The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois’ field has been narrowed to the Top 16 with Quad Cities favorite Lagomarcino’s Confectionary chocolates still in the running.
With nearly 250,000 online votes cast, the sixth annual Makers Madness contest is continuing voting in the bracket-style tournament. Voting for the next round ends on Sunday, March 23.
Lagomarcino’s, a fourth-generation candymaker with two QC locations including its historic downtown Moline storefront at 1422 5th Ave., has made the cut to the Coolest Things sweet 16. In this round, Lagomarcino’s is paired against Titanium Vacuum Chamber from Meyer Tool and Manufacturing. The winner will advance to a round of eight finalists.
“Lagomarcino’s is in its 117th successful season and our team is playing with momentum right now,” Lagomarcino’s “coach” Beth Lagomarcino said in a news release from Renew Moline. “The fans have been great, and their support is really carrying us in this contest.”
Hosted by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA), Makers Madness invites voters from across the state to decide which product is The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois.
Presented by Comcast Business, the Coolest Thing celebrates the work of Illinois manufacturers, who rank as the largest contributor of any industry to the state’s Gross Domestic Product. Manufacturing supports nearly a third of all jobs in Illinois. It contributes more than $580 billion to the state’s economy each year, the IMA reports.
More than 250 unique products were initially vying for the 2025 title. The top four vote-getters from the initial round 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 brackets are
The Makers Madness Top 16 Coolest Thing matchups are:
- Bracket A: Gindo’s Spice of Life v. Azteca Homestyle Burrito Tortilla (Azteca, Chicago). And Aerial Firefighting Pump (MTH Pumps, Plano) v. TCCI Electric Compressor (TCCI Manufacturing, Decatur).
- Bracket B: Chef Heatley’s Hot Pepper Farm Salsa v. Global Navigation Motion Module (ZF Active Safety and Electronics US LLC, Marshall). And Joint Combined Aircrew Systems Tester (Chemring Energetic Devices, Downers Grove) v. Jumbo Marshmallows (Gilster-Mary Lee, Chester).
- Bracket C: Titanium Vacuum Chamber v. Lagomarcino’s Chocolates (Lagomarcino’s Confectionary, Moline). And Rain Light Sensor (Forvia Hella, Flora) v. Donor Milk (Mother’s Milk Bank of Western Great Lakes, Elk Grove Village).
- Bracket D: Whiskey Acres Blue Popcorn Bourbon v. Boeing MQ-25 Stingray Drone Refueler (Boeing, Mascoutah). And ROV Skimmer – Remote Operated Oil Skimmer (Elastec, Carmi) v. Aerosol Spray Cheese (Berner Food & Beverage LLC, Dakota).
“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,” IMA President and CEO Mark Denzler said in a news release announcing the Top 16. “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.”
How to vote
Voting for this round is open at www.makersmadnessil.com through 11:59 p.m. on March 23.
To vote, you must choose one product from each matchup and then click “Cast Your Vote.” Lagomarcino fans, if you only choose Lagomarcino’s, it will appear that your vote has been tallied but it will only accept the vote if you have chosen one from each matchup or eight total, Renew Moline said.
