SPRINGFIELD – The field of contenders for the 2026 title of The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois has been narrowed further, with voters choosing the Top 8 products to move ahead in the annual “Makers Madness” contest. Hosted by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and sponsored by Comcast Business, “Makers Madness” is a bracket-style tournament that celebrates the incredible work of manufacturers across Illinois.
Manufacturing has long served as the backbone of our state’s economy, and is the largest contributor of any industry to the state’s Gross Domestic Product, supporting nearly a third of all jobs in Illinois and generating more than $580 billion for the state’s economy each year.
Over the past week, voters chose their favorites in eight head-to-head matchups between individual products, with nearly 57,000 votes cast in this round.
The original field of more than 100 nominees for The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois has now been whittled down to the Top 8, which are:
NASA Standard Initiator made by Chemring Energetic Devices in Downers Grove;
Kinder Bueno manufactured by Ferrero in Bloomington;
John Deere Combine made by John Deere in East Moline;
ADA Bus Transport Seat manufactured by Freedman by Lippert in Chicago;
MQ-25 Stingray made by The Boeing Company in Mascoutah;
Duck Skimmer made by Elastec in Carmi;
Aerapy PPR HVAC UV Systems manufactured by Aerapy in St. Charles; and
Curved Blazed Diffraction Grating manufactured by Inprentus, Inc. in Champaign.
“The competition is heating up, and voters will have some tough choices to make as the field of contenders narrows,” said Mark Denzler, President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “These Top 8 products highlight the creativity and innovation that sets the manufacturing industry apart, and we’re proud to shine a spotlight on the vast contributions manufacturers make to our state and our world.”
The Makers Madness Top 8 matchups are as follows:
Bracket A:
(1) NASA Standard Initiator (Chemring Energetic Devices, Downers Grove) v. (3) Kinder Bueno (Ferrero, Bloomington)
Bracket B:
(1) John Deere Combine (John Deere, East Moline) v. (3) ADA Bus Transport Seat (Freedman by Lippert, Chicago)
Bracket C:
(1) MQ-25 Stingray (The Boeing Company, Mascoutah) v. (3) Duck Skimmer (Elastec, Carmi)
Bracket D:
(1) Aerapy PPR HVAC UV Systems (Aerapy, St. Charles) v. (3) Curved Blazed Diffraction Grating (Inprentus, Inc., Champaign)
Voting for this round is now open and will take place at www.makersmadnessil.com through 11:59 p.m. on April 5. Voters may cast one vote per day in each of the four head-to-head matchups between individual products. Consecutive rounds of voting will take place each week, with vote totals reset to zero at the beginning of each round. 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.
“We are excited to see the amazing variety of products moving forward in this year’s contest,” said Sean McCarthy, Comcast’s Regional Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Initiatives. “Illinois manufacturers make the coolest and most innovative products, and we are proud to provide them with the advanced connectivity needed to drive their innovation and productivity.”
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/.