--- title: "Jacoby Custom Cues Reaches Top 8 in Wisconsin Manufacturing Contest" url: https://sports23.net/jacoby-custom-cues-reaches-top-8-in-wisconsin-manufacturing-contest published: 2026-10-21T10:57:41Z updated: 2026-10-21T10:57:41Z summary: "Jacoby Custom Cues reached the Top 8 in Wisconsin's 2026 manufacturing contest but did not advance to the final four field." author: "Sports23 Desk" categories: ["News"] tags: ["American cuemakers", "Jacoby Custom Cues", "Wisconsin manufacturing", "cue craftsmanship", "custom pool cues"] lang: en --- # Jacoby Custom Cues Reaches Top 8 in Wisconsin Manufacturing Contest *The Nekoosa cue maker advanced from more than 100 nominees before its run ended ahead of the final public voting round.* Jacoby Custom Cues reached the Top 8 of the 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest, placing handcrafted pool cues alongside products from the heavy equipment, machinery, glass, food and defense industries. The Nekoosa cue maker did not advance to the final four, but its run from a field of more than 100 nominated products gave Wisconsin-made custom cues a prominent statewide manufacturing spotlight. ## What did Jacoby Custom Cues achieve? Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce and BMO announced the Top 8 on October 7 after a head-to-head round in the contest's Manufacturing Madness bracket. Jacoby's entry, listed as “Custom Pool Cues,” advanced as the No. 12 seed. The eight remaining products represented a broad cross-section of Wisconsin manufacturing. The field included an electric rope shovel, a zero-turn mower, smart privacy glass, candy bars, vertical turning centers, printed wall protection and a small-arms fire-control system alongside Jacoby's cues. That contrast is part of what makes the result notable. A custom pool cue is smaller in scale than most industrial entries, but it still demands material selection, machining, finishing, assembly and detailed decorative work. Reaching the Top 8 placed that specialized craft inside a much wider conversation about products made in Wisconsin. ## Why did the contest recognize Jacoby's cues? The official contest profile centers on the company's combination of local manufacturing and cue artistry. It identifies Jacoby as a family-owned business that has handcrafted cues in Nekoosa since 1982, with each cue built from start to finish in the Wisconsin community. The entry also points to hardwood selection, premium materials and the ability to produce both fully customized orders and production cues. Those qualities fit the contest's focus on Wisconsin-made products while distinguishing Jacoby from mass-market sporting goods brands. ![Jacoby Custom Cues logo featured in the official contest profile](media:f4e1c6889f1fa43d) ## How deep are Jacoby's Wisconsin roots? Jacoby's official company history says the business began in 1982 as Dave's Cue Service. David Jacoby and his son Shane initially repaired cues in the basement of their home before moving into cue construction. The company later expanded, built a shop in 1992 and eventually established its operation in downtown Nekoosa. The company states that all work takes place in Nekoosa from beginning to end. Brandon Jacoby now manages the day-to-day shop operation, continuing a family business that grew from repair work into custom and production cue manufacturing. Jacoby also accepts individualized builds based on customer specifications. The company's own examples include choices in woods, veneers, wraps, inlays, rings and engraving. That custom capability helps explain why the contest entry was presented as a manufacturing product rather than simply a retail billiards item. ## Did Jacoby advance to the final four? No. WMC announced the four finalists on October 14, and Jacoby Custom Cues was not among them. The products that advanced were Komatsu's 4800XPC Electric Rope Shovel, AriensCo's Gravely ZT HD STEALTH 60, Cardinal IG's CliC Smart Privacy Glass and Vortex's M157 Small Arms Fire Control. Jacoby should therefore be described as a Top 8 participant, not a finalist. The Top 4 entered the final public voting round, with the overall winner scheduled to be named at WMC's Business Day event on October 27. ## What does the Top 8 result mean for custom cuemaking? The result gives custom cuemaking visibility beyond the billiards market. It shows that a cue can be presented not only as sports equipment or collectible artwork, but also as a locally manufactured product shaped by specialized skills and a long-running workshop tradition. The contest is based on public voting, so the Top 8 placement should not be treated as an independent technical review of cue performance. It is better understood as recognition of public interest in the product and the story behind its Wisconsin production. For Jacoby, the distinction is still meaningful. A company that began with basement cue repairs more than four decades ago advanced through a statewide bracket containing over 100 nominees. Even without a place in the final four, Jacoby's run gave American custom cues a rare position on a broad manufacturing stage.