Voters Narrow Field to Top 16 Coolest Products Made in Illinois

“Makers Madness” Contest Lets Public Choose The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois

March 18, 2025 – With nearly 250,000 votes cast, the field of contenders competing in the sixth annual “Makers Madness” contest has been narrowed to the Top 16. Hosted by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, Makers Madness is a bracket-style tournament in which voters across the state will decide which product is 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.

More than 250 unique products from across the state were nominated for the 2025 title of The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois. After two weeks of voting, the field has been narrowed to the Top 16. The top four vote-getters from the initial round of voting are Gindo’s Spice of Life made by Gindo’s in St. Charles; Chef Heatley’s Hot Pepper Farm Salsa made by Chef Heatley in Sandwich; Titanium Vacuum Chamber manufactured by Meyer Tool & Manufacturing in Oak Lawn; and Whiskey Acres Blue Popcorn Bourbon made by Whiskey Acres Distilling Co. in DeKalb.

“The Top 16 products to advance in the Makers Madness contest represent the breadth and depth of Illinois’ manufacturing sector, showcasing the creativity and innovation that drives our state and nation,” said Mark Denzler, President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Best of luck to all the contestants, we look forward to some friendly competition and can’t wait to see which products will make it into the next round.”

The Makers Madness Top 16 matchups are as follows:

Bracket A:

• Gindo’s Spice of Life (Gindo’s, St. Charles) v. (4) Azteca Homestyle Burrito Tortilla (Azteca, Chicago)
• Aerial Firefighting Pump (MTH Pumps, Plano) (3) TCCI Electric Compressor (TCCI Manufacturing, Decatur)

Bracket B:

• Chef Heatley’s Hot Pepper Farm Salsa (Chef Heatley, Sandwich) v. (4) Global Navigation Motion Module (ZF Active Safety and Electronics US LLC, Marshall)
• Joint Combined Aircrew Systems Tester (Chemring Energetic Devices, Downers Grove) v. (3) Jumbo Marshmallows (Gilster-Mary Lee, Chester)

Bracket C:

• Titanium Vacuum Chamber (Meyer Tool & Manufacturing, Oak Lawn) (4) Lagomarcino’s Chocolates (Lagomarcino’s Confectionary, Moline)
• Rain Light Sensor (Forvia Hella, Flora) (3) Donor Milk (Mother’s Milk Bank of Western Great Lakes, Elk Grove Village)

Bracket D:

• Whiskey Acres Blue Popcorn Bourbon (Whiskey Acres Distilling Co., DeKalb) (4) Boeing MQ-25 Stingray Drone Refueler  (Boeing, Mascoutah)
• ROV Skimmer – Remote Operated Oil Skimmer (Elastec, Carmi) (3) Aerosol Spray Cheese (Berner Food & Beverage  LLC, Dakota)

Voting for the next round is now open and will take place at www.makersmadnessil.com through 11:59 p.m. on March 23. Voters may cast one vote per day in each of the eight head-to-head match-ups 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 9 when The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois will be named.

“The excitement is building as products go head-to-head,” said Sean McCarthy, Comcast’s Regional Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Initiatives. “Comcast is proud to be part of the IMA’s Makers Madness contest, providing well-deserved recognition to the amazing work of manufacturers throughout Illinois.”

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/.