JACKSON – After 30,368 votes on 72 nominated products in the Initial Voting Round of the 2nd annual Mississippi Makers’ Challenge Sponsored by Hancock Whitney, the Mississippi Manufacturers Association is pleased to announce the products advancing to this week’s Round of 16.
The Round of 16 is the beginning of the bracket portion of the competition and voting is now underway at msmakerschallenge.com. Listed below are the matchups:
Quadrant 1
Taylor ZH-360L Heavy Lift Truck (Taylor Machine Works - Louisville) vs. Leak Lock (Highside Chemicals - Gulfport)
Blue Circuit Breaker- the TRUE NON-Greenhouse Gas Circuit Breaker (Siemens Energy - Richland) vs. Carbon Composite Rocket Segments (Northrop Grumman - Iuka)
Quadrant 2
Military and Athletic Whistle (LC Industries – Hazlehurst/Tupelo) vs. MX13 Diesel Engine (PACCAR Engine Company – Columbus)
Avid 21 XB Elite Bass Boat (Avid Boats – Amory) vs. Next Generation Jammer (Raytheon Technologies – Forest)
Quadrant 3
Eco-Friendly Paint & Custom-Built Stencils (World Class Paints – Leland) vs. 5440 Stringer Hammer Hog (Stringer Industries – Tylertown)
Viking 7 Series 48” Dual Fuel Range in Alluvial Blue (Viking Range – Greenwood) vs. 7-Inch Round White Diamond Projector Multi-Color Halo Black Illusion Headlights with Clear Halogen Bulbs (Halo Headlights – Ocean Springs)
Quadrant 4
Reform Ti MIS CT (Precision Spine – Pearl) vs. Huber SC1512 (Keith Huber Corporation – Gulfport)
Chocolate Hazelnut Wafers (Pirouline – Madison) vs. Afloat Water Bed (Kevin Charles Furniture – New Albany)
“We are thrilled at the participation shown by our contestants and by the public in the Initial Voting Round,” said MMA President & CEO John McKay. “The products advancing to the Round of 16 define cool, and we look forward to seeing which products advance to next week’s Round of Eight as we continue our search for the Coolest Thing Made in Mississippi.”
Voting in the Round of 16 concludes Friday at 3 p.m. and voters may cast one vote per matchup per day per device. For a link to the bracket, click here.
Here is an updated contest timeline:
ROUND OF 16
February 27 – March 3
ROUND OF EIGHT
March 6 – March 10
ROUND OF FOUR
March 13 – March 17
WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT
Thursday, March 23 - Mississippi State Capitol
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For more than 70 years, the Mississippi Manufacturers Association has represented the interests of Mississippi’s manufacturers at both the state and national levels. As the Voice of Industry, MMA represents manufacturers in the Mississippi Legislature and U.S. Congress. MMA promotes a strong manufacturing environment within Mississippi and is a central source of information and assistance in industrial management. To learn more about MMA and manufacturing in Mississippi, please visit www.mma-web.org.
Since the late 1800s, Hancock Whitney has embodied core values of Honor & Integrity, Strength & Stability, and Commitment to Service, Teamwork, and Personal Responsibility. Hancock Whitney offices and financial centers in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas offer comprehensive financial products and services, including traditional and online banking; commercial and small business banking; private banking; trust and asset management services; healthcare banking; and mortgage services. The company also operates a loan production office in Nashville, Tennessee. More information is available at http://www.hancockwhitney.com.