Wisconsin's Forest Products Industry: Deep Roots, New Growth
This week, I attended the GBIG 5P Showcase Expo in Green Bay, which showcases packaging, paper, plastic, print, pulp, and converting industries. Walking around the booths, I realized that "forest products" is one of Wisconsin's oldest industries yet one of its most actively evolving.
Wisconsin’s Paper Legacy
Paper making in Wisconsin began in 1848, the same year Wisconsin became a state. Today, Wisconsin is the #1 state for paper products (Lightcast, 2025 Q1), with 49% of the state's total land area covered by forests and 1,250 forest products businesses operating across the state. The industry accounts for 11% of Wisconsin manufacturing jobs, spanning pulp and paper (69% of gross output), wood and furniture products (30%), and forestry and logging (1%). You can explore these companies using the Wisconsin DNR’s Forest Products Industry Interactive Map.
An Industry in Transition
Those numbers tell a story of scale, but not of change. The forest products industry is actively shifting away from standard white and magazine paper toward packaging — corrugated, specialty, and food-safe formats that require different equipment, expertise, and business models. It's a reminder that even deeply established industries require businesses that can adapt.
Innovating in Forest Products
Here are a few new things happening in forest products in Wisconsin, including a couple where universities are helping businesses grow.
The USDA Forest Products Laboratory in Madison is working on applications of nanocellulose to strengthen concrete, which is an exciting opportunity to move the forest beyond paper.
UW-Stout's packaging program teamed up with local small business Tricky Foods on a packaging solution for charcuterie boards that will open up new markets for the business to grow.
UW-Stevens Point's Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology (WIST) provides R&D resources in areas like compostability and repulpability. One industry-student collaboration produced Riverpoint® paper, now sold through Strathmore Artist Paper, a Pacon brand.
Built in Wisconsin
A recurring theme across Wisconsin industry is the durability of private, family-owned companies and their ability to make long-horizon investments. Green Bay Packaging is a compelling example. Founded in 1933, the company has grown to 40 locations nationwide. In 2021, GBP completed construction of a new mill in Green Bay that uses 100% recycled materials, which is the first new paper mill in Wisconsin in 30 years. The facility was built with state-of-the-art technology, and here's a video from Voith, the equipment provider, walking through the features. (GBP is also investing $1B to modernize a mill they own in Arkansas.)
That's the kind of bet a family-owned business can make: patient capital, deep expertise, and a commitment to the state they've called home for nearly a century.
What’s Next
Innovation in “forest products” combines three pillars of Wisconsin strengths: advanced manufacturing, agribusiness, and technology. If you know of an early growth stage, scalable Wisconsin company working on packaging, advanced materials, or other innovations in this space, reach out!