And just like that, the Weed Dragon Flamethrower is out. La Crosse-based Flame Engineering, Inc was one of the finalists for the Kansas Manufacturing Council's 2022 Coolest Thing Made in Kansas contest. The council has announced the final eight products for the People's Choice tournament, and the Weed Dragon was not included.
Voting will go to a head-to-head format that pits Moundridge's zero-turn riding lawnmower from The Grasshopper Company against Wichita's hand-crafted artisanal chocolates made by Cocoa Dolce. Other finalists include Custom Curb Rollers made in Fairview, Peanut M&Ms made in Topeka, SawHaul Carrier based in Chanute, the Terramac Crawler out of Topeka, Heirloom Lockers made in Jetmore, and the Conquistador Wheel Corral manufactured in Montezuma.
Kansans cast nearly 21,000 votes during the first round of tournament voting that concluded Sunday.
Kansans can vote in the second round of the People's Choice tournament until 5 pm, Sunday, Oct. 2. The four match-up winners in the second round will then compete for the most votes in the final round of the tournament.
This year's Coolest Thing Made in Kansas competition also includes the Coolest Innovation category. The KMC announced the four finalists for the new category last Friday.
The winners of both contests will be announced on Wednesday, Oct. 13 during the 2022 Kansas Manufacturing Summit at the Kansas Star Casino and Event Center. The 16 manufacturers featured in the tournament are invited to display their products during the Coolest Celebration Reception the night before the summit.
CLICK HERE to vote.