Minnsights Blog

Well, guess what? Public voting for the Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota contest opens this coming Monday, August 31. If you’ve been a follower of the podcast, you know this is a fantastic annual program brought to you by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and its Manufacturers’ Council. This part of the contest shifts from nominations to the public vote, giving Minnesotans – you – the chance to choose their favorite products made right here in our great state.

At the start of this series, we set out to discover what happens to plastic containers after they go into the recycling bin. We followed them through Minnesota MRFs and the recyclers that transform them into usable raw materials, and now we're closing the loop by meeting two Minnesota manufacturers that use recycled plastic to make everything from landscape products to jewelry. Avon Plastics in Paynesville and Cool Trash in Minneapolis represent two very different approaches to manufacturing, but both highlight the critical role manufacturers play in the recycling system. By turning recycled plastic into useful products again, these manufacturers illustrate how valuable materials can stay in use longer and help move Minnesota toward a more circular economy.

We’ve had a terrific week at the Chamber, but today I want to reflect for a minute on a recent conference that I attended for state chambers of commerce from across the country. The Association of State Chamber Professionals held its annual conference last week, and I’m so pleased to report that the Minnesota Chamber was honored during the program by the Association made up of our peers with its inaugural Pathfinder Award.

Learn more about this year's class of Leadership Minnesota participants.

The business community should be paying attention now, not waiting until November. The next Legislature will face important questions around taxes, regulation, workforce, energy, health care and the overall cost of doing business in Minnesota. This election is especially important because Minnesota’s economic competitiveness will depend on the policy choices made over the next several years. Businesses need policymakers who understand how those decisions affect employers, employees and communities across the state.