The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) Monday launched the 2026 “Makers Madness” contest, a bracket-style tournament that lets voters choose what locally-made product should be crowned The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois.
Presented by Comcast Business, the competition celebrates the incredible work of manufacturers across Illinois, who have long served as the backbone of our state’s economy. Nominations for The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois are now being accepted at www.makersmadnessil.com, where voting will take place throughout the contest.
Any product manufactured in Illinois can be nominated. While qualifying products must be made in Illinois, the manufacturers’ headquarters do not have to be located in the state. Nominations will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. on March 8th. Voting to narrow the field to the Top 16 products will begin March 10th, with consecutive bracket rounds of voting taking place each week. The contest will culminate with an awards ceremony on April 15th at the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield, where The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois for 2026 will be named.
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.
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association is the only statewide association dedicated exclusively to advocating, promoting and strengthening the manufacturing sector in Illinois. The IMA 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/.