Chocolates made by Lagomarcino’s Confectionary in downtown Moline are among the Top 8 Coolest Things Made in Illinois still standing in the 2025 Illinois Manufacturers’ Association’s “Makers Madness” bracket-style tournament.
Over the past week, voters statewide selected their favorite eight in head-to-head matchups between individual products, with nearly 100,000 votes cast in this round. The elite eight Illinois businesses and their products still in the competition from the original field of 250 nominees are:
- Gindo’s Spice of Life by Gindo’s in St. Charles.
- Aerial Firefighting Pump manufactured by MTH Pumps in Plano.
- Chef Heatly’s Hot Pepper Farm Salsa by Chef Heatley in Sandwich.
- Joint Combined Aircrew Systems Tester by Chemring Energetic Devices in Downers Grove.
- Lagomarcino’s Chocolates by Lagomarcino’s Confectionery, 1422 5th Ave., 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.
- ROV Skimmer Remote Operated Oil Skimmer manufactured by Elastec in Carmi.
Presented by Comcast Business, Illinois’ Coolest Things 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.
“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 final brackets
The Makers Madness Top 8 matchups are as follows:
- Bracket A: Gindo’s Spice of Life vs. (3) Aerial Firefighting Pump.
- Bracket B: Chef Heatly’s Hot Pepper Farm Salsa v. Joint Combined Aircrew Systems Tester.
- Bracket C: Lagomarcino’s Chocolates v. Donor Milk
- Bracket D: Whiskey Acres Blue Popcorn Bourbon v. ROV Skimmer.
Voting for this fourth and final round is now open and will take place at www.makersmadnessil.com through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, 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 Wednesday, 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.”
The top four will be announced on Tuesday, April 1, and the final round of voting will close on Sunday, April 6.
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association is the only statewide association dedicated exclusively to advocating, promoting and strengthening the manufacturing sector in Illinois. The IMA also 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/.
