Top Wisconsin 75 businesses increase use of AI and hire more workers
Top Wisconsin 75 businesses increase use of AI and hire more workers
Ricardo Torres, Milwaukee Journal SentinelFri, September 25, 2026 at 10:01 AM UTC
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The top 75 Wisconsin privately held businesses have seen a 4% growth since 2024, and in 2025 those companies had $235 billion in combined revenue, according to Deloitte's annual Wisconsin 75 survey.
Deloitte surveyed companies on the list, which include American Family Insurance, Northwestern Mutual, ABC Supply Company, S.C. Johnson, Kwik Trip and Epic.
"The economic outlook of the Wisconsin 75 has shifted dramatically toward growth," the survey states. "An overwhelming 88% of the Wisconsin 75 report high confidence in their success over the next 12 months, driven by operational efficiencies and strong customer demand. This optimism is backed by a major surge in revenue expectations, with 81% of the Wisconsin 75 anticipating top-line growth [up from 67% last year]. "
The survey had some mixed results depending on perspective.
From the company's side: 29% said they ware going to increase capital investment in the next 12 months, while 69% said it was going to "stay the same," which are gains from last year. On profits, 48% expect an increase and 46% expect it to "stay the same," numbers that are up compared to last year.
However, 79% of businesses expect the cost of goods to increase, down from 88% last year, and 21% expect the cost of goods to stay the same.
On the consumer side: 79% expect prices to go up and 21% expect them to stay the same. Both are increases from the previous year.
On the worker side: 78% of companies expect an increase in productivity while 22% expect it to stay the same.
Companies' response to AI and blockchain
The survey also asked about artificial intelligence and found 57% of companies were using generative AI in corporate strategies. That's up more than double from last year, in which 24% were using AI.
"AI is being rapidly commercialized because its practical business benefits are clear and accessible," the survey states.
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Only 3% said the company was still "reading and talking" about AI, down from 16% in 2025.
"The competitive advantages enabled by Generative AI are becoming visible across many aspects of Wisconsin 75 business models," the report states. "By using AI to simultaneously drive cost efficiencies, support service delivery, and spark employee innovation, organizations are building a highly modern and resilient foundation for growth."
On blockchain, the survey called it a "reality check."
A overwhelming majority, 85%, of companies have no plans to use digital assets or cryptocurrencies in operations. And 47% of executives said "a lack of a clear business case or ROI [return-on-investment] is the single greatest barrier to adoption."
"Wisconsin businesses maintain a 'wait and see' approach until clear use cases emerge," the survey states.
More companies plan to hire
More than half, 58%, of businesses in the Wisconsin 75 plan to increase hiring full-time workers. That's a 6% increase from last year. Only 3% said they planned to decrease the head count, up from 2% last year.
Among the top priorities employers plan to focus on for their employees are employee experience (23%), retention (21%) and career development (18%).
The retention point jumped up the list the most from fourth highest priority in 2025 at 13% to second highest priority in 2026.
"By pairing aggressive headcount growth with a deep commitment to employee experience and retention, organizations are ensuring that their workforce expansions are built to last on a stable, supportive foundation," the report states.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Top Wisconsin 75 businesses increase use of AI and hire more workers
Source: “AOL Money”
