DeLuca Encourages Residents to Highlight Locally-Made Products, Nominate Businesses for “Makers’ Madness”

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, Ill. – State Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, is encouraging residents to nominate local businesses for the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association’s (IMA) “Makers’ Madness” contest, which annually awards and highlights the “coolest thing made in Illinois.”

“Our area is home to a number of tremendous manufacturers who develop products used across the globe,” DeLuca said. “I love this contest because it highlights the ingenuity and strong entrepreneurial spirit we have here in Illinois. Particularly for local businesses, they deserve to be highlighted as part of this program.”

IMA is currently accepting nominations through Feb. 19. Following nomination voting, selected products will face off in a series of voting rounds before a winner is named on March 29. For more information and to submit a nomination, please visit https://makersmadnessil.com/.

Last year’s winner, selected amongst 400 entries, was the Rivian R1T truck manufactured in Normal, Ill. According to the IMA, an estimated 662,000 women and men are employed as manufacturers in Illinois.

“It would be great for an area manufacturer to win bragging rights in this contest, but this contest also underscores the important role manufacturers have in our state,” DeLuca said. “It’s critical that we continue to prioritize these job-creating businesses by training a skilled workforce and developing the infrastructure needed to support these industries.”

For more information, please contact RepDeLuca@SBCGlobal.net.