Marathon County is the number one ranking dairy producing county in the State. Most of the county's industry is centered in the urban areas. Lumber was the original industry and wood and paper products have remained the leading industries. However, there is a wide variety of industrial plants which manufacture more than 50 different products. Some of the most important products manufactured in Marathon County are paper and food packages, lumber and building materials, dairy products, electric motors, boxes, road building and industrial machinery, veneers and red granite monuments and materials.
Marathon County is the leading county in the nation for ginseng production.
Forestry facts of Marathon County are an indication of the important role the lumber and paper industry has played in the development of this area. Three paper mills are located in the county, their expertise being specialty and high quality writing and printing paper. There are also a number of sawmills throughout the county. One-third of the county land area is forest land. Most woodland is in 30 or 40 acre tracts attached to individual farms.