Wisconsin's Forest Products Industry: Deep Roots, New Growth
Wisconsin has been making paper since the year it became a state and it's still the #1 state for paper products today. The industry is shifting away from white and magazine paper toward packaging, advanced materials, and innovations like nanocellulose in concrete. At this week's GBIG 5P Showcase Expo in Green Bay, Laura Strong walked through how 1,250 forest products businesses are navigating that transition and why family-owned companies with patient capital are built for it.
Growing Scalable Companies in Wisconsin: Inc. 5000 Analysis
We analyzed 49 Wisconsin companies on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list to understand how they're funding growth. While most venture capital goes to software and biohealth, the fastest-growing Wisconsin companies span tech, consumer packaged goods, manufacturing, and logistics—using everything from bootstrapping to equity financing to debt. This variety supports our thesis that Wisconsin needs expanded growth capital options for sustainable, long-lasting companies.