Voting has opened in the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association’s (IMA) 2026 Makers Madness, an online contest that determines The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois title winner.
The bracket-style tournament, which is organized by the IMA – the nation’s oldest and largest state manufacturing trade association, invites the public to select what Illinois-made product will be crowned The Coolest. Presented by Comcast Business, the annual competition celebrates the incredible work of manufacturers across Illinois.
The backbone of the state’s economy, manufacturing is the largest contributor of any industry to Illinois’ Gross Domestic Product. Manufacturing supports nearly a third of all jobs in Illinois contributing more than $580 billion to Illinois’ economy each year.
This year’s Makers Madness field includes more than 100 unique products from every corner of the state. Candidates, whose products were nominated for the contest, range from farming, construction, aeronautics and energy storage equipment to iconic pantry staples, beverages, sweet treats and a variety of vehicles.
For voters in the Quad Cities region, the only hometown favorite on this year’s list is a John Deere Combine, produced at John Deere Harvester Works in East Moline.
To vote for it or other cool Illinois products, visit www.makersmadnessil.com. This voting round concludes at 11:59 p.m., Sunday, March 22, and will name the Top 16. Participants can vote up to five times per day.
Consecutive rounds of voting in head-to-head matchups will take place each week to narrow the field. The winner will be crowned at an awards ceremony at the Governor’s mansion on Wednesday, April 15.
Showcasing state’s products
“Illinois manufacturers make amazing products that deserve to be celebrated for their innovation, creativity and excellence. Our manufacturers are solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges while creating jobs and generating economic investment in communities throughout our state,” Mark Denzler, IMA’s president and CEO, said in a news release Tuesday, March 10. “We wish all the products nominated the best of luck as we showcase the best of our state’s dynamic manufacturing sector.”
Last year’s champion was the Aerial Firefighting Helicopter Refill Pump, a pump that provides rapid and reliable water access for aerial firefighting teams, made by MTH pumps in Plano.
In the 2025 competition, a number of iconic products made by Quad Cities businesses were nominated – including John Deere’s X9 combine, Whitey’s Ice Cream’s Graham Central Station flavor, Harris Pizza, Lagomarcino’s chocolates, Electro Freeze’s frozen treat machines, ALM Positioners Inc.’s welding positioners, Parr Instrument Co.’s automatic isoperibol calorimeter.
Previous Coolest Thing Made in Illinois winners include: Komatsu mining truck made by Komatsu in Peoria; the Rosenberg Moon Habitat by Ingersoll Machine Tools in Rockford; Rivian’s all-electric R1T truck made in Normal; the Self-Regulating Traffic Signal Heater by Termico Technologies in Elk Grove Village; and the 797F Mining Truck, the world’s largest mechanical truck, manufactured by Caterpillar, Inc. in Decatur.
According to IMA’s release, manufacturers in Illinois produce everything from life-saving therapies and medicines to electric vehicles and components used for space exploration. They also keep store shelves stocked with nutritious food and delectable snacks and create sporting equipment used everywhere from neighborhood fields to professional leagues. The state’s manufacturing base also builds heavy-duty agricultural and road construction equipment, creates high-tech gadgets and components used for national defense, and produces energy to power our homes and businesses.
Timeline for Coolest
“These innovative teams rely on fast, reliable connectivity to design and deliver the products that move our state forward. As the largest connectivity provider in the U.S. to businesses of all sizes, Comcast Business is proud to help power that progress,” Sean McCarthy, Comcast’s regional vice president of business development and strategic initiatives, said in the release. “We’re honored to support Makers Madness and celebrate the groundbreaking work happening across the state.”
The remaining timeline for The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois is: (Nominations closed March 8).
- March 10-22: Nomination voting.
- March 24: Top 16 announced.
- March 24-29: First round of voting.
- March 31: Top 8 announced.
- March 31 – April 5: Second round of voting.
- April 7: Top 4 announced.
- April 7-12: Final round of voting.
- April 15: Winner of The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois announced at awards luncheon at the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield.
The IMA is the only statewide association dedicated exclusively to advocating, promoting and strengthening the manufacturing sector in Illinois. It represents nearly 4,000 companies and facilities. For more information, visit here.
