Voters Narrow Field to Top 8 Coolest Products Made in Illinois

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

March 25, 2025 – The field of contenders for the 2025 title of The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois has been narrowed further, with voters choosing the Top 8 products to move ahead in the sixth annual “Makers Madness” contest. Hosted by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, “Makers Madness” is a bracket-style tournament in which voters across the state 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.

Over the past week, voters chose their favorites in eight head-to-head matchups between individual products, with nearly 100,000 votes cast in this round. The original field of more than 250 nominees for The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois has now been whittled down to the Top 8, which are: Gindo’s Spice of Life made by Gindo’s in St. Charles; Aerial Firefighting Pump manufactured by MTH Pumps in Plano; Chef Heatly’s Hot Pepper Farm Salsa made by Chef Heatley in Sandwich; Joint Combined Aircrew Systems Tester manufactured by Chemring Energetic Devices in Downers Grove; Lagomarcino’s Chocolates made by Lagomarcino’s Confectionary in Moline; Donor Milk made by Mother’s Milk Bank of Western Great Lakes in Elk Grove Village; Whiskey Acres Blue Popcorn Bourbon manufactured by Whiskey Acres Distilling Co. in DeKalb; and ROV Skimmer – Remote Operated Oil Skimmer manufactured by Elastec in Carmi.

“Makers Madness is a celebration of the incredible products made right here in Illinois, highlighting the unparalleled level of creativity and innovation that distinguishes our state’s manufacturing industry,” said Mark Denzler, President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “We wish all of the contestants the best of luck as the search continues for the product that will earn the 2025 title of the Coolest Thing Made in Illinois.”

The Makers Madness Top 8 matchups are as follows:

Bracket A:

• Gindo’s Spice of Life (Gindo’s, St. Charles) v. (3) Aerial Firefighting Pump (MTH Pumps, Plano)

Bracket B:

• Chef Heatly’s Hot Pepper Farm Salsa (Chef Heatley, Sandwich) v. (3) Joint Combined Aircrew Systems Tester (Chemring Energetic Devices, Downers Grove)

Bracket C:

• Lagomarcino’s Chocolates (Lagomarcino’s Confectionary, Moline) v. (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) v. (3) ROV Skimmer – Remote Operated Oil Skimmer (Elastec, Carmi)

Voting for this round is now open and will take place at www.makersmadnessil.com through 11:59 p.m. on March 30. 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 9 when The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois will be named.

“It has been amazing to see our state come together to celebrate the variety of products that are made here in Illinois,” said Sean McCarthy, Comcast’s Regional Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Initiatives. “Congratulations to our eight remaining products and we wish you the best of luck in the final rounds of this competition.”

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.