FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contacts:
Christian Luna
christian@mhubchicago.com
Kim Blomquist
kim@mhubchicago.com
Announcing the 2025 Fourth Revolution Awards Honorary Industry Awards
Pella Windows, Intersect Illinois, and Michael Fassnacht will be recognized as champions of manufacturing innovation alongside a lineup of 25 award finalists.
(CHICAGO, February 11, 2025) – mHUB announces the 2025 Fourth Revolution Awards honorary award recipients, who will be recognized at the March 6 Fourth Revolution Awards Reception. The evening ceremony celebrates the region’s most innovative hardtech startups, organizations, and manufacturers and will close-out the mHUB HardTech Summit the same day.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution, marked by the integration of physical products and processes with advanced digital technologies, is transforming industries and reshaping global economies. mHUB is honored to recognize the innovators, industry leaders, and changemakers succeeding in this dynamic landscape to drive impactful progress and shape the future.
This year, nearly 100 submissions were received across the Fourth Revolution Awards' five judged categories. In addition to judged awards, honorary awards will be given to Pella Corporation, Intersect Illinois, and Michael Fassnacht based on exemplary leadership at the forefront of digital and technological transformation within manufacturing.
The 2025 Honorary Awards Recipients
Manufacturer of the Year: Pella Corporation
For 100 years, Pella has demonstrated a commitment to innovation and investment in community. Since its founding in 1925 in Pella, Iowa, Pella Corporation has grown into a trusted name in the windows and doors industry, employing over 10,000 team members across 18 manufacturing sites nationwide. Known for its customer-focused innovation, Pella has earned over 150 patents, introducing breakthrough products such as the Rollscreen, Easy-Slide Operator, and Steady Set, pushing the boundaries of innovation from its over 10,000 square foot PII Labs. Pella's use of AI, automation, and robotics have resulted in a 90% reduction in training time and nearly a 40% decrease in customer reorders. Pella, and its shareholder family, have invested nearly $35 million over the past five years to broaden housing, childcare, restaurants, and recreation opportunities in Pella, Iowa.
Corporate Champion: Intersect Illinois
Intersect Illinois is the statewide economic development organization focused on marketing Illinois as a premier business destination. Over the past nine years, Intersect Illinois has helped create over 20,000 jobs, retain nearly 3,000, and secure $9.3 billion in investments. Last fiscal year alone, the state saw significant business momentum with 440 corporate relocation and expansion projects — a 15% increase from the previous year. Intersect Illinois actively engages in industries with high-growth potential, prioritizing advanced manufacturing; quantum computing, microelectronics, and AI; life sciences; clean energy production and manufacturing; next-generation agriculture, ag tech and food processing; and transportation, distribution, and logistics. Major projects the organization has recently played a role in include Gotion's $2 billion battery plant in Manteno, Avina Clean Hydogen’s $820 million sustainable aviation fuel plant in Southwest Illinois, and the development of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, including helping secure PsiQuantum as an anchor tenant.
4REV Champion: Michael Fassnacht
Michael Fassnacht has been a driving force in advancing Chicago’s business ecosystem and fostering equitable economic development in the city and state. Presently, Chief Growth Officer at Clayco, one of America’s largest fully integrated design, engineering, and real estate development firm, Michael leads strategy of large commercial, industrial, and residential projects in Chicagoland. Through his tenure as President and CEO of World Business Chicago, Michael has championed the expansion of Chicago-based manufacturers and attracted new corporate relocations to the region. Michael has been a recurring figure in Chicago’s civic community and has led critical pro-bono work for the rebranding of the Chicago Public Library and its foundation, the city’s Amazon HQ2 pitch, the City’s Census 2020 activities, and the “Boards of Change” initiative to encourage voter registration. Michael served as a Co-Chair on Mayor Johnson’s transition sub-committee for Economic Vitaly & Equity and has served on many boards committed to strengthening Chicago’s cultural and business communities.
Join the Ecosystem at the Fourth Revolution Awards and HardTech Summit
The Fourth Revolution Awards is an evening reception following the mHUB HardTech Summit. This two-part event will gather top hardtech entrepreneurs, startups, investors, and industry, to celebrate the flourishing Midwest innovation ecosystem.
7:00 - 10:00PM | Fourth Revolution Awards
A ticket to the Fourth Revolution Awards grants you access to both the evening awards ceremony AND the daytime HardTech Summit.
Register here: https://lu.ma/mHUB4REV2025
1:30 - 6:30 PM | mHUB HardTech Summit
Your ultimate destination to explore cutting-edge advancements in smart manufacturing, medical devices, clean energy, sustainability, and beyond.
Register here: https://lu.ma/mHUBHardTechSummit2025
Blue Cross Blue Shield Illinois, CSC Leasing, ECI Foundation, and J.P. Morgan
About mHUB
mHUB is a leading independent hardtech and manufacturing innovation center enabling the commercialization of solutions that impact humanity and strengthening U.S. based manufacturing. The mHUB community includes over 500 active and alumni startups and small businesses supported by a deep talent pool of product designers and developers, entrepreneurs and engineers, manufacturers and corporate leaders, mentors, and investors. mHUB provides a hyper-resourced environment to entrepreneurs with the goal of commercializing new hardtech innovation that will lead to new businesses, intellectual property, investment, revenue, and job creation. Since launching in 2017, the mHUB community has generated more than $1.57B in revenue, launched more than 1,600 products, hired more than 6,400 employees, and raised over $1.89B in capital. To date, mHUB has invested in 54 startups across smart and sustainable manufacturing, climate and energy tech, and medtech.
