SPRINGFIELD – As voting opens in the final round of the 2026 “Makers Madness” contest, just four products remain in the annual bracket-style tournament held by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association that lets voters decide 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. 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.
Over the past week, voters chose their favorites in four head-to-head matchups between individual products, with nearly 34,000 votes cast in this round. From an original field of more than 100 products, nominees for The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois have now been whittled down to the Top 4 which are: NASA Standard Initiator manufactured by Chemring Energetic Devices in Downers Grove; John Deere Combine manufactured by John Deere in East Moline; Duck Skimmer made by Elastec in Carmi and Aerapy PPR HVAC UV System manufactured by Aerapy in St. Charles
“Our final contenders showcase the diversity and creativity of Illinois’ manufacturing industry, which makes the world a better place to live every single day,” said Mark Denzler, President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “As voters make their final choices, we look forward to seeing which product will take the coveted title of The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois.”
More details about the products in the “Makers Madness” Top 4 are as follows:
NASA Standard Initiator
Rooted in heritage that stretches back to the Apollo era, the NASA Standard Initiator (NSI) is an electrically activated pyrotechnic device that plays a critical role in modern spaceflight. The NSI enables essential mission functions such as vehicle staging, satellite separation, and spacecraft maneuvering. Its reliability is proven across thousands of missions — from every Mars rover NASA has delivered to the Red Planet to its inclusion on the current Artemis II /Orion mission, which is carrying astronauts around the Moon for the first time in over 50 years. Chemring Energetic Devices remains the only NASA qualified manufacturer of the NSI worldwide, continuing a legacy of precision and trust at the heart of human and robotic exploration.
John Deere Combine
An icon in the agriculture industry, John Deere’s combine lineup focuses on massive capacity and advanced automation to improve harvesting productivity. Designed for large-scale operations, John Deere combines offer up to a 45% increase in harvesting capacity with a 20% better fuel efficiency. The top of the range X9 Series can harvest up to 30 acres of wheat per hour, and the 420-bushel tank is capable of handling 7,200 bushels of high-yielding corn per hour.
Duck Skimmer
The ELASTEC Duck Weir Skimmer is a self-adjusting, floating weir skimmer used to advance environmental protection and safety. Suitable for use in inland waterways and ponds, the skimmer works by taking the surface layer off the water, making it ideal for removing duckweed or water meal, as well as assisting in the clean up of oil spills.
Aerapy PPR HVAC UV System
Aerapy’s PPR (Packaged Power Rooftop) HVAC UV system is a patented ultraviolet (UV-C) disinfection system engineered to deliver a germicidal dose to moving air within HVAC equipment. In independent testing under real airflow conditions, the system has demonstrated up to 99.97% reduction of airborne pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and mold, in a single air pass, while also helping keep cooling coils free of biofilm buildup. By maintaining coil cleanliness and heat transfer efficiency, the system can increase HVAC efficiency by up to 20% in certain applications, reducing maintenance costs for commercial, educational, healthcare, and government facilities.
Voting for this round is now open and will take place at www.makersmadnessil.com through 11:59 p.m. on April 12. Voters may cast one vote per day for any of the four finalists. The contest will culminate with an awards ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion on April 15 when The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois will be named.
“Best of luck to all the contestants who have made it to this final stage,” said Sean McCarthy, Comcast’s Regional Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Initiatives. “Comcast Business is proud to support manufacturers and this exciting competition that showcases the best of the manufacturing industry in Illinois.”
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/.