Aerial Firefighting Helicopter Refill Pump wins ‘The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois’ award 2025

Chosen from an initial field of more than 250 entries, the Simplex Aerial Firefighting Helicopter Refill Pump made by MTH Pumps in Plano, Illinois, is the winner of the 2025 Makers Madness contest, becoming The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois.

Hosted by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and sponsored by Comcast Business, the bracket-style competition celebrates the work of manufacturers across the US state. Manufacturing is the largest contributor of any industry to the state’s gross domestic product (GDP), supporting nearly a third of all jobs in Illinois and contributing more than US$580 billion to its economy each year.

With nearly 411,000 votes cast throughout the eight-week competition, the Aerial Firefighting Helicopter Refill Pump was awarded the title of The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois, which was announced by Governor JB Pritzker during a ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion. Manufactured by MTH Pumps, the Aerial Firefighting Helicopter Refill Pump was designed to reduce the refill time of helicopter-based water tanks from over a minute to as little as 30 seconds, increasing the number of water drops that aerial firefighters can place on a wildfire. This time advantage improves the chances of slowing or stopping fires from endangering lives, property and habitats. When recent wildfires in California left a trail of destruction, MTH Pumps helped by providing rapid and reliable water access for aerial firefighting teams.

Bold, creative and innovative

“Congratulations to Aerial Firefighting Helicopter Refill Pump for being named the 2025 Coolest Thing Made in Illinois. This product is a great example of the bold ideas, creativity and innovation that powers the manufacturing sector here in Illinois,” said Mark Denzler, President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “With commitment and passion, manufacturers across our state are creating products that solve real-world problems and improve lives. We applaud the men and women on our shop floors whose remarkable skills turn ideas into reality.”

“Illinois’ world-class manufacturing industry is leading the charge as one of the top drivers of our continued economic success here in Illinois, and that’s thanks to the incredible innovators all across our state,” said Pritzker. “I’m excited to announce this year’s winner of The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois, the Aerial Firefighting Helicopter Refill Pump. To the team at MTH Pumps, congratulations, and to all the manufacturers who took part in this year’s competition: thank you for your creativity, resourcefulness, and dedication. You make our state stronger.”

“As a small manufacturer, our team is honored and excited to have our Aerial Firefighting Helicopter Refill Pumps join the ranks of products from prior winners like Caterpillar, Rivian and Komatsu,” said Tim Tremain, President of MTH Pumps. “There are so many Illinois makers that produce products that we use every day without even realizing it, but without them, our daily lives would be very different. So, I honor all manufacturers in the great state of Illinois, but I hope that with our win, we help represent the unique creativity and drive of small manufacturers and the importance of what they have to offer the world.”