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Marshfield hears plan for regional industry study; city may be asked for $5,000

Marshfield Common Council · January 28, 2026

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Summary

A regional Target Industry and Site Readiness Evaluation, led by Site Selection Group and budgeted at $130,000, was presented to the council. Presenter Angel Laidlaw said WEDC committed $50,000 and participating communities would pay $5,000 each; staff expects to place a formal $5,000 request on a February agenda.

Marshfield councilmembers on Jan. 27 heard a presentation about a regional industry-attraction study designed to help Central Wisconsin communities compete for new businesses.

Angel Laidlaw, identified in the packet as CEO of Xenergy and representing the regional effort, described a five-phase Target Industry and Site Readiness Evaluation that will identify and evaluate five to six candidate sites, gather data and perform competitive analysis. “The overall study is $130,000,” Laidlaw said, adding that Site Selection Group (SSG) would conduct the work and that the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation has provided a $50,000 capacity-building grant.

Laidlaw said participating counties were asked for $5,000 each and that communities that want a site-specific evaluation would pay an additional $5,000, noting the study is limited to five or six properties for in-depth analysis. She said private-sector partners and a regional nonprofit (Greater Wausau Prosperity Partnership) had contributed, and that the initiative had raised about $115,000 to date.

Council members asked how the consultant would support business attraction beyond producing a report. Laidlaw pointed to marketing templates, regional developer tours and direct outreach to site selectors as follow-up steps. City staff confirmed they plan to present a $5,000 participation request for council action at an upcoming February meeting.

If approved, the study would produce a regional strategy and packaged site information intended to make Marshfield and partner communities more competitive in national site-selection processes such as industry conferences and requests for information.