Two northern Illinois-made products advance in 2025 Maker's Madness contest
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — Two products made in northern Illinois have advanced to the Top 16 in the state's annual Maker's Madness competition.
Whiskey Acres Blue Popcorn Bourbon, made by Whiskey Acres Distilling Company in DeKalb, and Aerosoal Spray Cheese, made by Berner Food and Bevereage LLC in Dakota, are contending for the title of 'Coolest Thing Made in Illinois' in 2025.
The Maker's Madness contest is a bracket-style tournament in which voters across the state vote for their favorite Illinois-made product.
The Illinois Manufacturer's Association, which runs the annual event, said nearly 250,000 votes were cast in the 6th annual contest.
More than 250 products were nominated this year.
According to a press release, the top four vote-getters from the initial round of voting are Gindo's Spice of Life made by Gindo's in St. Charles; Chef Heatley`s Hot Pepper Farm Salsa made by Chef Heatley in Sandwich; Titanium Vacuum Chamber manufactured by Meyer Tool & Manufacturing in Oak Lawn; and Whiskey Acres Blue Popcorn Bourbon made by Whiskey Acres Distilling Co. in DeKalb.
'The Top 16 products to advance in the Makers Madness contest represent the breadth and depth of Illinois manufacturing sector, showcasing the creativity and innovation that drives our state and nation,' said Mark Denzler, President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturer's Association. 'Best of luck to all the contestants, we look forward to some friendly competition and can`t wait to see which products will make it into the next round.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
Chicago Settles Suit by White Men Barred From Casino Share Sale
Bally's Corp. and the city of Chicago said they have settled a lawsuit brought by two white man and a conservative legal group which challenged a $1.7 billion casino project that offered ownership stakes only to women and people of color. The settlement comes after Bally's revised the share-sale terms in April by opening it up to other investors. No terms were disclosed in a Friday federal court filing in Chicago, where the men had sued in January alleging discrimination.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
DALTILE'S SUMMER SALE: TILE BUILT ON AMERICAN PRIDE
DALLAS, June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Daltile is proud to launch its summer sale highlighting "Made in the USA" products with up to 40% off American-made tile collections. The industry-leading powerhouse brand represents 78 years of well-established domestic manufacturing, offering a generous discount on premium Made in the USA tile through this sale. This special promotion offers big savings until September 1, 2025. Daltile is the nation's largest manufacturer and marketer of tile for both residential and commercial use. The following Daltile collections are included in the summer sale: Acreage, Artcrafted, Remedy, Calligo, Continental Slate, Enlite, Haddonstone, Iridescent Isles, Emerson Wood, Saddle Brook, Vertuo, Wanderwise, Sleigh Creek, Outlander, Haut Monde, Linden Point, Rhetoric, Scripter, Slate Attaché, Concrete Masonry, Indoterra, Modern Hearth, Rekindle, Fabric Art, Fabrique, Santino, Famed, Florentine, Marble Attaché, Marble Attaché Lavish, Perpetuo, Affinity, Archaia, Articulo, Bryne, and Calgary. For this sale, Daltile is partnering with its nationwide network of Daltile Elite Statements Dealers to offer discounts across the country on Made in the USA tile. The Daltile Elite Statements Dealer Program is an exclusive Daltile initiative designed for the top independent dealers throughout the United States. To locate a participating Daltile Elite Statements Dealer, visit Summer Sale Discount – Up To 40% Off. "Daltile is proud to remain your steadfast domestic provider that can meet the needs of Americans at all times," said Patrick Warren, vice president of residential sales, dealer and showrooms, Dal-Tile LLC. "The prices on our local products are always some of the most stable in the industry due to our long-standing commitment to North American manufacturing. Launching this summer sale is an honor for us to provide our customers with even better prices on their favorite tile collections made exclusively in the USA. Not only do we source locally, but we strive to be an example of the benefits of domestic production." "Yearly, we manufacture 500 million square feet of tile products right here in our nine USA manufacturing plants, completely tariff-free," continued Warren. "These company-owned plants produce over 70 unique collections and hundreds of distinctive designs made by the hard-working hands of American workers. In the current time of economic and tariff uncertainty, we are proud to have the backs of our customers." "Our domestic manufacturing gives the Daltile brand a distinctly competitive edge in fulfilling the quick-turn expectations that have become standard in the industry. We are able to provide our customers with superior reliability and availability. Additionally, Daltile's domestic production ensures our brands offer the highest levels of quality and performance. Customers can have peace of mind knowing that our manufacturing processes and final products meet the higher environmental and indoor air quality standards imposed by U.S. regulations on domestically produced goods. Domestic production also empowers our brands to respond quickly to a changing marketplace and new trends, allowing us to accelerate the speed to market for new products. We have built a solid domestic production system over our 78 years, and we are proud to have solutions ready for virtually any customer need," concluded Warren. For more on Daltile's Made in the USA products, visit Made in the USA. High-Resolution ImagesClick Here - Made In The USA Products About DaltileDaltile is the industry-leading brand of ceramic, porcelain, glass, metal, and stone tile as well as mosaics, extra-large slabs, countertops, and exterior tile products. Daltile products are distributed through over 260 company-owned sales service centers, stone slab yards, and design studios that service a robust network of trade customers. Daltile products are also sold through independent flooring retailers. Dedicated to innovative product development and distinguished style, Daltile provides a rich palette of quality products created to inspire residential and commercial designs. For more information, visit and follow Daltile on Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and YouTube. Media Contact:Michelle View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Daltile Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
EV Roundup: TSLA China Sales Keep Falling, NIO Q1 Loss Widens & More
Last week, EV maker NIO Inc. NIO reported its first-quarter 2025 results and EV charging company ChargePoint Holdings, Inc. CHPT reported first-quarter fiscal 2026 results. California-based EV company Lucid Group LCID inked a U.S.-sourced graphite deal to power its EV batteries and strengthen its domestic supply chain. U.S. EV behemoth Tesla TSLA saw its sales slipping in China last month amid fierce competition and price war. NIO incurred a loss per share of 45 cents in the first quarter of 2025, which was wider than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 22 cents. The Chinese EV maker reported a loss of 36 cents in the year-ago quarter. Revenues of $1.66 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.71 billion but rose 20.85% year over year due to higher delivery volumes. It delivered 42,094 vehicles in the first quarter, up 40.1% year over year, including 27,313 vehicles from NIO and 14,781 from ONVO. Revenues generated from vehicle sales amounted to $1.37 billion, up 18% year over second-quarter 2025, NIO projects deliveries in the range of 72,000-75,000 vehicles, implying a rise of 25.5-30.7% year over year. Revenues are estimated between $2,689 million and $2,765 million. NIO currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. ChargePoint incurred a quarterly loss of 6 cents per share, wider than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 5 cents. This compares to a loss of 11 cents per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. It posted revenues of $97.64 million for the quarter ended April 2025, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.78%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $107.04 million. Networked charging systems generated $52.1 million in revenues for the first quarter, a 20% decline from $65.4 million in the same period last year. ChargePoint's subscription revenues rose 14% year over year to $38 million, up from $33.4 million in the year-ago corresponding quarter. The company exited the quarter with $195.9 million in cash and cash equivalents. Long-term debt amounted to $307.8 million. ChargePoint forecasts revenues of $90-$100 million during the second fiscal quarter ending on July 31, 2025. Lucid signed a multi-year supply agreement with Graphite One to secure U.S.-sourced natural graphite, reinforcing its commitment to building a localized, resilient supply chain for EV materials. The agreement, with production expected to begin in 2028 from the Graphite Creek deposit in Alaska, follows Lucid's earlier deal with Graphite One for synthetic graphite and adds to a growing list of domestic partnerships aimed at powering future Lucid vehicles with American-made battery materials. These moves align with Lucid's strategy to reduce its carbon footprint, increase supply chain independence, and support U.S. manufacturing. In addition to Graphite One, Syrah Resources will begin supplying natural graphite in 2026 from its vertically integrated facility in Louisiana. Graphite, a key component of lithium-ion batteries, plays a crucial role in enabling fast charging. With these agreements, Lucid is bolstering its position as a U.S.-based EV innovator focused on long-term sustainability and supply security. Tesla's sales of China-made EVs continued to decline for the eighth consecutive month in May due to intensifying price wars in the world's largest auto market. Per the China Passenger Car Association data, combined domestic and export deliveries to Europe and other markets of the Model 3 and Model Y dropped 15% year over year in May to 61,662 units, following a drop of 6% in April. To boost demand in China, Tesla allowed smart-assisted driving features to be deployed to new vehicles in China starting in late May and continuing through the end of June. Additionally, Model 3 and Model Y were included in a government initiative promoting EV adoption in rural areas for the first time this which triggered a price war in 2023 that now involves more than 40 brands and shows no signs of easing, is under pressure from new, competitively priced EVs offering strong performance. The following table shows the price movement of some of the major EV players over the past week and six-month period. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Stay tuned for announcements of upcoming EV models and any important updates from the industry. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) : Free Stock Analysis Report NIO Inc. (NIO) : Free Stock Analysis Report ChargePoint Holdings, Inc. (CHPT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Lucid Group, Inc. (LCID) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data