Cranberry Nut Snack Competes for Illinois’ Coolest Product

An Elgin-made cranberry nut mix is competing against everything from industrial machines to clever gadgets for the title of Illinois’ “Coolest Made Thing.”

The Orchard Valley Harvest’s Cran Nut Mix, which is made by Elgin-based John B. Sanfilippo & Son Inc., is in the running in this year’s Illinois Manufacturers’ Association’s “Makers Madness” competition, according to Elgin Courier-News. John B. Sanfilippo & Son Inc. is better known as the company behind Fisher Nuts.

Those interested in helping Fisher Nuts get ahead can vote on the Makers Madness website. Voting started on March 10 and will remain open until March 22.

“To our knowledge, no one at our company nominated us so it is great to hear that we have a cashew cranberry lover in Illinois that thinks we are worthy of consideration," Kelly Day, Sanfilippo’s executive director administration, risk & project management, told the Elgin Courier-News.

Orchard Valley Harvest Cran Nut Mix, produced by Fisher Nuts' parent company, John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc., is described as a sweet and salty blend of dried sweetened cranberries, almonds and cashews and finished with sea salt.

You can cast up to five votes per day, and the top 16 vote-getters will move on to the next round.

In 2025, an aerial firefighting helicopter refill pump was picked as the "Coolest Thing" in Illinois. A winner is expected to be announced on April 15.

The overall winner will receive an, a written article about the company and product on makersmadnessil.com and a feature article about the company in the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association The Illinois Manufacturer.

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