SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) today launched the 2026 “Makers Madness” contest, a bracket-style tournament that lets voters choose what locally-made product should be crowned The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois.
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. 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 located in the state. Nominations will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. on March 8. Voting to narrow the field to the Top 16 products will begin March 10, with consecutive bracket rounds of voting taking place each week. The contest will culminate with an awards ceremony on April 15 at the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield, where The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois for 2026 will be named.
“Makers Madness spotlights the wide array of products made by manufacturers across Illinois, celebrating the innovation, ingenuity and dedication that sets the industry apart,” said Mark Denzler, President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “The women and men on shop floors across Illinois produce life-saving medicines, food that helps feed the world and household goods we rely on every day. Their work powers our communities, and our economy. We look forward to seeing which unique products capture the attention of voters this year.”
Manufacturing is the largest contributor of any industry to the state’s Gross Domestic Product. The industry generates more than $580 billion in economic investment each year, directly employing 662,298 workers and supporting as many as 1,771,928 jobs – nearly a third of all jobs in Illinois. Illinois manufacturers produce everything from life-saving therapies and electric vehicles to components used for space exploration. Our manufacturers keep store shelves stocked with nutritious food and 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’re thrilled once again to partner with the IMA as the search for The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois enters its seventh year,” said Sean McCarthy, Comcast’s Regional Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Initiatives. “Makers Madness continues to highlight the breadth, creativity, and world-class innovation of manufacturers across the state. We’re proud to celebrate the remarkable products made in Illinois and to support the industry with the state-of-the-art connectivity and technology that help power its continued growth.”
Last year’s champion was the Aerial Firefighting Helicopter Refill Pump, a pump that provides rapid and reliable water access for aerial firefighting teams, made by MTH pumps in Plano. Previous contest winners include the Komatsu mining truck made by Komatsu in Peoria; the Rosenberg Moon Habitat by Ingersoll Machine Tools in Rockford; Rivian’s all-electric R1T truck made in Normal; the Self-Regulating Traffic Signal Heater by Termico Technologies in Elk Grove Village; and the 797F Mining Truck, the world’s largest mechanical truck, manufactured by Caterpillar, Inc. in Decatur.
Timeline of events:
February 16 – March 8: Nominations open and accepted at www.makersmadnessil.com
March 10 – March 22: Nomination voting
March 24: Top 16 Announced
March 24 – March 29: First round of voting
March 31: Top 8 Announced
March 31 – April 5: Second round of voting
April 7: Top 4 Announced
April 7 – April 12: Final round of voting
April 15: 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/.