A number of iconic Quad Cities products are among the 250 Coolest Things Made in Illinois nominees that the public will whittle down to a Top 16 list. The Coolest Things Made is part of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) Sixth Annual Makers Madness contest. Voting is open in the current and second round of […]
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A number of iconic Quad Cities products are among the 250 Coolest Things Made in Illinois nominees that the public will whittle down to a Top 16 list.
The Coolest Things Made is part of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) Sixth Annual Makers Madness contest. Voting is open in the current and second round of this year’s bracket-style tournament. Online voters will ultimately decide what product earns the 2025 title of The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois.
Voting throughout the contest is taking place at www.makersmadnessil.com. There voters can choose which products will advance to the Top 16, including the work of several Quad Cities manufacturers.
Participants can vote up to five times per day. And voting in this round runs through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, March 16. The Top 16 will be announced on Tuesday, March 18.
After that, consecutive rounds of voting in head-to-head matchups will take place each week to narrow the field. The contest culminates with an awards ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion on Wednesday, April 8. That's where The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois will be named.
QC innovators abound
More than 250 products manufactured from all over the state were nominated for this year’s contest. They included everything from Moline-based John Deere’s X9 combine to signature Quad Cities tasty treats.
Indeed several edibles produced in the Quad Cities are on this year’s list. They include Whitey’s Ice Cream in general as well as its Graham Central Station flavor. That Moline-based ice cream maker also is joined on the list by Rock Island-made Harris Pizza, “The Original Quad City Style Pizza Pizza in The World.” Moline’s Lagomarcino’s chocolates also is among the 250 2025 nominees.
East Moline manufacturer Electro Freeze made the list four times not for treats, but for the machines that make them. The company’s nominees include its Shake and Soft Serve Combo Freezer – The GES 2080; the Soft Serve Pressurized Twist Freezer – The 30T-RMT; the High Capacity Countertop Slush Freezer – The 876C and its Flavor Injected Shake Freezer – The CS705 & CS705R.
Henry County, Illinois, boasts two manufacturers on the list of 250 nominees. Great Dane Trailers was nominated for its world-class truck trailer designs. Geneseo-based Springfield Armory was chosen for its Saint AR-15 rifle.
Rock Island County manufacturers making the list include: Rock Island’s ALM Positions, Inc., for its welding positioners; and Paar Instrument Co., which was nominated for its 400 Automatic Isoperibol Calorimeter made at its Moline location, where a major renovation and expansion and underway.
Why honor Coolest Things?
The Coolest Things Made in Illinois competition is presented by Comcast Business. It is designed to celebrate the work of manufacturers across Illinois, an IMA news release said. Those companies serve as the backbone of Illinois’ economy. In fact, IMA said, the industry is the largest contributor of any to the state’s Gross Domestic Product. It supports nearly a third of all jobs in Illinois and contributes more than $580 billion to the state’s economy each year.
“The products nominated in this year’s contest represent the wide diversity of our state’s dynamic manufacturing industry, which anchors our economy and drives our communities forward,” IMA President Mark Denzler said in the release announcing the current round of voting. “We wish all of the manufacturers nominated the best of luck and extend a special appreciation to the women and men on shop floors across Illinois who make these incredible products.”
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association is the only statewide association dedicated exclusively to advocating, promoting and strengthening the manufacturing sector in Illinois. The oldest and largest state manufacturing trade association in the United States, IMA represents nearly 4,000 companies and facilities. For more information, visit https://ima-net.org/.
