ILLINOIS MADE MAKER

ENJOY ILLINOIS’ CLASS OF 2025

This is such an extraordinary honor - I honestly have a hard time putting it into words.

In 2024 I became aware I had been nominated for the “Illinois Made” maker program through Enjoy Illinois, the State’s Office of Tourism. But, as the year came to a close it was gone from my thoughts.

I honestly never thought it was something I would be selected for.

Well, come May 2025, I received the email my small business was selected!

I am speechless, humbled, and honored to be one of twenty small businesses throughout the entire state to be named “Illinois Made Maker” class of 2025. My small business is one of 277 passionate small businesses that have been selected since the program started.

This selection is truly the cherry on top to my 31 years in business!

The Illinois Made program was created by the Illinois Office of Tourism in 2016 to celebrate the diversity of small businesses across the state and support them by encouraging travel to all regions of Illinois.

To be considered for the Illinois Made program, businesses must embody the personal spirit of Illinois, demonstrating through their work what makes our state so unique. Makers exemplify what it means to be a local artisan. They represent the pinnacle of small businesses in Illinois—offering a one-of-a-kind experience that can only be found in the cities, towns, and rural communities of the Land of Lincoln.

As of 2025, there are only 277 Makers inducted into the Illinois Made program.