SPRINGFIELD – What’s The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois? Voters will soon have their say as the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) Wednesday launched the sixth annual “Makers Madness” contest, a bracket-style tournament to determine the top product manufactured in the state.
Presented by Comcast Business, the competition celebrates the incredible work of manufacturers across Illinois, who have long served as the backbone of our state’s economy. Manufacturing is the largest contributor of any industry to the state’s Gross Domestic Product, supporting nearly a third of all jobs in Illinois and contributing more than $580 billion to the state’s economy each year.
Nominations for The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois are now being accepted at www.makersmadnessil.com, where voting will take place throughout the contest. Any product manufactured in Illinois can be nominated. While qualifying products must be made in Illinois, the manufacturers’ headquarters do not have to be in the state. Nominations will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. on March 2. Voting to narrow the field to the Top 16 products will begin March 4, with consecutive rounds of voting taking place each week. The contest will culminate with an awards ceremony on April 9 at the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield, where The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois 2025 winner will be named.
“Makers Madness showcases the many amazing and unique products created by manufacturers that consumers enjoy throughout Illinois and across the globe,” said Mark Denzler, President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Illinois is a land of innovation and manufacturers are creating groundbreaking products that feed, heal, build and power our communities. We look forward to the friendly competition ahead as manufacturers vie for votes and we shine a spotlight on their incredible work.”
Manufacturers in Illinois produce everything from life-saving therapies and medicines to electric vehicles and components used for space exploration. Our manufacturers keep store shelves stocked with nutritious food and delectable snacks and create sporting equipment used everywhere from neighborhood fields to professional leagues. They build incredible agricultural and road construction equipment, create high-tech gadgets and components used for national defense, as well as produce energy to power our homes and businesses.
“We are thrilled to once again partner with the IMA to support this year’s search for The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois,” said Sean McCarthy, Comcast’s Regional Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Initiatives. “The Makers Madness competition is an incredible celebration of our state’s creativity and ingenuity, and Comcast is proud to help manufacturers thrive by providing state-of-the-art connectivity and technology.”
Last year’s champion was the Komatsu mining truck, a rugged, large capacity vehicle used for construction and mining made by Komatsu in Peoria. Previous contest winners include the Rosenberg Moon Habitat, a 3D printed polymer structure designed to house humans on the moon manufactured by Ingersoll Machine Tools in Rockford; Rivian’s all-electric R1T truck made in Normal, the first all-electric truck in production featuring four motors, with one powering each wheel; the Self-Regulating Traffic Signal Heater by Termico Technologies in Elk Grove Village, which uses conductive particles to heat traffic signals so they remain free of ice and snow and traffic can safely navigate our roadways; and the 797F Mining Truck manufactured by Caterpillar, Inc. in Decatur, the world’s largest mechanical truck.
Timeline of events:
February 12 – March 2: Nominations open and accepted at www.makersmadnessil.com
March 4 – March 16: Nomination voting
March 18: Top 16 Announced
March 18 – March 23: First round of voting
March 25: Top 8 Announced
March 25 – March 30: Second round of voting
April 1: Top 4 Announced
April 1 – April 6: Final round of voting
April 9: Winner of The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois announced during awards luncheon at the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield
About the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA)
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association is the only statewide association dedicated exclusively to advocating, promoting and strengthening the manufacturing sector in Illinois. The IMA is the oldest and largest state manufacturing trade association in the United States, representing nearly 4,000 companies and facilities. For more information, visit https://ima-net.org/.