5 weird products you didn’t know were made in Wisconsin

Tom Giffey |

Hey check out that Wisco-made potty back there!
Hey check out that Wisco-made potty back there!

1. Peanut Butter Cup ... Wrappers

There may be no wrong way to eat a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, but there’s only one right way to wrap one: in honest-to-goodness Wisconsin-made paper. Every single brown wrapper cup thingie used by Reese’s is made in our state.

2. Carmex

Chapped lips? Cold sores? Look no farther than the Milwaukee suburb of Franklin, home of Carma Labs, maker of the legendary lip remedy in the little yellow-capped jar. Countless cold sores have been eradicated by a product made here in Wisconsin.

3. Shrinky Dinks

Yep, Shrinky Dinks. These shrinkable plastic creations are the brainchild of two Waukesha County women, one of whom was looking for a Cub Scout craft project in 1973. Forty years later, these oven-enabled craft kits are still a popular classic.

4. Smoke Juice

E-cigarettes feed the cravings of smokers who want to – or have to – do without the actual smoke. If you’ve puffed on one of these high-tech nicotine delivery devices, there’s a chance the atomized shot of smoke-flavored liquid you inhaled was made by Johnson Creek Enterprises, which is based in Hartland.

5. The World's Most Awesome Toilet

You probably knew that Kohler, a major maker of faucets, toilets, and other plumbing fixtures, is based in Wisconsin. But you may not have known that Kohler makes the most amazing toilet on the market. The Numi (above) is motion-activated, has a heated seat, plays music and speaks 10 languages. And it’s no exaggeration to call it a throne: It costs $6,400.