things Made in Missouri

Sixteen products manufactured in Missouri were selected for inclusion in Springfield Business Journal’s Coolest Things Made in Missouri awards.

The 2026 statewide awards represent an expansion of the program started by SBJ in 2022 to celebrate manufacturing in southwest Missouri.

An independent panel of judges from across the state evaluated the nominations based on the uniqueness and impact of their products.

The 2026 companies, products and manufacturing locations follow:

• ABEC Inc., custom single-run bioreactor (Springfield)
• American Products, AP-DATA data center enclosure (Strafford)
• Askinosie Chocolate LLC, 72% Mababu, Tanzania Dark Chocolate Bar (Springfield)
• Brewer Science Inc., antireflective coatings (Rolla)
• Brunswick Corp., Lowe Boats Roughneck Pathfinder (Lebanon)
• Cardinal Scale Manufacturing Co., Armor truck scales (Webb City)
• Cooper Gear and Manufacturing Inc., precision gears (Anderson)
• Gray Manufacturing Co. Inc., wireless portable lift system (St. Joseph)
• Hammons Products Co., black walnuts (Stockton)
• I.V. House Inc., UltraDome and TLC Splints (St. Louis)
• Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp. USA, Kawasaki EVO series engines (Maryville)
• Morris Packaging LLC, sustainable and flexible packaging (Jefferson City)
• Orscheln Products LLC, fluid level indicators (Moberly)
• ReNuTeq Holdings LLC, structural engineered bamboo (St. Charles)
• Vroom Solar MO Inc., Vroom Solar 3000 (Springfield)
• Watson Metal Masters, stainless steel process tanks (Springfield)

The finalists reflect the diversity of Missouri’s manufacturing community. Statewide, there are more than 7,600 manufacturing businesses employing more than 282,000 people with $19.1 billion in annual payroll for the industry, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.

The Showcase Award, selected by event attendees, will be determined at an awards ceremony on Feb. 23, which will be held in conjunction with the Midwest Manufacturers Trade Show & Conference hosted by the Missouri Association of Manufacturers. The judges’ panels Top Honors award will also be announced live at the event.

A magazine produced by SBJ featuring stories on the products will be released in January and available on SBJ.net.