February 25, 2021 – The initial round of voting is now open for the second annual “Makers Madness” contest hosted by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, a bracket-style tournament in which voters across the state will decide which product is The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois.
A total of 311 unique products from every corner of the state were nominated for The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois. Among this year’s nominees are massive machines, delicious food and beverages, iconic sporting equipment, advanced technology allowing us to see galaxies, innovative medical advancements, and numerous products used in the fight against the global pandemic.
A number of products made in Decatur are in the running:
Caterpillar Inc. – Cat D11 Dozer and Cat Engine Block
Deco Manufacturing Company – Custom Tooling and Heavy-duty Adjustable Anchor
Dyna Graphics – Rail Car Graphics
Mason Mfg – Heat Exchangers
Macon Resources – Illinois License Plates
Voting throughout the contest will take place at the Makers Madness website, where voters can now choose which products should advance to the Top 16. Voting for this round will take place through 11:59 pm on February 28, and voters can vote for up to 5 individual product entries per day with no more than one vote per product, per day.
In 2020, Caterpillar’s 797F Large Mining Truck was crowned “The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois” after nearly 300,000 votes.
Image courtesy of equipmentjournal.com
