The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association’s Coolest Thing Made in Illinois is minus a Quad Cities entry after Lagomarcino Confectionary’s chocolates – which had made it to the elite eight – failed to crack the top four in the March Madness tournament.
Voting is now open for the remaining quartet of Illinois manufacturers still vying for the top space, IMA said Tuesday, April 1.
Last week, voters chose their favorites in four head-to-head matchups between individual products – the elite eight included the Moline-based Lagomarcino’s entry in one of the brackets. Nearly 55,000 votes were cast in this round.
“Lagomarcino’s chocolates had a great run in this year’s Makers Madness, and it’s exciting to see them recognized as one of the coolest things made in Illinois,” Moline Centre Manager Kirk Marske told the QCBJ. “Lagomarcino’s is a legendary part of Moline and the Quad Cities, and it was an amazing opportunity to be profiled at the state level.”
He added although that competition has ended for Team Lago’s, their 2025 lunch season has just started. Soups, salads, and sandwiches are all in the starting lineup, with strong backing from milkshakes and hot fudge sundaes. Outdoor dining is also expected to return this season.”
The Final Four Coolest Things, announced Tuesday, were whittled down from an original field of more than 250 products. Still in the running now are:
- Aerial Firefighting Helicopter Refill Pumps manufactured by MTH Pumps in Plano.
- Joint Combined Aircrew Systems Tester (JCAST) manufactured by Chemring Energetic Devices in Downers Grove.
- Donor Milk pasteurized and distributed by Mother’s Milk Bank of Western Great Lakes in Elk Grove Village.
- ROV Skimmer – Remote Operated Oil Skimmer manufactured by Elastec in Carmi.
Voting open now
“There’s just one week left in the competition, so make sure to cast your vote before it’s too late,” IMA President and CEO Mark Denzler said in the latest release. “This contest is about celebrating the incredible creativity, innovation and versatility of our state’s manufacturers – attributes that are well represented in this year’s Top 4. We wish the finalists the best of luck as we prepare to unveil the winner of the 2025 title of The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois.”
Presented by Comcast Business, the competition celebrates the work of manufacturers across Illinois, who have long served as the backbone of our state’s economy, IMA said in a news release. 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.
Cast your vote here for your favorite remaining coolest product. Voters may cast one vote per day for any of the four finalists through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, April 6.
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.
“Congratulations to the Top 4 products, victory is within reach,” said Sean McCarthy, Comcast’s regional vice president of Business Development and Strategic Initiatives. “Comcast Business is proud to support Illinois manufacturers and the annual Makers Madness contest. We can’t wait to see which product emerges as this year’s winner.”
Last year’s champion was the Komatsu mining truck, a rugged, large capacity vehicle used for construction and mining made by Komatsu in Peoria.
