SPRINGFIELD – The late Chester native Don Welge is among those being inducted into the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) Hall of Fame Thursday, June 25, which will recognize the people, products and companies that have made an enduring impact on the state’s manufacturing industry.
Established in 2024, the Illinois Manufacturing Hall of Fame celebrates more than two centuries of manufacturing in the state. Manufacturing is the largest contributor of any industry to the state’s Gross Domestic Product, supporting nearly one-third of all jobs in Illinois and contributing more than $580 billion annually to the state’s economy. Manufacturers have played a key role throughout our nation’s history from the advent of the assembly line and the Industrial Revolution to the space race and quantum computing.
“For over two centuries, generations of Illinois manufacturers have transformed the way we live, producing the goods we rely on every day while also addressing the globe’s most pressing challenges. Driven by a commitment to quality and innovation, they have built an enduring reputation, including technologies that have defined our past and will shape our future,” said Mark Denzler, President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Inductees into this year’s Manufacturing Hall of Fame represent the best of our state’s manufacturing sector and we are proud to honor their historic contributions.”
“Illinois is a global champion of innovation, and we’ve proudly built an unmatched legacy as a manufacturing powerhouse,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I am pleased to congratulate this year’s Illinois Manufacturing Hall of Fame Inductees — trailblazers whose historic contributions have shaped our culture and communities, pushed creative boundaries, and embodied the best of our state’s manufacturing industry.”
The 2026 Hall of Fame inductees will be honored during a ceremony at 11:00 a.m. on June 25 at the Westin Chicago Lombard. At the event, the IMA will also partner with the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC) to unveil the 2026 Manufacturing Excellence Awards winners, recognizing companies, organizations, and individuals in eight key categories.
“Illinois manufacturers have long contributed to the economic success of communities across our state,” said Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Kristin Richards. “This year’s Hall of Fame inductees reflect exactly what makes our state a world-renowned manufacturing hub, and we are proud to have them all right here in Illinois.”
The 2026 Illinois Manufacturing Hall of Fame inductees are:
People
Joseph F. Glidden: An Illinois businessman and farmer, Glidden is the “Father of Barbed Wire” who put DeKalb and Illinois on the map with his invention of barbed wire that “fenced the west.” Glidden later donated 63 acres of his homestead which became the site of Northern Illinois University.
Rick Delawder: Delawder leads SWD Inc., a second-generation, family-owned metal finishing, coating, and fastener-sorting facility in Addison. His industry leadership spans far beyond his own company; he served as board president of both the National Association for Surface Finishing and the Chicago Metal Finishers Institute and chaired the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association Board of Directors from 2017–2019.
Don Welge: Over six decades, Welge transformed Gilster Milling Co., a small family-owned flour mill, into Gilster-Mary Lee, a private label food manufacturing powerhouse. A passionate advocate for southern Illinois, Welge is a philanthropic and civic leader who supports local communities, advocates for historic preservation and advances national food supply chain security. The soon-to-be-completed bridge over the Mississippi River at Chester is being named in his honor: the Don Welge Memorial Bridge.
Marsha Serlin: Founder of United Scrap Metal and an award-winning leader in recycling solutions, Serlin is a pioneer and sustainability trailblazer. She founded the company in 1978 and grew it into one of the largest recyclers in the United States. Proud to employ more than 750 team members throughout eleven operations in nine states, Serlin is dedicated to giving back and leads her team with the mission of making a positive impact on others.
Dr. David Boulay: A longtime manufacturing leader with expertise in workforce development and education, Dr. David Boulay served in leadership roles at Frito-Lay and Pillsbury prior to his 15-year tenure as President of the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center. Boulay assisted thousands of small and mid-size manufacturers enhance their productivity, innovation and growth across Illinois.
Products
White House China: Produced by Pickard China in Antioch since 1893, this high-quality, durable porcelain with gold accents has been used by American presidents, as well as on Air Force One and in American Embassies across the world. Notable patterns include “Kailua Blue” used by President Barack Obama and the Magnolia Service (designed by Anna Weatherly) for President George W. Bush, featuring a green basket-weave pattern and gold eagle.
Eli’s Cheesecake: It all started in 1940, when Eli Schulman found a foreclosure sign on the door of his favorite coffee shop and decided to buy the place. Forty years and a few restaurants later, Schulman declared cheesecake to be the signature dessert at the legendary Eli’s The Place For Steak. It was there that he created Chicago Style Cheesecake, loved for its beautiful caramelization, creamy texture, and all-butter shortbread cookie crust. First debuting at the Taste of Chicago in 1980, it is now a beloved food icon.
NERDS Gummy Clusters: Launched in 2020 by Ferrara Candy Company, this innovative multi-textural candy became an immediate sensation growing into one of the most recognizable and best-selling global brands. This popular candy features a sweet, fruity gummy center covered in iconic tangy, crunchy NERDS creating a mix of textures and flavors in a single bite.
Spray Paint: Contained in a sealed, pressurized can, spray paint is released when a valve button is pushed. In 1949, Edward H. Seymour from Seymour of Sycamore added paint to existing spray can technology and patented the product that delivers a smooth, even coat of paint with more than 400 million cans produced annually in the United States.
Companies & Organizations
Lapham-Hickey Steel: Founded in 1926 in Chicago, Lapham-Hickey Steel is a 4th generation family owned and operated steel service center headquartered in Bedford Park with 13 locations and 1,000 teammates. For a century, Lapham-Hickey has supplied a wide variety of high-quality steel products supporting the manufacturing base and critical industries throughout Illinois, the Midwest and North America.
S&C Electric Company: Established in 1911, S&C transformed electricity distribution with the invention of the Liquid Power Fuse, leading a new era of safer power delivery. Today, the company continues to empower people to transform the grid by building on its legacy of technology leadership to deliver innovative solutions for a safer, more reliable and more resilient electrical grid.
ADM: Headquartered in Chicago, ADM is an essential global agricultural supply chain manager, processor and a premier human and animal nutrition provider. A cutting-edge innovator, ADM is a leader in business-driven sustainability efforts that support a strong agricultural sector, resilient supply chains, and a vast and growing bioeconomy.
- H. Hanson & Co.: Founded in 1866 in Chicago by Christian Henry Hanson, C.H. Hanson is a fifth-generation, family-owned company. Tools for Generations to God’s Glory, the C.H. Hanson family of brands has a range of tools to serve construction, plumbing, and metalworking sectors.
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, please visit http://ima-net.org/.