(WAND) - The "Makers Madness" contest has been narrowed down to the Top 16. Hosted by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, “Makers Madness” is a bracket-style tournament in which voters get to decide which product is The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois.
The competition celebrates the work of manufacturers across Illinois.
More than 400 products were nominated for the 2022 title of The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois.
Over the course of two weeks of voting, the field has been narrowed to the Top 16. The top four vote-getters from the initial round of voting are the TCFW375 Series Ice Rink Chiller from Thermal Care, Inc. in Niles, the Libman Tornado Spin Mop from The Libman Company in Arcola, the Orion Spacecraft Capsule’s Aft Bulkhead, Barrel and Tunnel from Ingersoll Machine Tools Inc. in Rockford and the Orion Spacecraft Command Module Control Switches by OTTO Engineering, Inc. in Carpentersville.
“While it’s time to narrow the competition, every nominee for The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois deserves to be celebrated for their creativity, ingenuity, and innovation. Manufacturers truly are the powerhouse of our state’s economy, and we extend our thanks to the hardworking men and women on our factory floors who strive every day to make the world a better place,” said Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “As we take time to celebrate our state’s manufacturing industry, it’s also important we focus on policies to grow jobs and encourage investment in our communities.”
The Makers Madness Top 16 matchups are as follows:
Bracket A:
(1) TCFW375 Series Ice Rink Chiller (Thermal Care, Inc., Niles) v. (4) Power-Grip LB-7Gx2 Lift Magnet (Obsidian Manufacturing Industries, Inc., Rockford)
(2) Combine (John Deere, Moline) v. (3) Fruit by the Foot (General Mills, Belvidere)
Bracket B:
(1) Libman Tornado Spin Mop (The Libman Company, Arcola) v. (4) TexWalk Print Media (Jessup Manufacturing Company, McHenry)
(2) R1T (Rivian, Normal) v. (3) Jackpoint Jackstands (Jackpoint Jackstands LLC, Montgomery)
Bracket C:
(1) Orion Spacecraft Capsule’s Aft Bulkhead, Barrel and Tunnel (Ingersoll Machine Tools Inc., Rockford) v. (4) Camper Van Foldaway Seat with Table (Freedman Seating Company, Chicago)
(2) Bison Pull-Tight Pool Cover Gearmotor (Bison Gear & Engineering Corp., St. Charles) v. (3) Rapid Freeze Flake Ice Maker – 1000 – RLE (Howe Corporation, Chicago)
Bracket D:
(1) Orion Spacecraft Command Module Control Switches (Otto Engineering, Inc., Carpentersville) v. Custom Semi-Trailer Bar (Onken’s Incorporated, Easton) (4)
(2) D11 Track Type Tractor (Caterpillar, Inc., East Peoria) v. (3) Custom Blazed Diffraction Gratings (Inprentus Precision Optics, Champaign)
Voting for this round is now open and will take place at www.makersmadnessil.com through 11:59 p.m. on April 10. Voters may cast one vote per day in each of the eight head-to-head match-ups between individual products. Consecutive rounds of voting will take place each week, with vote totals reset to zero at the beginning of each round.
The contest will end with an awards ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion on April 27 when The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois will be named.
“I’m really excited about all the entries. They show not only the depth and breadth of what’s made here, but that Illinois is truly a national manufacturing leader and trendsetter.” said Sean McCarthy, Comcast’s Regional Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Initiatives. “Congratulations to the Top 16 teams. May the coolest things move on to the next round!”
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