Dalen owl flies into state ‘Coolest Thing’ final four
Dalen Products, located at 700 Dalen Lane, off Gilbert Drive, is one of the top four finalists in the competition for its scare owl.
Others in the final four are INIFINITI QX65 from the Nissan Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant in Smyrna, a superconducting magnet from Crymagnetics Inc. in Oak Ridge and Tennemo Rice from Tennemo Rice Family Farm and Mill in Dyersburg.
“We’re incredibly proud,” Dalen president Bob Teska, CPA said. “Dalen is a 50-year-old Knoxville company that most people have probably never heard of, but there’s a pretty good chance they’ve seen our owl.
“To see this little product that has quietly represented Dalen for five decades make the Final Four is pretty special,” he said. “We’re definitely the underdog, but at this point, we might as well go win the thing.
Teska said the owl was introduced in 1984 and “has become our most iconic and recognizable product.
“Since then, we’ve sold more than 9.3 million of them,” he added. “If you’ve ever seen an owl sitting on someone’s roof, dock, garden or fence post, there’s a pretty good chance it was ours.”
Making the final four “means a lot to us, especially to our employees,” Teska said. “We’re a small company of about 40 people, and many of the people who make and ship that owl every day have been with Dalen for over 20 years.
“To have something they make right here in Knoxville recognized alongside products from some of the biggest manufacturers in Tennessee gives everyone a real sense of pride,” he said. “It’s also been a lot of fun. The whole company has gotten behind it.
Teska said Dalen’s production is seasonal, but it typically produces about 300,000 owls per year “with production ramping up significantly as we prepare for the spring gardening season.”
Dalen Products is a third-generation, family-owned company, which has been manufacturing gardening and garden-protection products in Knoxville for 50 years. “Today, about 85% of what we sell is manufactured or sourced in the United States, and our products are sold through major retailers across the country,” Teska said. “My role is basically to oversee the business and make sure this 50-year-old company is positioned to be around for the next 50.
“We’d love to bring this one home for Knoxville,” he said. “We’re up against some impressive companies and products, and we know we’re the underdog, but we’ve got a 42-year-old owl, about 40 employees and a lot of people rooting for us.
“If East Tennessee gets behind us and votes — and gets their friends to vote — I like our chances,” Teska said. “The four finalists showcase the range of products being made across Tennessee, from advanced technology and automotive manufacturing to consumer products and agriculture,” a TCCI press release stated. “The group includes manufacturers from East, Middle and West Tennessee, representing all three Grand Divisions. Over the course of the competition, more than 50,000 votes have been cast.
“This year’s Top 4 demonstrate the incredible diversity of products being made right here in Tennessee,” stated Josh Brown, president/CEO of the TCCI. “Each finalist represents a different part of our state and a different story about the people, innovation and manufacturing expertise behind Tennessee-made products. We look forward to seeing which one Tennesseans select as this year’s Coolest Thing Made in Tennessee.”
Final voting began Wednesday, Sept. 9, and continued through 8 p.m, CT, Thursday, Sept. 24. Tennesseans could vote once per day for their favorite finalist at coolestthingmadeintn.com.
The 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Tennessee was announced Wednesday, Sept. 30, at the Tennessee Chamber’s Manufacturing Excellence Luncheon & Expo 9 a.m. in Lebanon, Tennessee. Tickets were available for purchase on the Tennessee Chamber website at https://tnchamber.chambermaster.com/events/details/manufacturing-excellence-luncheon-expo-september-30-2026-lebanon-tn-3129.
