Domtar and Eastman Move Forward in the ‘Coolest Thing Made in Tennessee’ Contest
In a recent state competition, three products originating from Northeast Tennessee have made it to the Top 8 in the “Coolest Thing Made in Tennessee” contest. Two of these innovations are from Kingsport — Domtar’s 100% Recycled Containerboard Grade Paper and Eastman’s renewably-sourced Tritan Renew.
The contest is sponsored by the Tennessee Chamber and Tennessee Manufacturers Association, in collaboration with the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services, Chattanooga Regional Manufacturers Association, and Smart Factory Institute Tennessee.
Massive Participation
With over 100 submissions coming from different sectors of Tennessee’s vibrant business community, the contest has brought significant attention to the state’s industry. During the first two phases of the competition, around 33,000 votes were cast.
Bradley Jackson, President & CEO of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry/Tennessee Manufacturers Association noted, “We are one month away from crowning our winner and have seen tremendous engagement from across the state. I’d encourage every Tennessean to continue to vote daily as the contest approaches its climax.”
Top 8 Innovations
The innovations that made it to the Top 8 include:
- Domtar, 100% Recycled Containerboard Grade Paper (Kingsport, Sullivan County)
- Eastman, Eastman Tritan™ Renew (Kingsport, Sullivan County)
- American Paper Optics, Eclipse Glasses (Bartlett, Shelby County)
- Blank Beauty, Huey (Collierville, Shelby County)
- DENSO, Phone As A Key (Maryville, Blount County)
- Nissan, Rogue (Smyrna, Rutherford County)
- Volvo Penta Marine Products, Twin Forward Drive (Lexington, Henderson County)
- John Deere, Z370r Electric Zero Turn Mower (Greeneville, Greene County)
Important Dates
Voting for the Top 8 will continue until July 2. Then the Top 4 will be declared on July 8, with the final round of voting beginning on July 9 and ending on July 24. The winner will be revealed on July 25 at The Coolest Thing Made in Tennessee lunch and the Smart Solutions for Smart Factories Expo at The Commons at PIE Innovation Center, Cleveland, Tennessee.
To cast your vote or for more information, visit https://coolestthingmadeintn.com/ .
