Unless a Buyer is Found, Prince Corporation in Marshfield Plans to Close its Facility

Wednesday, December 24th, 2025 -- 9:01 AM

(Caitlin Shuda, Marshfield News-Herald) If Prince Corporation cannot find a buyer, it plans to close its facility in Marshfield, as well as others in Illinois and Indiana, eliminating 107 employees, including 80 in Wisconsin.

According to Caitlin Shuda with the Marshfield News-Herald, Prince Corporation filed a notice and sent details to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and Mayor Lois TeStrake dated Dec. 19.

According to that WARN letter, Prince Corporation may sell its assets, although if the company does not find a buyer, or if a prospective buyer does not retain all of the current employees, Prince Corporation expects a mass layoff or plant closure.

According to the letter, layoffs could take place on or beginning Feb. 19, 2026, and would include 80 positions at the Wisconsin facility at 8351 Wood County H in Marshfield.

Facilities outside of Wisconsin would also be affected, including in Teutopolis, Illinois, and in Kingsbury, Indiana. If all facilities close, the company expects all 107 jobs will be eliminated permanently.

The letter stated business circumstances may change and employees might not be permanently laid off if someone purchases the facilities and continues to operate them.

In the Dec. 19 letter, Prince Corporation said it was not able to provide earlier notice, pointing to qualifications like “unforeseeable business circumstances,” “faltering company” and “liquidating fiduciary” exceptions in WARN statutes.

The letter also stated the company was actively looking for ways to avoid or postpone mass layoffs. According to its website, Prince Corporation was originally founded as Banner Mills in 1886 by William H. Upham in Marshfield.

Upham built Marshfield’s first general store and saw mill in 1878, a furniture factory in 1882 and mill in 1886 before a 1887 fire. H.C. Koenig traded his Marshfield grocery store for a mill, renaming the business Marshfield Milling.

In 1934, the company expanded, developing and producing a line of animal feed and minerals. The company began adding wild bird seed and outdoor feeding supplies in the 1970s. In 1997, it became a full-line agricultural, wild bird, pet, lawn and garden supplier.

For more information, visit prince-corp.com.

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