IL Manufacturers’ Association hosting 6th Annual ‘Makers Madness’ contest

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Voters will have a say in “The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois” in a tournament starting Wednesday.

The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) is launching its sixth annual “Makers Madness” bracket-style contest to determine the top product manufactured across the state. The competition, put on by Comcast Business, celebrates the work of manufacturers throughout Illinois.

Nominations for “The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois” are now being accepted at makersmadnessil.com.

Voting will also take place here, beginning March 4. Any product that is manufactured in Illinois can be nominated for the tournament. Additionally, while qualifying products must be made in Illinois, the manufacturers’ headquarters don’t have to be in the state.

Nominations will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. on March 2. Voting to narrow the field to the top 16 products will begin two days later, with consecutive rounds of voting taking place each week. The contest will then end with an awards ceremony on April 9 at the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield, where “The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois 2025” winner will be named.

“Makers Madness showcases the many amazing and unique products created by manufacturers that consumers enjoy throughout Illinois and across the globe,” Mark Denzler, President and CEO of IMA, said. “Illinois is a land of innovation and manufacturers are creating groundbreaking products that feed, heal, build and power our communities. We look forward to the friendly competition ahead as manufacturers vie for votes and we shine a spotlight on their incredible work.”

Last year’s champion was the Komatsu mining truck: A large capacity vehicle used for construction and mining made by Komatsu in Peoria. Other previous contest winners include:

• 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
• Self-Regulating Traffic Signal Heater
  • Made by Termico Technologies in Elk Grove Village, this uses conductive particles to heat traffic signals so they remain free of ice and snow and traffic can safely navigate our roadways
• 797F Mining Truck
  • Manufactured by Caterpillar, Inc. in Decatur, the world’s largest mechanical truck

“We are thrilled to once again partner with the IMA to support this year’s search for The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois,” Sean McCarthy, Comcast’s Regional Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Initiatives, said. “The Makers Madness competition is an incredible celebration of our state’s creativity and ingenuity, and Comcast is proud to help manufacturers thrive by providing state-of-the-art connectivity and technology.”

The complete breakdown of the timeline of events for the competition is as follows:

• Feb. 12-March 2: Nominations open and accepted at makersmadnessil.com
• March 4-16: Nomination voting
• March 18: Top 16 announced
• March 18-23: First round of voting
• March 25: Top 8 announced
• March 25-30: Second round of voting
• April 1: Top 4 announced
• April 1-6: 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