BY: CINDY GONZALEZ – OCTOBER 29, 2024
Nebraska Examiner Press Release
OMAHA — A center pivot irrigation machine washed out toilet paper to be named Tuesday as the 2024 “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska.”
The winner of the third annual competition — created to bring awareness and excitement to the state’s No. 2 industry, manufacturing — was announced during the Nebraska Manufacturing Summit in La Vista.
Tens of thousands of votes were cast during the bracket-style tournament that kicked off in mid-September, according to the organizer, the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The Valley Center Pivot by Valley Irrigation emerged as champion following several public voting rounds starting with 16 products.
Runner-up was toilet paper produced by Omaha-based Outlook Nebraska, which, according to its website, is the largest employer of the blind and visually impaired in Nebraska and a seven-state region.
Matt Ondrejko, senior vice president of product excellence and commercialization at Valley Irrigation, which is a Valmont company, accepted the award during the conference.
He called it a testament to “all the work, innovation, and dedication that our team pours into every single pivot.”
According to the company, its center pivots have “revolutionized global agriculture.” Used in more than 90 countries, they conserve water, improve crop yields and use cutting-edge technology such as remote management.
“It’s not just a piece of machinery, it’s a symbol of Nebraska ingenuity,” Ondrejko said of the center pivot. “Together we’re proving that the Heartland isn’t just where food grows, it’s where world-changing ideas take root.”
The 16 products that started off the tournament were selected from an original pool of about 65 entries. A Leadership Nebraska alumni group of statewide business and nonprofit representatives narrowed that field of nominees. Then the public vote took over for future rounds.
The summit marked a highlight of Manufacturing Month in Nebraska. State officials said Nebraska’s manufacturing job count, about 109,000, has hit its highest point in more than 20 years since 2001.
They said the manufacturing industry is second to agriculture in the state and contributes $21.6 billion to Nebraska’s annual gross domestic product, a 57% increase from five years ago.
