In order to reduce the production cost of imidacloprid, the preparation technology for the direct combination of 2-chloro-5-chloromethylpyridine and 2-nitryliminoglyoxaline has been optimized in a 101, stirred tank reactor with a new solvent, butanone, and a new catalyst, benzyl triethyl-ammonium chloride (BTEAC), which was proved to be more profitable for the production of imidacloprid. Three main affecting factors (the reaction temperature, the molar ratio of BTEAC to 2-nitryliminoglyoxaline and the concentration of 2-nitryliminoglyoxaline) for the production of imidacloprid were investigated and the optimum operating conditions were found. Based on the above technological optimization, an industrial process for imidacloprid with a production capacity of 50 tons per year was put in operation using a 2500 L stirred tank reactor under the same operating conditions. Good yield and purity of imidacloprid was also obtained in the industrial production.