INDIANAPOLIS – And then there were eight. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s first-ever Coolest Thing Made in Indiana tournament is hitting the home stretch with the quarterfinalists set. The competitors represent nine communities from around the state.

Wood-Mizer in Indianapolis is in the running for the award. The company makes portable sawmills and other wood machining equipment for various uses including building houses and making baseball bats.

The other "contestants" include:

• Hoosier Bat Co. – wood baseball bats used in Major League Baseball (Valparaiso)
• Hudson Aquatic Systems LLC – underwater treadmills for dogs, horses, and humans (Angola)
• Janus Motorcycles – production motorcycle (Goshen)
• Old 55 Distillery – bottled-in-bond 100% sweet corn bourbon (Newtown)
• Trek Container Pools – shipping container pools (Anderson)
• Wag’n Tails Mobile Conversions – mobile pet grooming salons and veterinary clinics (South Bend)
• Warm Glow Candle Company – candles with “lumpy, bumpy exterior” (Centerville)
   

In the single-elimination bracket, each winner goes to the next round until the Coolest Thing Made in Indiana champion is crowned February 15 at the Indiana Chamber’s Chamber Day Event at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in Indianapolis. The competition started with 65 companies from nearly 50 locations in 35 counties. For fairness, an online randomizer generated the initial matchups.